Cruz pledges to rescind every illegal executive action
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz told an audience in Las Vegas he would introduce a flat tax, abolish the IRS and introduce a referendum on Obamacare.
Speaking to around 500 people at an event hosted by Americans for Prosperity, or AFP — a conservative political advocacy group backed by billionaire industrialists and conservative megadonors Charles and David Koch— Cruz said he wasn't afraid to take on career politicians and lobbyists to accomplish those lofty aims.
He blamed Republican leadership on Capitol Hill for failing to stop policies that grew the national deficit and stifled economic growth, promising that if elected, he would slash regulations and enact tax reforms that would allow citizens to fill out their tax returns "on a postcard."
Cruz didn't give a stump speech at the policy event at Red Rock Resort, one of several AFP says are aimed at "elevating the dialogue around reining in the growing bureaucracies that make decisions in the health care and energy sectors."
Instead, the U.S. senator from Texas fielded around a dozen amiable questions from Mark Lucas, a regional director with the free market advocacy group.
Cruz didn't directly answer a question about how he would balance the budget, beyond noting that he would cut sugar subsidies and stimulate growth to rebuild the military and strengthen Social Security.
He took a few jabs at Obamacare — which he said has failed to deliver on the president's promise to reduce insurance premiums — as well as Democratic presidential nominee front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"If any of your premiums have dropped by $2,500, vote for Hillary," Cruz told the crowd. "I'll take everybody else."
He was not made available for comment after Friday's event, which open to AFP volunteers and registered, ticketed attendees.
Most national polls show Cruz running around sixth place in a field of 17 hopefuls for the GOP's presidential nomination.
Earlier Friday, Cruz told a Henderson audience that on his first day in the White House, he would rescind every illegal and unconstitutional executive action.
"We are here today because America is in crisis," Cruz said. "We are here today because we are bankrupting our kids and grandkids, because our constitutional rights are under assault from Washington each and every day. All across this country, Americans are waking up and I'm here to tell you, help is on the way."
Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who in January announced the Silver State would join 25 other states in a lawsuit against an executive action on immigration by President Barack Obama, introduced Cruz to a crowd of about 250 people. The action protecting 5 million immigrants who are in the country illegally from deportation is being challenged in court by attorneys general in more than two-dozen states, including Nevada and Texas.
Cruz spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Republican Club of Sun City Anthem for a little over 30 minutes. The event was open to members of the club, the community and news media.
Before talking to the crowd, Cruz took a few question from the media and spoke about his father, Pastor Rafael Cruz, who fled Cuba in 1957 at the age of 18.
After more than 54 years of strained relations during the Cold War, the U.S. reopened its embassy in Cuba on Friday.
"My whole life my dad has been my hero," he later told the crowd. "We are the children of those who risked everything."
The 44-year-old has two campaign event in other parts of Nevada on Saturday, one in Reno and the Basque Fry in Gardnerville, an event for GOP presidential candidates hosted by Laxalt.
During his address, Cruz voiced many of the same things he later would raise at his evening event in Las Vegas. As president, he said he would instruct the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into Planned Parenthood and prosecute any and all criminal conduct by the organization's leaders.
He would also order the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to stop the prosecution of religious liberty. Additionally, Cruz would kill the nuclear deal with Iran, which Republicans and some Democrats have harshly criticized.
Cruz, an attorney and solicitor general in Texas before becoming a senator in 2012, has gained in popularity since the Republican Party debate last week.
Out of 17 GOP presidential candidates, he has raised the most hard money. In over three months, his campaign raised $14.3 million, which came from more than 175,000 contributions in all 50 states. The average donation was $68.
"That's the power of grassroots," Cruz said. "We are building a grassroots Army here in Nevada and all across the country. This state has a critical role."
Contact Yesenia Amaro at yamaro@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3843. Find her on Twitter:@YeseniaAmaro Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter: @JamesDeHaven
