Ted Cruz on Welfare & Poverty Republican Texas Senator

Regulations like ObamaCare lead to layoffs of the poorest

CRUZ: The people who have been hurt the most in the Obama economy have been the most vulnerable. Big government, massive regulation, don't work. Small businesses are the heart of the economy. My dad fled Cuba in 1957. He was 18. He washed dishes making 50 cents an hour. Today, my dad is a pastor. If we had ObamaCare in place then, the odds are high my father would have been laid off. We need to lift the burdens on small businesses.

FactCheck: Yes, 3.7M women became impoverished since 2008

A review of Census data indicates that Cruz is utilizing figures from 2011 & 2012. Cruz is right that between 2008 & 2012, 3.7 million women fell below the poverty line. He's also correct that in 2011, the median income for women is $732 less than it was in 2008. Even using updated figures, Cruz's assertion that women's income has fallen holds up. The median income for women in 2014 was still lower than it was in 2008.

Underlying Cruz's claim is that Obama's economic policies led to the drop in incomes, an assertion that's difficult to back up given the financial crisis predated Obama's inauguration. But he's accurate that based on the numbers, women's median incomes are worse off than they were in 2008.

If you really want to help needy, use private charities

And private charities are far more likely to work not only to feed and clothe those in need, but also to help train them and get them interviews for jobs. Moreover, through the church, they can also help with their spiritual needs, which can be transformational in their lives.

Under government assistance, by contrast, there is far less of an incentive to help people become independent. Government programs don't tend to run out of money, regardless of whether they help people or not. In fact, the larger the homeless problem, the more money government programs receive.

Government checks create dependency

Instead, my parents worked together to start a small business, to provide for their family and to chart their own future. That's the American dream.

To restore America, to get Americans back to work, we must rein in the leviathan. We must stop spending money we don't have and turn around our crushing debt. Each of you comprises the fabric of our nation. Together, we must revive our many-century love story with liberty and restore that shining City on a Hill that is America.