Ted grew up in Texas. His father, Rafael, fled Cuba after being tortured and imprisoned and came to Texas with just $100 sewn into his underwear. Rafael got a job washing dishes making 50 cents an hour and learned English. He worked hard and attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a degree in mathematics. He later started a small business in the oil and gas industry. Today, Rafael is a pastor in Dallas.
Sen. Cruz is a strong advocate for pro-growth policies and has introduced legislation to eliminate job-killing regulations and cut through bureaucratic red tape so Texas’ small business owners can create more job opportunities for hardworking Texans. He has consistently voted against raising the debt ceiling by insisting any debt ceiling increase be accompanied by structural reforms, such as a balanced budget amendment to restore fiscal sanity and stop Washington bureaucrats from recklessly spending Texans’ and American taxpayers’ hard-earned money.