Ted Cruz’s critics are doing everything they can to try and hurt him among voters in Iowa, even if it means accusing him of flip-flopping when that’s absolutely not the case.
America’s Renewable Future has a new post titled “Senator Ted Cruz Listens to Iowa Farmers, Supports Renewable Fuel Standard Through 2022”.
In that post they play audio of Ted Cruz answering a question about ending ethanol subsidies, where he said he supports a 5 year phase out of the subsidy. People have done the math starting at 2017 and concluded that the subsidy would remain until 2022.
Here’s the audio:
Of course, his critics are now saying that Cruz is pandering, that he’s gone soft, even flip-flopped on ethanol in order to get the Iowa vote. But this is simply not the case. Once again, Amanda Carpenter steps in to explain that Cruz’s support for a 5-year phase out is simply nothing new:
Cruz wants to phase out RFS, that's nothing new. Phasing out is the responsible way to end the mandate
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
Cruz also argues mandates HURTS Iowa farmers. Which is confusing for ppl who want to believe Cruz hates Iowa farmers.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
I just listened to the Cruz audio. He said what he's always said. RFS should be a 5-year phase out. It's what his legislation said in 2014
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
It is now the year 2016. 2016+5 years is the year 2021. Someone wants to make that seem like Cruz supports full RFS till 2022.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
Here is a link to a bill Cruz sponsored with Rep. Bridenstine to phase out and repeal RFS over 5 years https://t.co/fvgizVxhak
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
Here’s a screenshot from the bill that Carpenter references of the phase out (click to enlarge):
And just for good measure…here is Cruz's release, from 2014, that calls for a 5-year RFS phase out https://t.co/1nRRho9Dra
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
Even liberal reporter Dave Weigel is flummoxed by those alleging that Cruz is flip-flopping:
Don't understand the "Cruz flip-flopped on RFS" charge. He's always been for a 5-year phase-out. If he takes office in 2017, that ends 2022.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 6, 2016
It honestly feels like a pressure group trolled Cruz and asked reporters who don't cover ethanol (uh, hi) to fall for it.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 6, 2016
There are some saying Cruz has supported immediate repeal in the past and Carpenter says that’s true. But in his own bill, she points out, he supported the 5-year phase out.
She sums it up this way:
This is correct. Repeal it, phase it out, just get rid of it. https://t.co/StRLW3RVZQ
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
Cruz has both called for repeal and a phase out for RFS. He'll end it whatever way he can, is the main point. How will the other candidates?
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
I'm just thrilled to see so many people want Cruz to end RFS faster. What other candidates are talking to Iowans about ending it?
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 6, 2016
As she says, the point is that Cruz wants to end the subsidy. He doesn’t support full RFS until 2022 as some would have you believe. In fact by 2021 or 2022, the subsidy would be only 20% of what it is now. And then it would be completely gone the next year.
No flip-flopping here. But don’t let that stop his rivals from smearing him anyway:
And now comes Team Rubio, which tells reporters this discrepancy amounts to "another day, another flip-flop from Senator Ted Cruz."
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 6, 2016