Sen. Cruz: If Not Now, When? If Not This Fight, Which?

This is part of an interview with Senator Ted Cruz. We need 60 Ted Cruz's in the senate.
----

Decker: What is your biggest surprise since coming to the Senate?

Cruz: My biggest surprise has been the defeatism among some Republicans here. There was such a strong sense of confusion about November’s loss, and many believed we had to retrench and there was no way to stop the president and Democrats from running the table.

In my view, even in the Senate minority, Republicans can do three things. First, we can stop bad bills. And there is no shortage of those. Much of President Obama’s legislative agenda would hurt economic growth, stifle opportunity and diminish our constitutional liberties. Whether it is Obamacare, cap and trade, his anti-gun agenda to restrict the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, or the Gang of 8 immigration bill that would not fix immigration but only exacerbate the problem – conservatives have played leading roles trying to prevent their passage. And stopping bad laws is meaningful.

Second, we have moments of leverage small and large where we can make good things happen. One example was Rand Paul’s historic filibuster on the Senate floor to force the Obama administration to make a critical concession: that the Constitution prohibits the killing of an American citizen by drone within the United States, unless he presents an imminent threat. While that was a simple issue, I think it was telling that the Obama administration took so long to answer it. I was privileged to give my first speech on the Senate floor in support of Sen. Paul.

Another place where we have leverage is on the Debt Ceiling. Generally, raising the Debt Ceiling requires 60 votes, which means in the 54-46 Senate, Republicans must at least be consulted in order for it to pass. Thus, the Debt Ceiling presents a moment when we can potentially force some positive reforms that otherwise aren’t on the table. Unsurprisingly, the majority party wants to evade compromise by using a process called reconciliation that would enable it to raise the Debt Ceiling with just 51 votes. I have been proud to block this maneuver, along with Sens. Lee, Rubio and Paul, to ensure we keep leverage and achieve some positive change.

And third, we can work to win the argument – to make the case to the American people that we must return to free-market principles and the Constitution, and that doing so will restore growth and expand opportunity for every American.

Decker: Speaking of that, some critics – including many on the right – say Republicans can’t win the Obamacare defunding fight and it could cost the party seats in the next election. What’s your view?

Cruz: There is no greater threat to the economy, to jobs, and to our prosperity than Obamacare. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, the most important check we have on an overreaching executive. President Obama just acknowledged the wheels are coming off Obamacare by delaying implementation of the employer mandate, granting a waiver for large corporations. My view is Republicans should stand up for the people and stop the rest of Obamacare before it is too late.

We can get there in September if we have 218 votes in the House or 41 votes in the Senate on the continuing resolution that funds the entire federal government. We should fund the entire government except Obamacare. This will lead to an impasse, with the president insisting that unless Obamacare is allowed to take effect, he will shut down the government. We should welcome this debate. Obamacare is unpopular, and the more people hear, the less they like it. We can win, but it will require a huge communications effort to make the case.

The question I ask my colleagues is, if not now, when? And if not this fight, what?

Contrary to the conventional wisdom, I think Republicans win when we stand for clear principles and draw strong contrasts with the other party. If we make clear that Republicans are fighting for jobs and to protect high-quality health care against Democrats wedded to an ideological dream of government-controlled healthcare, I think we will win. But the only way this happens is if a massive grassroots army makes its voice heard, and demands of our elected officials that they stand up and fight. I think “We the People” should hold every politician – including me – accountable, and that’s how we can win fights that are otherwise impossible. So I am going to spend the August recess and all of September making that case. And, if your readers agree, you should call your senators and representatives today, and sign the national petition at www.dontfundit.com.

Decker: America is at a crossroads in so many ways. What do you worry about when you can’t sleep at night?

Cruz: If we fail, we risk losing the miracle of freedom that has made America the greatest nation on earth. My wife and I have two little girls, and so I worry about what most parents do – what sort of nation are we going to leave to our kids and grandkids? I worry that we are squandering the legacy we inherited from our forefathers. Will we live in a nation that is less free, less prosperous, less creative, less dynamic – or will we once again turn back to the model of government and economics that has created the greatest prosperity the world has ever seen? And, will we uphold the moral capacity for self-governance that makes our constitutional order work?

In 1957, my Dad fled Cuba after being imprisoned and tortured. He came penniless, not speaking a word of English, and washed dishes for 50 cents an hour to pay his way through college. He graduated, got a job, started a small business, and worked towards the American Dream. When I was a kid, over and over, my Dad used to ask me, “When we lost our freedom in Cuba, we had a place to flee. If we lose our freedom here, where do we go?” That cannot happen. And it is why I’m working every day, alongside so many others, to prevent it. We must get back to our founding principles and preserve America as a Shining City on a Hill.

Brett M. Decker is Editor-in-Chief of Rare. Follow him on Twitter @BrettMDecker

http://rare.us/story/interview-with-sen-ted-cruz-republican-defeatism-surprises-me/

 

He is our hope.

I disagree on one point however. Stopping amnesty is far more important than some symbolic victory to delay Obamacare.

 

I think they both could be country killers. Although ObamaCare can be changed, modified or eliminated at some later date. But once amnesty passes, there's no going back. We are totally stuck with the results.