With his Ted Cruz endorsement today, Steve King made sure far-right conservatives know there’s no space between him and Cruz on immigration. Sure, everyone already knew they both occupy the same extreme fringes of the Republican Party — where offensive rhetoric flies about Latino immigrants as having “calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”
But now, King is explicitly defending Cruz from recent attacks against his out-of-touch immigration platform and naming immigration as one of his key reasons for backing Cruz.
Cruz is consolidating the evangelical and far-right conservatives he’ll need in Iowa, South Carolina, and beyond, but he’s doing it with a divisive and backwards message that is destroying the GOP from the inside out.
Background:
DACA
Cruz Supported Repealing DACA
Cruz Sponsored Legislation To Defund The Department Of Homeland Security In Response To DACA And DAPA
December 2014: Cruz Sponsored Legislation To Block FY 2015 Government Funding Bill Because It Funded President Obama’s Allegedly Unconstitutional Immigration Executive Orders. In December 2014, Cruz sponsored legislation to block the FY 2015 omnibus appropriations bill being considered by the Senate, on the grounds that it violated the Constitution. According to Congressional Quarterly, Cruz made a point of order that “the bill violate[d] Article I and II of the Constitution because it would fund activities related to an executive order on amnesty for immigrants that preempts the separation of powers, the enumerated powers of Congress and the requirement that the president take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The bill contain[ed] full fiscal year funding for all departments except for Homeland Security, which [was] funded at current levels until Feb. 27, 2015.” The Senate rejected Cruz’s point of order by a vote of 22 to 74. [Senate Vote 353, 12/13/14; Congressional Quarterly, 12/13/14]
- Cruz On His Point Of Order: “If You Believe President Obama’s Amnesty Is Unconstitutional, Vote Yes. If You Believe President Obama’s Amnesty Is Consistent With The Constitution, Then Vote No.”According to the Congressional Record, Cruz said, “1 month ago President Obama announced unprecedented Executive amnesty, in direct conflict with the immigration laws passed by Congress. Tonight is the first opportunity that Congress has to express its disapproval. A dozen Democrats have publicly criticized the Executive amnesty. Tonight, both Democrats and Republicans will have the opportunity to show America whether they stand with the President, who is defying the will of the voters, or with the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system. This point of order is targeted not to the entire omnibus but specifically to the DHS funding that the President has announced will be spent unconstitutionally. If you believe President Obama’s amnesty is unconstitutional, vote yes. If you believe President Obama’s amnesty is consistent with the Constitution, then vote no. […] It is incumbent on this body to resolve those constitutional questions and to honor and protect the constitutional authority of the United States Congress.” [Congressional Record, 12/13/14]
Cruz Said He Opposed Any Effort To Fund DACA
July 2014: Cruz: “No Legislation Should Be Considered Unless It Specifically Prohibits Obama From Expanding” The Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals. According to Breitbart, “‘No legislation should be considered unless it specifically prohibits Obama from expanding’ the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), ‘which allows those who have come here illegally to stay,’ Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told Breitbart News. ‘That should be a prerequisite for any bill considered to address this crisis.’ Frazier also told Breitbart News that Cruz is working on a bill on the matter that aims to end DACA altogether.” [Breitbart, 7/16/14]
September 2014: Cruz Called For Using “Any And All Means” To End DACA. According to the Huffington Post, “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Tuesday fed speculation he might try to force a government shutdown in an effort to end deportation relief for young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. ‘I think we should use any and all means necessary to prevent the president from illegally granting amnesty,’ Cruz told reporters at a press conference, adding it would be ‘appropriate’ to include a measure ending the relief policy, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (or DACA), in an upcoming continuing resolution to fund the government.” [Huffington Post, 9/9/14]
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Cruz Opposed Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Cruz Said Comprehensive Immigration Reform Would Amount To “Kicking Millions Of Americans In The Teeth.” According to The Nation, “Speaking with Houston-based radio host Michael Berry, Cruz said he hopes that Speaker John Boehner will not take on immigration reform next year. Doing so, Cruz argued, would diminish the ‘incredible opportunity to retake the Senate in 2014.’ Cruz emphasized that he is focused on winning the Senate majority from Democrats, and said passing immigration reform legislation would be the ‘number one thing Republicans could do to mess that up.’ Cruz also said comprehensive immigration would amount to ‘kicking millions of Americans in the teeth.’” [The Nation, 12/23/13]
Cruz Called Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation A “Disaster.” According to Real Clear Politics, “SEN. TED CRUZ: This Gang of Eight bill is a disaster. It is the exact same thing we saw in 1986. The last big immigration reform was in 1986, and the federal government told the American people, we’re gonna grant amnesty for the three million people who are here illegally. And in exchange for that we’re actually gonna secure the borders. We’re gonna solve illegal immigration, and the problem is gonna go away. Now, we saw what happened. The amnesty happened, the borders never got secured, and now three decades later, instead of three million people, it’s 11 million people.” [Real Clear Politics, 6/19/13]
June 2013: Cruz Voted Twice Against Comprehensive Immigration Reform
June 2013: Cruz Voted Against Senate Comprehensive Immigration Reform Package That Included A Path To Citizenship And Increased Border Security. In June 2013, Cruz voted against legislation that according to Congressional Quarterly, “would create immigration statuses and paths to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally and increase patrols and other border security mechanisms.” The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 68 to 32; however, the House has taken no substantive action on the measure as of mid-March, 2014. [Senate Vote 168,6/27/13; Congressional Quarterly, 10/2/13; Congressional Actions, S. 744]
Published: Nov 16, 2015