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In Austin, Ted Cruz Calls Obamacare ‘Dangerous And Terrifying’

U.S. Senate

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has once again criticized the Affordable Care Act, this time at a conservative conference.

“Obamacare has single-handedly been an illustration in lawlessness at a breath-taking scale,” Cruz said Friday in Austin at the Texas Public Policy Foundation policy orientation.

The conservative Republican laid out his reasoning for why he thinks the president’s health care reform is "dangerous and terrifying."

Cruz has garnered national attention by frequently condemning the Obama administration and the federal health care overhaul. He called for the complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act and said he would replace it with a conservative alternative that would expand health care coverage. Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation.

The Texas Tribune reports:

Cruz cited exemptions for “big business” from the Affordable Care Act and delayed deadlines for the implementation of provisions of the law, commonly known as Obamacare, which requires most individuals to carry health insurance. “Obamacare has single-handedly been an illustration in lawlessness at a breath-taking scale,” Cruz said. … Emmanuel Garcia, communications director of the Texas Democratic Party, said Cruz and Texas Republicans aren’t offering solutions in their rhetoric. “With 6.4 million Texans lacking health insurance, Texas remains the nation’s capital of the uninsured,” Garcia said, adding that Cruz and Texas Republicans "continue to grandstand and choose rhetoric over common-sense solutions. It’s time for them to put the politics aside, focus on what matters, and get Texans the affordable care and insurance they deserve."

This story includes material from the Associated Press.

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.