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Sen. Ted Cruz may be gaining support in Iowa.
Earlier this month, the Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate received an endorsement from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a seven-term, social-conservative congressman.
Now, results are in from a Quinnipiac University poll of 600 likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers. Cruz jumped to the second most popular GOP candidate, following Donald Trump.
Trump earned 25 percent of the mock votes, and Cruz received 23 percent – double his support from the previous poll.
“Today, the spotlight turns to Sen. Ted Cruz,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “The Iowa Republican Caucus has become a two-tiered contest: businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson lead on the outsider track, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio lead among party insiders.”
In attempt to continue gathering support in the state, Cruz has made nearly 30 Iowa appearances this month.
On Saturday, he held a meet and greet at The Windrow in Creston and answered questions from citizens about issues including taxes and ObamaCare.
In opening, Cruz stressed the importance of citizens having the tools they need to succeed on their own.
“You’re not doing anyone a favor by making them dependent on government,” he said. “We need to have the urgency to help people stand on their own two feet, and as president, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Tax solution
When asked by a citizen whether he plans to change the current progressive income tax system to a fair tax system, Cruz said he is a big supporter of the fair tax and consumption tax. He is currently campaigning on a simple flat tax, which he believes is more achievable politically in his first four years as president.
“Then, once we get a flat tax, we can talk about going the rest of the way to the fair tax,” he said.
Cruz has said his “fair and simple flat tax solution” will abolish the corrupt IRS and put an end to political targeting of citizens.
“For a typical family of four, the first $36,000 in income you earn, you pay nothing,” Cruz said. “After that, everyone pays a simple flat tax of 10 percent. No longer will you have billionaires paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries.”
On the business side, Cruz plans to eliminate the corporate income tax, payroll tax and death tax.
“For farmers, ranchers and small business owners, the death tax can be devastating,” Cruz said. “We will abolish the ObamaCare tax and replace all of (it) with a simple 16 percent business flat tax that would apply to all businesses.”
Cruz said the non-partisan Tax Foundation, which scores tax plans, concluded the simple flat tax would produce 4.9 million new jobs, increase capital investment by 44 percent and increase the after-tax income of everyone by at least 14 percent at every income level.
“My top priority is economic growth, and a simple flat tax is incredibly potent … to create growth and help people achieve the American dream,” Cruz said.
ObamaCare
One citizen asked Cruz what he planned to do about politicians having an exemption from the health care law, “ObamaCare.”
Part of Cruz’s plan is to repeal ObamaCare and any other “illegal and unconstitutional order taken by President Obama.”
“Obama illegally exempted members of Congress from ObamaCare,” Cruz said. “If I’m elected president, that ends. As president, I will veto any legislation that exempts members of Congress. There is no rule in class; the same rules should apply to everyone.”