GOP 2016 candidate Sen. Ted Cruz is weighing in against Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision to veto a bill that would protect the religious liberty of Georgia citizens who hold to traditional marriage beliefs.
Cruz says the Republican governor chose to “side with leftist activists and side against religious liberty.”
Breitbart News reached out to both the Trump and Cruz campaigns for comments on Deal’s veto decision that has led to an explosion of criticism from constitutional conservatives.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The Cruz campaign provided a link to a Washington Examiner article which reported Cruz’s response on the campaign trail to a reporter who asked the same question.
“I thought that was very disappointing to see Gov. Deal of Georgia side with leftist activists and side against religious liberty,” Cruz said, adding:
It used to be, political parties, we would argue about marginal tax rates and you could have disagreements about what the level of taxation should be. But on religious liberty, on protecting the rights of every American to practice, live according to our faith, live according to our conscience, we all came together. That ought to be a bipartisan commitment and I was disappointed not to see Gov. Deal not defend religious liberty.
As Breitbart News reported earlier this month, during the GOP debate in Detroit, Cruz said he would never compromise on core principles such as religious liberty.
Asked by debate moderator Bret Baier about whether a gay couple should be able to adopt children, Cruz said he would leave that decision to the states.
“I am a believer in the 10th Amendment in the Constitution, I would leave the question of marriage to the states, I would leave the question of adoption to the states,” he replied.
Cruz pointed out that states were making those decisions for themselves “until five unelected judges in an illegitimate and wrong decision decided to seize the authority over marriage and wrongfully tear down the marriage laws of all 50 states.”
“I can tell you, for me, there are areas that we should compromise on,” he added. “Marginal tax rates, we can reach a middle ground on. But when it comes to core principles and convictions, when it comes to the Constitution and Bill of Rights, I can tell the men and women at home I will never compromise away your religious liberty.”
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