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.
Tax reform is a powerful lever for spurring economic expansion and American global competitiveness. That’s why Sen. Cruz has proposed common-sense legislation, including measures to abolish the IRS, implement a simple flat tax, and clean up some of the most complex and burdensome sections of the tax code. Sen. Cruz believes Texans know how to spend their hard-earned dollars better than the government and has long fought to keep taxes low so people can decide how to spend their own money.