Ted Cruz in GOP Debate in Miami

On Free Trade: I always opposed TPP, but I supported TPA

CRUZ: Actually that's incorrect. There are two different agreements. There's TPA and TPP. I opposed TPP and have always opposed TPP, which is what you asked about. Free trade, when we open up foreign markets, helps Americans. But we're getting killed in international trade right now.We're driving jobs overseas.

FACTCHECK: No one explained the acronyms, so we looked them up. According to Mother Jones magazine:

TPP = Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade treaty between the US and a bunch of other countries around the Pacific Rim. It's been under negotiation for years.

TPA = Trade Promotion Authority, aka "fast track." This comes before the TPP vote, and guarantees that the treaty text will be submitted to Congress for an up-or-down vote with no amendments allowed. Without it, the treaty is dead, since other countries won't allow the US to unilaterally makes changes.

On Education: Race-to-the-Top is blackmail against the states

The Obama administration has abused executive power in forcing common core on the states. It has used race-to-the-top funds to effectively blackmail and force the states to adopt Common Core. Now, the one silver lining of Obama abusing executive power is that everything done with executive power can be undone with executive power, and I intend to do that.

Beyond that, I intend to work to abolish the federal Department of Education and send education back to the states and back to the local governments.

And let me say finally, the most important reform we can do in education after getting the federal government out of it, is expand school choice; expand charter schools and home schools and private schools and vouchers, and scholarships. And give every child in need an opportunity to access to a quality education.

On Foreign Policy: Break diplomatic relations with Cuba

Donald TRUMP: Every single aspect of this deal is in Cuba's favor. I would probably have the embassy closed until such time as a really good deal was struck.

Q [to CRUZ]: Would you reverse course and once again break diplomatic relations with Cuba?

CRUZ: Yes, I would. And this highlights a real choice for Republican primary voters. Do you want to continue on the same basic trajectory as the last 7 years of the Obama foreign policy? When it comes to Cuba, [a deal] negotiated b Hillary Clinton and John Kerry? There's a real difference between us. Donald supported Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. And what he said right now is that he agrees in principle with what they're doing. The only thing he thinks is that they should negotiate a little bit better deals, they should be more effective. I have a fundamental disagreement and I think most Republicans and most Americans do, that we shouldn't be allowing billions of dollars to go to nations that hate us, like Cuba.

On Free Trade: Import taxes are paid by consumers, not by China

Donald TRUMP: The 45% tariff is a threat. It will be a tax if they don't behave. China dumps everything that they have over here. We can't get into China. The 45% is a threat that if they don't behave, we will tax you.

CRUZ: It's not China that pays the tax. It's you, the working men and women. So ask yourself at home: How is this helping you? If your wages have been stagnant for 20 years; if you can't pay the bills, how does it help you to have a president come and say, "I'm going to put a 45% tax on diapers, on automobiles, on clothing." That hurts you. It's why we've got to get beyond rhetoric of "China bad," and actually get to "how do you solve the problem?" Because this solution would hurt jobs and hurt hard-working taxpayers in America.