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October 30, 2015
Greetings,
This week, Republican leadership again capitulated to President Obama – this time by joining with Democrats to pass the Obama-Boehner Budget Deal, a backdoor agreement that recklessly increases our nation’s debt by roughly $80 billion. As an active opponent of this blank check for Barack Obama, I fought hard to block this legislation. Although conservatives were unable to prevail this time, I will continue to stand up to this type of irresponsible spending that is bankrupting our kids and grandkids.
We must continue to do everything we can to rein in the spending of both the Republican establishment and Democrats, alike. I remain to be a committed leader in this fight.
Please keep reading for more updates on the latest in the Senate.
Keep Texas strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz: Republican Leadership’s Budget Deal Gives President Obama a Blank Check
Upon the Republican leadership’s passage of the Obama-Boehner Budget Deal, a backroom agreement to grow our nation’s debt and bust responsible budget caps, Sen. Cruz today issued the following statement after voting against this reckless bill:
“Pay no attention to another roughly $80 billion in debt. Pay no attention to the fact that it is the Republican-controlled Congress giving an unlimited credit card to Barack Obama, scheduling votes at 1 o’clock in the morning, and hoping that no one notices.
“How is it prudent to continue bankrupting this nation? ...Leadership’s position is that with Republican majorities in both houses, we should spend more, roughly $80 billion, than we did with the Democratic majority, $63 billion. And let me note that for the remaining 15 months, we are going to see a binge from this president that makes the preceding six and a half years pale.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full statement here.
Cruz, Cornyn Urge VA Secretary to Address Patient Wait Times in San Antonio
On Thursday, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Robert McDonald today urging him to address the long wait times for veterans seeking health care in San Antonio.
“We are troubled that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to struggle with providing timely health care to many of our nation’s veterans, even after Congress provided the VA with enhanced authorities and additional funding to hire new employees and implement the Choice Card program,” the Senators wrote. “In order to help the VA improve access to care for our veterans, Congress needs a full understanding of the current challenges faced by the VA and the actions that have already been taken to mitigate these problems.”
Read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in The Wall Street Journal: A Simple Flat Tax for Economic Growth
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal outlining his tax plan for economic growth.
Below is an excerpt of the op-ed:
“In constructing my plan, I had several requirements. The plan should: spur robust economic growth and job creation, while raising after-tax income for all Americans; be dramatically simpler, to allow working people to file their taxes with a postcard or phone app; and shrink Washington by getting rid of the rat’s nest of complex tax requirements, credits and loopholes.”
Read the full release here, including specific details of Sen. Cruz’s tax plan.
Sen. Cruz: This Budget Deal Is a Corrupt Betrayal of the American People
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz delivered a speech on the Senate floor, denouncing the shockingly bad budget deal and outlining the Republican establishment’s multitude of broken promises.
“…Republican majorities have just given President Obama a diamond-encrusted, glow-in-the-dark AmEx card. And it has a special feature. The president gets to spend it now, and they don’t even send him the bill. They send the bill to your kids and my kids. It’s a pretty nifty card. You don’t have to pay for it. You get to spend it and it’s somebody else’s problem.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s full speech here.
Sen. Cruz: Stop John Boehner’s ‘Golden Parachute’ Budget Deal
Sen. Cruz on Tuesday issued the following statement about the budget emerging from negotiations between the Obama White House and GOP congressional leadership:
“Majority Leader McConnell and a lame duck Speaker Boehner have once again linked arms with a lame duck President Obama and Congressional Democrats to extend Washington’s failed spending policies another two years. This is not a ‘grand bargain’ or negotiation -- it is complete and utter surrender. John Boehner’s golden parachute will certainly cement his legacy, but it is a slap in the face to conservatives who rose up across the country in 2014 on a promise that we would stop the disastrous runaway spending and debt in Washington. We now have a GOP Congress, but no one watching this budget surrender would know it.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full statement here.
Sen. Cruz: Planned Parenthood Is Not Worthy of Taxpayer Funding
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz released the following statement regarding the latest Center for Medical Progress video involving a Texas abortion provider:
“I am shocked at the contents of this footage, and I’m saddened that much of it involves a late-term abortionist from Austin, Texas. The doctor in question laughs that harvesting a fetal brain is something she hasn’t been able to do yet, but will be ‘something to strive for!’ At another point, the women laugh as one describes severed baby organs like hearts and livers as ‘cute.’
“There is nothing ‘cute’ about the contents of this video. There is nothing ‘cute’ about abortion providers’ callous disregard for human life. With every video release, we are reminded that these practices are not limited to a few Planned Parenthood employees; these practices are institutionally pervasive and encouraged from the very top. Once again, I am asking a simple question: are these our values?”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full statement here.
Sen. Cruz Urges Senate Leadership to Keep the Export-Import Bank Dead
Sen. Cruz on Monday issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed legislation reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, an egregious example of cronyism on the dime of hardworking Americans:
“Today was a win for the Washington Cartel and a loss for the American people. Just hours after lame-duck Speaker John Boehner joined with lame-duck President Obama in agreeing to bust the budget caps and add over a trillion dollars to our debt, the two teamed up again to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank…Fortunately, the Senate has the opportunity to do the right thing. Majority Leader McConnell has publicly promised not to bring Ex-Im reauthorization to the Senate floor. If he keeps that promise, then this cronyism will remain dead, and Leader McConnell will deserve the credit. If not, then Washington will have sadly once again reverted to government of the lobbyist, by the lobbyist, and for the lobbyist.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full statement here.
A Regional Update from State Operations Director Lela Pittenger
As the State Operations Director, Lela Pittenger, in Sen. Cruz’s office in Austin, works with both the Texas and Washington team members to coordinate all operations of Sen. Cruz’s state offices.
Pittenger is responsible for planning and executing events, developing staff and human resources, overseeing the state internship program, managing state correspondence, and more.
She also contributes to managing rapid response information during severe weather and other disasters. When Hurricane Patricia became the strongest hurricane on record for the Western Hemisphere, Pittenger worked with Sen. Cruz’s regional directors to track storm movement and the impact on Texans. She gathered the latest details on the needs of first responders and Texans dealing with the storms.
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