CBS’ Brennan falls short in effort to play ‘gotcha’ with Ted Cruz on his proposed two-term limit

The host of CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Margaret Brennan, engaged in a “gotcha” interview with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Sunday, asking him to explain why he is running for a third term in office while putting forth legislation that would limit senators to two terms.

(Video Credit: CBS)

Cruz is an ardent defender of term limits. He has proposed a bill that would prohibit senators from serving more than two six-year terms in office and House representatives from serving three two-year terms. Despite that, he is running for a third term as senator because Texans want him to. He says he will gladly comply with term limits when they are passed. Brennan did not like that line of reasoning.

“Why aren’t you holding yourself to that standard?” she demanded of Cruz.

“Listen, I’m a passionate defender of term limits. I think that Congress would work much better if every senator were limited to two terms… if every house member were limited to three terms,” the senator replied.

“But you’re still running,” Brennan interjected, attempting to paint Cruz as hypocritical on the issue.

“If and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. I’ve never said I’m going to unilaterally comply,” Cruz noted.

The Texan started to address his political foes when Brennan decided to nail him on another issue.

“Are you running for president?” she asked.

Cruz ignored the question and continued with his assertion that he is working for Texans but would comply with term limits once passed.

“I’ll tell you what, when the socialists and when the swamp are ready to leave Washington, I will be more than happy to comply with the same rules that apply [to] everyone,” Cruz told Brennan. “But until then, I’m going to keep fighting for 30 million Texans because they’ve asked me to do.”

“I think you’ve heard me ask if you’re running for president,” Brennan repeated.

“I’m running for re-election to the Senate,” Cruz responded. “There’s a reason I’m in Texas today. I’m not in Iowa, I’m in Texas, and I’m fighting for 30 million Texans.”

The senator’s point is valid. If he were prepping a run again for the presidency, he would probably not be staying in his home state. It is unlikely that Cruz will throw his hat in the ring with former President Trump already running for re-election.

“Term limits are critical to fixing what’s wrong with Washington, D.C. The Founding Fathers envisioned a government of citizen legislators who would serve for a few years and return home, not a government run by a small group of special interests and lifelong, permanently entrenched politicians who prey upon the brokenness of Washington to govern in a manner that is totally unaccountable to the American people,” Cruz wrote when proposing term limits legislation. “Terms limits bring about accountability that is long overdue and I urge my colleagues to advance this amendment along to the states so that it may be quickly ratified and become a constitutional amendment.”

While Brennan tried to pigeonhole Cruz on the issue, she did not mention the extremely long list of Democrats who have been in Congress for decades and who are steadfastly against term limits. It appears the Texas senator is not backing down on the issue.

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