Ted Cruz

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

And I will say it will be a rich irony if Donald J. Trump ends up being the greatest free trade president of our lifetimes. But I think that's entirely possible if he ends up negotiating some phenomenal deals. I hope that's the path we go down.

Look, I think we will see significant spending cuts. How broad they are, I don't know. I do think too much has been given. to the level and the budget resolution of the House versus the Senate. I think at the end of the day, what matters is what's actually in the reconciliation package that passes.

Look, I think we will see significant spending cuts. How broad they are, I don't know. I do think too much has been given. to the level and the budget resolution of the House versus the Senate. I think at the end of the day, what matters is what's actually in the reconciliation package that passes.

Look, I think we will see significant spending cuts. How broad they are, I don't know. I do think too much has been given. to the level and the budget resolution of the House versus the Senate. I think at the end of the day, what matters is what's actually in the reconciliation package that passes.

I can tell you in the Senate, there are a number of us who are arguing that we've got to rein back from the massive excesses that COVID produce, that the COVID pandemic became an excuse to increase federal spending by about 40%. It was a massive spending binge. And Washington being Washington, when the pandemic was over, the spending didn't stop. And what we're doing I think is irresponsible.

I can tell you in the Senate, there are a number of us who are arguing that we've got to rein back from the massive excesses that COVID produce, that the COVID pandemic became an excuse to increase federal spending by about 40%. It was a massive spending binge. And Washington being Washington, when the pandemic was over, the spending didn't stop. And what we're doing I think is irresponsible.

I can tell you in the Senate, there are a number of us who are arguing that we've got to rein back from the massive excesses that COVID produce, that the COVID pandemic became an excuse to increase federal spending by about 40%. It was a massive spending binge. And Washington being Washington, when the pandemic was over, the spending didn't stop. And what we're doing I think is irresponsible.

I think we need to see real leadership reining it in. I think we're seeing the president, in particular Elon Musk and Doge, showing real leadership saying, hey, we can rein back a lot of this waste, fraud, and abuse. But where it falls exactly, it's going to come down committee by committee in the Senate and House. And so we'll see. I'm going to be pressing a number of us for doing more.

I think we need to see real leadership reining it in. I think we're seeing the president, in particular Elon Musk and Doge, showing real leadership saying, hey, we can rein back a lot of this waste, fraud, and abuse. But where it falls exactly, it's going to come down committee by committee in the Senate and House. And so we'll see. I'm going to be pressing a number of us for doing more.

I think we need to see real leadership reining it in. I think we're seeing the president, in particular Elon Musk and Doge, showing real leadership saying, hey, we can rein back a lot of this waste, fraud, and abuse. But where it falls exactly, it's going to come down committee by committee in the Senate and House. And so we'll see. I'm going to be pressing a number of us for doing more.

And the question is going to be, what gets 50 votes in the Senate and what gets 218 votes in the House?

And the question is going to be, what gets 50 votes in the Senate and what gets 218 votes in the House?

And the question is going to be, what gets 50 votes in the Senate and what gets 218 votes in the House?

So listen, I am not laying out specific cuts that I'm advocating. And in the Senate, different people are focusing on different aspects of what they're leaning in on. So on that particular issue, the person who's probably been most vocal on that has been Ron Johnson. Ron Johnson, every week at lunch, lays out, goes back to, for example, the 2019 budget.

So listen, I am not laying out specific cuts that I'm advocating. And in the Senate, different people are focusing on different aspects of what they're leaning in on. So on that particular issue, the person who's probably been most vocal on that has been Ron Johnson. Ron Johnson, every week at lunch, lays out, goes back to, for example, the 2019 budget.

So listen, I am not laying out specific cuts that I'm advocating. And in the Senate, different people are focusing on different aspects of what they're leaning in on. So on that particular issue, the person who's probably been most vocal on that has been Ron Johnson. Ron Johnson, every week at lunch, lays out, goes back to, for example, the 2019 budget.

And what Ron Johnson is advocating is rather than start with where we are currently and cut, He says, let's go back to the 2019 budget before the pandemic and let's plus it up for population and inflation, and let's hold Social Security and Medicare harmless, but reduce everything else from there.

And what Ron Johnson is advocating is rather than start with where we are currently and cut, He says, let's go back to the 2019 budget before the pandemic and let's plus it up for population and inflation, and let's hold Social Security and Medicare harmless, but reduce everything else from there.