“We should shrink the size and power of the federal government by every and any means possible. What does that mean? That means eliminating unnecessary or unconstitutional agencies.” – Ted Cruz

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz stands out from all other presidential candidates in that he stands for limited government as envisioned by the founding fathers. In his “Five for Freedom” plan, Cruz explains that he intends to “abolish the IRS, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Further, Cruz explains that if he is elected president, he will “appoint heads of each of those agencies whose sole charge will be to wind them down and determine whether any programs need to be preserved.” Cruz explains that he will also “[R]e-institute President Reagan’s Grace Commission to assess federal spending levels and evaluate areas of waste and fraud.”

Senator Ted Cruz would not stop there, however. His plan will “identify all unnecessary programs” and fight to end them. He gives a list of 25 agencies that he wants to abolish, as “merely a start:”

Appalachian Regional Commission Climate Ready Water Utilities Initiative Climate Research Funding for the Office of Research and Development Climate Resilience Evaluation Awareness Tool Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Corporation for Public Broadcasting Corporation for Travel Promotion Global Methane Initiative Green Infrastructure Program Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Legal Services Corporation National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Humanities New Starts Transit Program Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund Presidential Election Campaign Fund Regulation of CO2 Emissions from Power Plants and all Sources Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicles Renewable Fuel Standard Federal Mandates Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Sugar Subsidies Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change UN Population Fund USDA Catfish Inspection Program

Finally, Cruz tackles “Congressional Accountability” and promises to “[R]educe costs by instituting a hiring freeze and federal pay reforms.”

Here is an excerpt:

Hold Congress accountable by enacting a strong Balanced Budget Amendment and requiring that a majority of members approve any major, cost-inducing regulation. Sign a Balanced Budget Amendment to start spending responsibly and save future generations from additional crippling debt.

Sign the REINS Act to ensure that Congress approves of any regulation or rule that would have an impact of $100 million or more. HIRING FREEZE AND REDUCTION Reduce costs by instituting a hiring freeze and federal pay reforms. Put in place a hiring freeze of federal civilian employees across the executive branch.

For those agencies in which it is determined that a vacant position needs to be filled, I will authorize the hiring of a maximum ratio of one person for every three who leave.

Reduce the annual across-the-board adjustment for federal civilian pay so that rather than receiving automatic yearly raises, federal workers would have more opportunities for merit-based pay increases.

It is this author’s belief that limited government as envisioned by the founding fathers is what made America great in the first place and returning to this vision is the only way America can be made great again. It is time to unleash the potential of Americans by removing these unconstitutional burdens of excessive taxes and regulations imposed on them by massive government bureaucracies.