Four federal agencies President Ted Cruz could do without

Washington Post ^ | July 24 at 8:00 AM | Amber Phillips

[SoConPubbie]

Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) sure does want to shut down a lot of the federal agencies he hopes to one day run.

The firebrand conservative and GOP presidential candidate has defined his young Senate career by almost reflexively opposing increased government spending and programs . . .

"I think we should shrink the size and power of the federal government by every and any means possible," he told the Daily Caller in 2012. -- snip --

The State Department

Most recently, Cruz threatened in a letter to President Obama to hold up State Department nominees and hold all bills that fund it. He hopes cutting off funding for our nation's hub of diplomacy will ensure President Obama doesn't let the United Nations approve the Iran nuclear deal before Congress can.

-- Snip --

The IRS

In the days before he made his presidential campaign official, Cruz traveled to New Hampshire and vowed to abolish the IRS. Cruz reiterated his 2012 call for the IRS to go -- which would mean no taxes for anyone, we guess? To justify his position, he compared federal regulators to locusts that deserve to be killed.

-- Snip --

The Department of Education

At the same New Hampshire campaign event, Cruz said the Department of Education must close. -- snip --

The Export-Import Bank

Cruz has already succeeded in temporarily closing down the Export-Import Bank, -- snip --. He and fellow tea party conservatives view the bank as a shining example of crony capitalism. -- snip --

And more to come ...

Cruz may have an agency hit list longer than these four. According to Politifact.com, Cruz told the Houston Chronicle in 2012 he'd also get rid of: "the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, the National Endowment of the Arts."

[Kartographer]

Trump is to Conservatives what 'Brobama' was to liberals. Just like 'Brobama' he is throwing red meat out and many conservatives are gobbling it up, but I assure you 5 minutes after he stepped into Oval Office all those promises would disappear as fast as they did with 'Brobama'.

I can't wait for the Youtube video which will be like the the one of the liberal black lady gushing over 'Brobama' and talking about him paying her rent and food and gas, but it will be some middle aged Tea Parties giddy over Trump saying:

"No more illegals and those here shipped back, and a secure wall will now be built and Mexico has to pay for it all!"

[Cuttnhorse]

And the national labor relations board...gone!!

[ek_hornbeck]

...and unlike Perry, he’ll probably remember what they are.

[Spartan79]

And the national labor relations board...gone!!

I'll see your national labor relations board and raze the entire department of labor.

[Sergio]

bkmk

[PGR88]

Cruz should focus his attacks on Gov’t agencies. We all know there are scores that should be eliminated, but that’s not going to happen immediately.

I hate to quote Mao Tse Dong on FR, but his ideas on military and political strategy were interesting

He said - instead of trying to hurt 10 of the enemy’s fingers, its a better effect if you can chop just one completely off.

Shut down just one - HUD, the IRS, or Dept. of Education. The message to the Left and effect on the US politics will be clear.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I’m assuming Ms. Phillips is trying to be clever. All I got from the article was the four agencies Cruz would like to abolish is a good start, despite Ms. Phillips snarkiness.

[doorgunner69]

You missed the accursed EPA!

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

The TSA. Ditch it, Ted.