Rubio Campaign Press Release - The Facts are Clear: Ted Cruz Has a Long History of Flip-Flops.

January 14, 2016

NBC News: "Cruz The 'Consistent Conservative' Is Not So Consistent." (NBC News, 12/17/15)

"Cruz has altered his position on issues about both national security and domestic economic policy . . . While most of the attention this week has trying to determine where Cruz really stands on immigration, Cruz has altered his position on issues about both national security and domestic economic policy." (NBC News, 12/17/15)

The Washington Post:

"Ted Cruz, the campaign slogan goes, is the only 'consistent conservative' in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Except, apparently, when he isn't." (The Washington Post, 12/18/15)

Flip-Flopped on Legal Immigration:

Townhall's Guy Benson: "Cruz has flip-flopped dramatically on a number of his previous immigration views."

"In response, Rubio charged that Cruz supported mass legalization of illegal immigrants and proposed huge increases in federal issuance of certain immigration visas and green cards.  Cruz shook his head throughout Rubio's rejoinder, but Rubio was correct on these points.  Cruz has flip-flopped dramatically on a number of his previous immigration views.  The Texan shot back, 'it is not accurate, what he just said, that I supported legalization.' Sorry, Senator.  It's on tape." (Townhall, Guy Benson, 12/16/15)

Flip-Flopped on H-1B Visas:

In an election year, Cruz said "he would suspend the H-1B program."

"Cruz said he would suspend the H-1B program for 180 days while he audited the system for abuses, abandoning his prior support for a 500% increase in the high-tech program." (CNN, 11/13/15)

"Cruz sharply distanced himself from his long-held plan to increase the number of visas for high-tech workers by 500%."

"A month prior, Cruz sharply distanced himself from his long-held plan to increase the number of visas for high-tech workers by 500%. Under fire from conservative talk radio hosts who said he was imperiling American workers, Cruz said he would suspend the program for 180 days until it could be reformed to his liking." (CNN, 12/1/7/15)

In 2013, Senator Cruz offered an amendment that would increase the H-1B Visa program from 65,000 to 325,000.

"During the 2013 immigration debate, the Texas senator proposed an amendment to the comprehensive 'gang of eight' Senate bill that he boasted would 'dramatically increas[e]' the annual limit on H-1B skilled guest worker visas—from 65,000 to 325,000—a five-fold expansion." (Bloomberg, 8/20/15)

Flip-Flopped on Birthright Citizenship:

Cruz's birthright citizenship position is "the product of a flip-flop that is a couple of years old."

"Post-Trump, Cruz has highlighted his opposition to birthright citizenship, itself the product of a flip-flop that is a couple of years old." (Washington Examiner, 11/19/15)

CNN: "Despite his grounding in the grass-roots, Cruz has had to quickly react at times to Trump's envelope-pushing brand of conservatism, such as when Cruz quickly agreed this summer with Trump's new position to end birthright citizenship, despite previous questions the Texan posed about its constitutionality." (CNN, 12/1/7/15)

Flip-Flopped on Mass Deportation:

In September 2013, Cruz "noted that he had not called for deportation."

"Cruz also noted that he had not called for deportation or, as Mitt Romney famously advocated, self-deportation." (NYT/Texas Tribune, 9/13/13)

Now, "over the past few weeks," Cruz "has specifically endorsed deportations after months of resisting."

"Cruz, who over the past few weeks has specifically endorsed deportations after months of resisting, said in an interview that aired Sunday on 'State of the Union' that the U.S. should catch those who came here illegally under normal law enforcement practices, not through round-ups of the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S." (CNN, 1/10/16)

In January 2016, Cruz said that like Donald Trump he does "absolutely" support deportation of all illegal immigrants.

"Ted Cruz said during an appearance in Iowa on Monday that there's a difference between him and Donald Trump on immigration. The Texas senator, who is leading the field of Republican presidential candidates in Iowa according to the latest polls, was asked by a man in the state if, like Trump, he believed that all undocumented immigrants should be deported. Cruz replied, 'Absolutely yes.' 'And in fact, look, there's a difference,' said Cruz. 'He's advocated allowing folks to come back in and become citizens. I oppose that.'" (BuzzFeed, 1/5/16)

Flip-Flopped on Syria:

Cruz said "we have no dog in the fight" in Syria.

"On Syria, Cruz inveighed against Rubio and Clinton for supporting a no-fly zone and arming 'the so-called moderate rebels.' 'I think none of that makes any sense. In my view, we have no dog in the fight of the Syrian civil war,' he said, arguing that Rubio and Clinton 'are repeating the very same mistakes they made in Libya. They've demonstrated they've learned nothing.'" (Bloomberg, 11/30/15)

Union Leader editorial: "This newfound zeal for the fight in Syria is a shift for Cruz."

"This newfound zeal for the fight in Syria is a shift for Cruz. He spent the past year positioning himself as a fallback option for supporters of Sen. Rand Paul, arguing repeatedly 'We certainly don't have a dog in the fight' in Syria. Cruz has been transparently pandering to Donald Trump, hoping to win his supporters if and when the Trump bubble finally bursts." (Union Leader Editorial, 12/8/15)

Wall Street Journal Editorial: Cruz's "positions — and opportunism — don't speak well of his judgment as a potential Commander in Chief."

"Mr. Cruz's Syria and NSA gambits seem intended to signal to Rand Paul and Donald Trump supporters that he should be their number two choice. Perhaps it will work as primary politics. But the positions—and opportunism—don't speak well of his judgment as a potential Commander in Chief." (The Wall Street Journal, Editorial, 12/2/15)

The Washington Post: "Sounds like" Cruz "has a dog now" in Syria.

1.) Should the U.S. military intervene in Syria? Cruz's past position: 'We have no dog in the fight of the Syrian civil war.' (Late November, interview with Bloomberg News). Cruz's current position: Bomb Syrian territory until the sand glows. 'We will carpet bomb them into oblivion,' Cruz said in Iowa this month, speaking about Islamic State militants in Syria. 'I don't know if sand can glow in the dark, but we're going to find out.' Which sounds like: He has a dog now. Cruz now wants the U.S. to attack one major player in Syria's multisided civil war — the Islamic State — while sending arms and aid to another set of players, the Kurdish militant groups." (The Washington Post, 12/18/15)

Flip-Flopped on Ground Troops in Syria:

Cruz has "changed his position" on using ground troops to defeat ISIS.

"Cruz also changed his position on another component of foreign policy. On Oct. 31, Cruz also pushed back on the idea of using ground troops to defeat ISIS. 'What that would take, I believe, is not a few more American boots on the ground,' Cruz said at the time. But last week in Washington, D.C., Cruz said in a speech at the Heritage Foundation that his strategy includes 'using whatever ground troops are necessary.'" (NBC News, 12/17/15)

Flip-Flopped on Edward Snowden:

The Hill: "Cruz flip-flops on Edward Snowden."

"Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz on Thursday said National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden is a 'traitor' who should be 'tried for treason,' shifting away from the praise he expressed for Snowden in 2013.  'It is now clear that Snowden is a traitor, and he should be tried for treason,' Cruz said in a statement to The New York Times. … Cruz struck a different tone when Snowden first went public with classified details about NSA snooping in 2013." (The Hill, 1/14/16)

Flip-Flopped on Trade:

"The senator also changed his position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership over the summer."

"The senator also changed his position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership over the summer. Long an advocate for the deal, Cruz veered to the other side, voted against authorizing the Obama administration to negotiate its terms and derisively called it 'Obamatrade' recently in Iowa." (NBC News, 12/17/15)

In April 2015, Cruz co-authored a Wall Street Journal op-ed with Paul Ryan in support of Trade Promotion Authority.

"The United States is making headway on two historic trade agreements, one with 11 countries on the Pacific Rim and another with America's friends in Europe. These two agreements alone would mean greater access to a billion customers for American manufacturers, farmers and ranchers. But before the U.S. can complete the agreements, Congress needs to strengthen the country's bargaining position by establishing trade-promotion authority, also known as TPA, which is an arrangement between Congress and the president for negotiating and considering trade agreements. In short, TPA is what U.S. negotiators need to win a fair deal for the American worker." (Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz Op-Ed, The Wall Street Journal, 4/21/15)

Flip-Flopped on Ethanol

Today, running in Iowa, Cruz says he wouldn't sign the same bill he co-sponsored immediately ending the ethanol mandate.

"Calease recalled a bill Cruz sponsored that would end the RFS immediately. 'If somebody brought a bill like you defended — if you were president — to alleviate the RFS instead of letting it run through its course, would you sign that? Similar to the one you co-signed a couple years ago?' he asked. Cruz, usually self-assured, quick-witted and policy-fluent, took a long, three-beat pause. The chances of that bill making it to his desk, he said, would be 'very slim.' But if it did, he wouldn't support it." (CNN, 1/10/16)

Flip-Flopped over Billions For Crop Insurance Program

After voting for "$3 billion in crop insurance cuts," Cruz "flipped his vote to side with farming interest."

"With the Iowa caucuses less than two months away, Ted Cruz seemed to have an epiphany Thursday night on one of the state's — and agricultural lobby's — biggest issues in Congress. Cruz (R-Texas) initially voted with fiscal hardliners to retain $3 billion in crop insurance cuts that were made as part of a budget deal approved in October. After a visit to the Senate cloakroom, Cruz returned and flipped his vote to side with farming interests, which ultimately prevailed. The crop insurance votes were part of a debate on a highway bill, which Cruz opposed on a final vote, calling it fiscally irresponsible." (Politico, 12/4/15)

Sen. Pat Roberts told Politico that he reminded Cruz "there was a little matter that there was a state called Iowa that he might want to think about."

"What exactly did Sen. Pat Roberts tell Sen. Ted Cruz during that fateful vote over crop insurance last week? Roberts joked that info would spontaneously combust if it ever become public — then he opened up. 'I just told Ted that the panhandle of Texas, they depend on crop insurance. And if you don't have that, you'll have a disaster bill that will cost more money ... and there was a little matter that there was a state called Iowa that he might want to think about.' Cruz's explanation for switching the vote from cutting the insurance to keeping it has been that he thought he was on a different vote. Roberts said he thought Cruz had been planning to vote against the crop insurance 'and then he of course he looks around at who voted that way. But as it turned out all four contenders [voted for it]. Y'all said I collared somebody; we had meaningful dialogue.'" (Politico, Huddle, 12/10/15)