How does Senator Ted Cruz plan to handle the gay marriage issue if he’s elected President? The candidate joined the radio show Monday morning to give his thoughts on the issue, as well as the steps he would take to protect traditional marriage and reign in an activist Supreme Court.
"Last week, twice in two days, the Supreme Court disregarded the Constitution. You know, reasonable minds can disagree on the question of marriage. Personally, I am a strong supporter of traditional marriage, of the union of one man and one woman. And marriage was not created by man. It was ordained by God. But I've also spent decades fighting to defend the Constitution. And under the Constitution, marriage has always been a question for the states," Cruz explained.
How does Sen. Cruz plan address the issue of gay marriage and the activist court?
"Several months ago, I introduced in the United States Senate a constitutional amendment to protect the authority of state legislatures to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman," Cruz said.
"Number two, I introduced legislation in the United States Senate stripping the federal courts of jurisdiction over a tax on marriage. That's one of the explicit checks and balances the Constitution gives Congress to reign in an overreaching judiciary."
"And then number three, in the wake of last week's rulings, I have publicly called for us to adopt a constitutional amendment to make Supreme Court justices subject to periodic judicial retention elections. Twenty states across the union do that. And if these Supreme Court justices are going to jump into the political sphere, are going to violate federal law and violate the Constitution, then we've got to have a meaningful check for we, the people, to reign in judicial tyranny."
Cruz also took time to address his stance as a fighter for religious freedom.
"Where I very much agree with you, Glenn, is that religious liberty is in the crosshairs. One of the things I write about at great length in my new book, A Time for Truth, is the two decades I've spent fighting to defend religious liberty over and over again. Solicitor General of Texas defending the ten commandment monuments on the state capitol grounds, winning 5-4 before the Supreme Court. Defending the Pledge of Allegiance, the words "one nation under God," winning unanimously before the Supreme Court. And in private practice, representing pro bono, for free, over 3 million veterans defending the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial, a lone white Latin cross erected over 70 years ago to honor the men and women who lost their lives in World War I, and winning 5-4 before the US Supreme Court."
"And this next battleground, you're right. Tax exemptions of Christian universities. Of Christian schools. Of Jewish schools. Of charity. Anyone who believes in the traditional definition of marriage, the Obama Justice Department admitted at the oral arguments, that they're next on the chopping block for persecution."
"And I'll tell you what's sad watching these religious liberty battles, just how many of the 2016 Republican presidential candidates have run for the hills. I've spent two decades fighting for religious liberty, and I believe 2016 will be a religious liberty election, and I will never shy from fighting to defend the religious liberty of every American to live according to his faith and his conscience."
Listen to the interview below: