On Fox News Sunday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) made the wild accusation that President Obama is holding the children who illegally come to the country over the Southern border for ransom.
Video:
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Transcript from Fox News Sunday:
WALLACE: Some Democrats say, you talk about helping the children, but this is a humanitarian crisis above all else and the key is to help the children. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid blames you, attacked you this week saying radical Republicans are trying to hold these kids ransom and then he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID, D-NEV., SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Had we done comprehensive immigration reform we wouldn’t be having this issue and everyone here, the border is secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Senator, your reaction?
CRUZ: Well, you know, President — President Obama and Harry Reid both engaging debates divorced from the facts and divorced from the reality. Harry Reid lives in the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. And I’m sure from his perspective the border seems secure. I would invite Harry Reid to come with me down to Texas and see the border. On the border we are seeing the opposite of following the law. The border is not secured. 90,000 children are expected to come in to this country illegally this year and Harry Reid says the border is secure? I’ll tell you who is holding these kids ransom, is Harry Reid and the president because their view is don’t do anything to fix the problem.
He mentions comprehensive immigration reform. The Gang of Eight bill is one of the causes of this problem. Because what the kids are saying is they are coming because they believe they will get amnesty. Part of the Gang of Eight bill was promising them amnesty.
Sen. Cruz is another wanna be GOP 2016 presidential candidate who is throwing around the term amnesty like it is his ticket to the White House. Ted Cruz’s legislation is as ridiculous as his claim that the president and Sen. Reid are holding these children for ransom on the border. Cruz’s bill does nothing to solve the current crisis. All his legislation would do is prohibit the president from granting “amnesty.”
Cruz is blaming the president for the crisis and is planning on blocking any funding to help deal with the humanitarian crisis on the border. Like Rick Perry, Ted Cruz is eyeing up the anti-immigration vote in the 2016 Republican primary. Sen. Cruz has gone so far as to construct a complete false case that places all of the blame on President Obama for the current situation.
Beneath all of his talk about amnesty and ransoming children, is the fact that Ted Cruz has nothing. Republicans are trying to hold these children for political ransom along the border. They said as much when they promised not to give the president, “a blank check.” Ransom is a normal part of the Republican legislative process.
The solution to this crisis would involve an actual plan that included funding and a course of action. Screaming no amnesty then asking people for donations to your super PAC is not a plan. Ransom didn’t work for Ted Cruz during the government shutdown, and it isn’t going to be successful in this battle for funding for a dire humanitarian issue.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
