NASHUA, N.H. — Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters Saturday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should have announced that until President Barack Obama withdrew his attorney general nominee, no other executive or judicial appointment would be confirmed.
The statement followed his remarks at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit.
“I believe what the Senate Majority leader should have done is announced that until the president rescinds his illegal and unconstitutional amnesty, that not a single executive or judicial nominee other than vital national security positions will be confirmed, but the majority leader decided not to follow that path,” Cruz said. “But I believe that would have been a strong response using the constitutional checks and balances to defend the rule of law and the Constitution.”
Cruz reaffirmed he would not regret this stance if elected president, saying he would “be proud to have fought for the Constitution.”
“It’s not the role of the president just to advocate for more power for the presidency, rather article 2 of the Constitution explicitly gives the president the responsibility to ‘take care to see the laws be faithfully executed.’” He added. “Of all of the aspects of the Obama presidency that are troubling perhaps the most dangerous and the most damaging in the long term has been the lawlessness.”
He explained, “It is my hope that the next president returns us to a nation of the people by the people for the people–not a nation with one ruler unshackled by any constraints of rule of law or the Constitution.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told reporters recently that he thinks the Senate should confirm Obama’s AG nominee Loretta Lynch, saying, “presidents have the right to pick their team in general” and the longer the confirmation takes the longer Eric Holder remains attorney general. Obama recently called the delay in Lynch’s confirmation vote “embarrassing.”
When asked what he thought about Bush’s remarks relating to his support of Lynch’s confirmation, he replied, “She had an opportunity to acknowledge any of her limitations on the authority of the president of the United States and repeatedly she refused to do so. I do not believe that any senator in good conscience consistent with his or her oath can vote to confirm a nominee who tells us she will not follow the law.”
Cruz referenced Bush’s concern saying, “Well some have said ‘Well, gosh, if that happens, that keeps Eric Holder as Attorney General.’ I don’t want Eric Holder to stay as attorney general. He’s been the most partisan lawless attorney general we’ve ever seen. But there is a difference.”
He continued, “Eric Holder began disregarding the law and abusing his office after he had been confirmed. The difference here with Miss Lynch is she’s told The United States Senate she intends to do exactly that.”
Confirmation votes on appointments are tricky for presidential or potential presidential candidates. One day an individual could be interrogating a nominee as one of one hundred and the next day that person could be president and must appoint nominees that can get through a Senate confirmation process.
The Daily Caller learned from a Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker spokeswoman that he opposes Lynch’s nomination and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a declared presidential candidate, stated during his remarks, “Civil forfeiture — this is where the government can take your stuff without you being charged with a crime,” said Paul. “Disproportionately, the people affected by it are minorities. Disproportionately, the people affected by it are poor… you know who the biggest defender of it is?”
“This is the main reason I oppose [Lynch],” said Paul, to more applause. “Nobody on the Democratic side is doing a damn thing about this.”
As far as Lynch’s nomination goes, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal would only tell TheDC, “I was certainly disappointed with what I thought was the president’s unconstitutional amnesty order. I think that was in violation of the Constitution.”
Jindal also said he was disappointed with Holder’s pursuit against the state of Louisiana in federal court over school choice vouchers.
“Even though 90% of the kids are minorities and 100% come from low-income families and would otherwise attend failing schools, I would certainly hope the senators will press her on whether she would support that kind of litigation against the states and whether she really does continue to support extra constitutional acts like the amnesty act.” He added. “I don’t think either one of those are appropriate at the department of justice.”