Lots of issues come up during the race for the White House: immigration, the economy, and gun rights just to name a few. Another issue often debated is the size of the U.S. Military.
During the January 14th Republican presidential debate, the candidates debated what they consider to be a lack of money being military. In the process, a war of words erupted between Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz with Rubio. Senator Rubio has accused Senator Cruz of voting for a budget that was all about cutting military spending.
Cruz responded by saying Rubio, “knows full well I voted for his amendment to increase military spending to $697 billion.”
PolitiFact Florida heard the claim and put it to the Truth-O-Meter. It received a TRUE rating.
PolitiFact writer Joshua Gillin said Senator Rubio’s amendment would have returned military funding to 2012 levels.
“Now, the number 697 billion did come up during floor debate. It’s kind of unclear how much that actually would have been, but that number was used… and Cruz did vote for that amendment even though it eventually failed in the Senate,” Gillin said.
For that reason, Cruz’s claim received a TRUE rating.
SOURCES: Cruz claims he voted for Rubio's military spending increase amendment
- PolitiFact, "Marco Rubio says Ted Cruz voted for defense cuts in Rand Paul's budget," Dec. 22, 2015
- Congress.gov, S.Amdt.940 to S.Con.Res.11, March 26, 2015
- Congress.gov, S.Amdt.423 to S.Con.Res.11, March 26, 2015
- Time, "Rand Paul Proposes Boosting Defense Spending," March 26, 2015
- Politico, "2016 brawl breaks out on Senate floor," March 26, 2015
- Congressional Research Service, "Defense: FY2012 Budget Request, Authorization and Appropriations," Nov. 25, 2011
- Tom Cotton Facebook, Senate floor remarks video, March 25, 2015