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February 12, 2016
Greetings,
This week, I was proud to introduce legislation with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with necessary resources to help the agency enforce our immigration laws. Unfortunately, for far too long, the Obama administration has discouraged the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. Border security is national security, and we must enforce the rule of law.
Americans, particularly Texans, have witnessed the harmful effects of an unsecure border, endangering the lives both of citizens and those who enter illegally. Rest assured, I will continue working diligently to ensure the protection of American citizens.
Please keep reading for an update on the latest in the Senate.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Cruz, Sessions Introduce Legislation to Help ICE Agents Enforce Immigration Laws
On Wednesday, Sens. Cruz and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) introduced the ICE Agent Support Act of 2016 (S. 2538). This bill would provide ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations with dedicated, substantial revenue from statutory fines and penalties for illegal aliens that are not currently being enforced by the Obama administration, but would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year. The relevant statutory provisions call for fines and civil penalties for refusing to leave the United States after being ordered or agreeing to do so, using false documents, or engaging in marriage fraud.
Sen. Cruz said, “For far too long, the Obama administration has discouraged enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. President Obama has even personally threatened ‘consequences’ for the dedicated men and women who try to follow the law.” Sen. Cruz continued, “This legislation sends a clear signal of support to the ICE agents who risk their lives on a daily basis to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. The next administration must support the people who protect us from illegal immigration and punish those who break our laws.”
Read the full release and text of the bill here.
Sen. Cruz to President Obama: “Strategic Patience” Toward North Korea Isn’t Working
Sen. Cruz on Wednesday sent a letter to President Barack Obama that expresses grave concerns about the administration’s North Korea policy and outlines a specific course of action to address North Korea’s illegal nuclear tests, strengthen U.S. national security and return greater stability to East Asia and the Korean Peninsula.
Cruz sent the letter after announcing he would vote for the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016 (H.R. 757), which would impose nuclear weapons-related sanctions on North Korea.
Cruz’s letter to Obama lists five actions rooted in American strength that might actually modify the hostile and aggressive behavior of North Korea and its protectors: fully enforce U.S. laws; stop protecting China; rebuild the U.S. Navy; Deploy a Terminal High Altitude Defense (THAAD) unit to better protect U.S. troops and critical targets in South Korea; and relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Read the full letter and release here.
Senate Passes Cruz Bill to Express Solidarity with Chinese Dissidents
Today, the Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by Sen. Cruz to ename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Liu Xiaobo Plaza,” after pro-democracy dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Liu Xiaobo. Dr. Liu and his wife, Liu Xia, have been imprisoned for seeking basic human rights denied to them by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Sen. Cruz has spearheaded the effort to rename the plaza in Dr. Liu’s honor since 2014, and delivered speeches on the Senate floor in September, October, and November of 2015 to call attention to Dr. Liu’s plight and human rights abuses in communist China.
“When Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate and said, ‘Tear down this wall,’ he didn’t listen to the voices of timidity saying, ‘Well, that’s going to embarrass the Soviets,’” said Sen. Cruz. “I would note that White House staffers repeatedly crossed that line out of his speech. They said, ‘No, no, no, that will upset the Soviets. That will set us back diplomatically’ ... And each time President Reagan wrote that line back in with his own hand, explaining to those staffers, ‘You don’t understand – that is the entire point of giving the speech. That’s why I’m there. Because when we speak the truth, the truth has power.’ And the U.S. Senate should not be aiding and abetting the oppression of the Chinese government. I am grateful to my colleagues for passing this legislation today, for standing with Dr. and Mrs. Liu and for standing and speaking for truth and for freedom.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full release here.
Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ros-Lehtinen Introduce the PLO Accountability Act
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) introduced the PLO Accountability Act (S. 2537/H.R. 4522).
Cruz’s and Ros-Lehtinen’s bill would close down the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington, D.C. unless and until the President certifies, in writing, to Congress that the Palestinians have not, on or after April 1, 2015, obtained state standing in the United Nations or any of its member or affiliate organizations; that they have ceased to be members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and that any and all preliminary examinations or ongoing investigations against Israel or Israeli nationals at the ICC are dropped; that they no longer provide financial payments to terrorists imprisoned in Israel or the families of those who have committed attacks; and that they no longer promote anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement.
“The Palestine Liberation Organization has for decades been a relentless advocate for terrorist violence against the Jewish people,” Sen. Cruz said. “The United States needs to make it perfectly clear to the Palestinians that this behavior is intolerable, and that we stand with our ally Israel. Closing the PLO office in Washington D.C. sends the clear signal that the days of America turning a blind eye to the militant anti-Semitism of this organization are over, and that we will no longer allow political correctness to force us to host terrorist organizations in Washington, D.C.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s full release here.
A Regional Update from State Field Director Jason Wright and Southeast Texas Regional Director Jessica Hart
This week, Jason Wright, State Field Director, along with Jessica Hart, Southeast Texas Regional Director, spent time in Houston updating constituents, businesses, and organizations about Sen. Cruz’s 2015 accomplishments and legislative goals for 2016. They held a roundtable discussion with key participants from the Houston energy, real estate, higher education, and medical industries, among others. Wright and Hart also met with key members at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which is a large focus of the Senator in his role as chairman of the Space, Science, and Competitiveness Subcommittee. Additionally, they updated board members of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, which is comprised of around thirty local business leaders. Wright and Hart also spoke at an evening event with around seventy tea party members in Spring.
Hart was also able to attend the University of Texas Board of Regents meeting, where the Sealy & Smith Foundation was awarded the highly respected Santa Rita Award. The Sealy & Smith Foundation has greatly impacted the Galveston community by donating over one billion dollars to the UT Galveston Medical Branch (UTMB) over approximately the last century. Among its many accomplishments, UTMB has been at the forefront of infectious disease research, particularly during the recent Ebola outbreak and the ongoing spread of the Zika virus.
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