Cruz's ‘Bloomberg Big Gulp Amendment’ targets food size regulation

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Sen. Ted Cruz wants to keep it that way.

The freshman Republican, in response to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (I) failed attempt to regulate the size of sugary drinks sold in the Big Apple, has filed an amendment seeking to prohibit the federal government from regulating the size of food and beverages.

The amendment is one of more than 400 introduced as part of Senate consideration of the fiscal 2014 budget resolution. Because budget resolutions don't become law, the amendments are not binding and would require separate legislation. But that hasn’t slowed this week’s free-for-all.

Cruz (R-Texas) has filed 10 amendments.

“I'm pleased to offer additional amendments that address and prioritize conservative principles that fortify Americans’ liberties and restrain an ever-encroaching federal government,” he said in a statement announcing the measures.

Cruz dubbed his food and beverage provision the “Bloomberg Big Gulp Amendment,” in a nod to the mayor’s ban on big sodas. A New York state judge blocked the ban, but not before the idea became a punching bag for Republicans, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Cruz’s other amendments included measures calling for the repeal of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, prohibiting drone killings of U.S. citizens and limiting federal ownership of state lands.

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