Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz was born on December 22, 1970 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is of Cuban and Irish/Italian descent. He was raised in Houston, Texas and later went on to study Public Policy at Princeton University before attending Harvard Law School. He took on the role of private-practicing lawyer, advisor to the 2000 Bush campaign, and Solicitor-General for the State of Texas (2003-2008) before being elected to the United States Senate in 2012. Cruz played a major role in the government shutdown of 2013 that strained his relations with the Republican Party. He is now running for the GOP nomination for the 2016 presidential election. Cruz's polling numbers show strong support, and he is second only to Donald Trump. [1]
Tax Reform
Tax Reform plans
- Wants to institute a "simple flat tax policy"
- Up to 36,000 dollars in untaxed income for a family of four
- A flat 10% tax rate for all individuals exceeding the income cutoff
- An additional flat 16% "business tax" that effectively acts as a value-added tax
- Child Tax Credit and deductions for mortgage interest payments will remain in effect
- "The IRS will cease to exist"
- Supports elimination of other taxes such as the Inheritance Tax, Overseas Profit Tax, Alternative Minimum Tax, and any "Obamacare" taxes
