Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz is the junior U.S. senator of Texas and one of the Republican candidates running in the Presidential election.

At age 45, Cruz has received much support from the far right and evangelical republicans during the 2016 presidential election, according to the New York Times.

Cruz supports limited government, economic growth, and the constitution according to cruz.senate.gov.  However, when it comes to issues like abortion, gun control and ISIS, where does Senator Cruz stand?

When the topic of abortion comes up, Cruz stands against it. He believes that every life is a gift from God and should be protected from birth until natural death. If Cruz were to be elected as president, he would desire for taxpayers to stop funding Planned Parenthood with the hope to save “innocent lives.” He commonly mentions during his speeches that he “would support any and all legislative efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.”

The second Amendment states that “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Senator Cruz believes that the only way to get rid of the criminals in the U.S. is to use the guns that the second Amendment has allowed them so far to have in possession. Cruz says that self defense is a component of liberty that “we enjoy as Americans.” He has always been for the right to keep and bear arms.  

Cruz’s foreign policy strategy for dealing with the militant group ISIS is to “bomb them back to the Stone Age.” He says that since ISIS rejects modernization, the U.S. might as well help them out on their goal. He wants the Obama administration to declare war, instead of trying to fix the civil war that is happening in Iraq.

“Look, it’s not our job to be social workers in Iraq and put them all on expanded Medicaid,” Cruz told Fox News. “It is our job to kill terrorists who have declared war on America and who have demonstrated the intention and capability to murder innocent Americans,”

With the candidates debating on who will represent their party for the presidential election, according to the Odyssey Online, teenagers and young adults should be debating on who they want to see as president as well. The presidential election is not something that will affect the teenagers only for a day, this will affect them negatively or positively for multiple years. That is why there are multiple websites and articles that stress the involvement of young adults and teenagers in this year’s 2016 presidential election. And being informed on the candidates that are running for president is a step to being involved.