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December 16, 2017
Greetings,
This week, I was thrilled that the Senate confirmed both Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett and former Texas Solicitor General Jim Ho to fill the vacancies in Texas on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. I’ve been friends with Don and Jim for decades, and know them personally to be principled defenders of the Constitution and the rule of law. They will be exceptional appellate judges, which is why I was proud to recommend them to the President for these positions.
On Tuesday, President Trump signed the FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law, which includes 13 amendments that I sponsored and eight that I cosponsored. These amendments will help Texas and our military interest abroad and in space. This legislation is a crucial first step toward rebuilding our military, giving our service members a well-deserved raise, and ensuring our military has the resources to be successful in their mission.
In recent months, we’ve seen waves of appalling sexual harassment and assault allegations originating everywhere from Hollywood, to newsrooms, to the halls of Congress. Every person, man or woman, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace, and Congress is not above the law. On Thursday, I sponsored a bipartisan bill that overhauls the current process that victims of harassment and discrimination in Congress must go through when reporting a claim. We must empower victims of harassment, and hold perpetrators accountable.
My Senate office continues to work to ensure swift and effective service to Texans and Texas communities in need of federal assistance following the storm. If you need additional information or assistance during the recovery and rebuilding process, please do not hesitate to contact my office or utilize the federal and state resources listed here.
Please read below for an update from this last week.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
ICYMI: The Hill Column on Cruz 529 Expansion: Tax plan’s proposed expansion of education savings is a game changer
Drew White, senior federal policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, penned a piece for The Hill, urging Congress to ensure Sen. Ted Cruz’s amendment expanding 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition for public, private, religious schools, and homeschooling expenses, to be included in the final tax bill. Read more...
ICYMI: Washington Examiner: Ted Cruz Makes DC School Choice Push
The Washington Examiner highlighted Sen. Cruz’s reintroduction of the Educational Freedom Accounts Act, which creates a unique educational choice program in Washington, D.C., empowers parents, and provides opportunity to every public school student in the nation's capital, including those enrolled in public charter schools. Read more...
Sen. Cruz: ‘Space Policy Directive 1 Reaffirms NASA’s Core Mission’
Sen. Cruz, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s signing of "Space Policy Directive 1,” which establishes a foundation for a mission to the moon, and beyond. Read more...
President Trump Signs 2018 NDAA Into Law
Today President Trump signed into law the FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides numerous military necessities, including over $479 million in military construction funds to the state of Texas for 2018. Read more...
Sen. Cruz: ‘Americans Who Pledge Their Allegiance to Terrorist Organizations Forfeit Their Rights as Citizens’
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding the arrest of Houston resident, Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, renewing his call to pass the Expatriate Terrorist Act (ETA), which he introduced earlier this year. Read more...
Sens. Cruz, Markey Introduce the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2017
Sens. Cruz and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2017. Read more...
Sen. Cruz: This Week, Two Exemplary Judges Will Be Confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, and former Texas Solicitor General Jim Ho, nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Praises Confirmation of Justice Don Willett for Fifth Circuit
Sen. Cruz released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Read more...
Sen. Cruz: ‘The Internet Should Be Free of Taxation, Censorship and Regulation’
Sen. Cruz issued the following statement regarding the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) vote to repeal net neutrality regulations. Read more...
Sens. Cruz and Donnelly Reintroduce Legislation to Help National Guard, Reserves Qualify for Tiered Preference in Hiring for Civil Service Jobs
Sens. Cruz and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would give qualified members of the National Guard and Reserves a tiered preference in hiring for federal civil service jobs. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Joins Sens. Rubio, Kennedy, Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Simplify Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Victims
Sens. Cruz, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced S. 2226, the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, legislation that would prohibit the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from penalizing victims of natural disasters who apply for, but decline, Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Praises Confirmation of Jim Ho for Fifth Circuit
Sen. Cruz released the following statements after the Senate confirmed former Texas Solicitor General Jim Ho to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Read more...
Sens. Cruz, Gillibrand, and Others Introduce New Bipartisan Legislation To Combat Sexual Harassment And Discrimination In Congress, Bring Transparency And Accountability To Sexual Harassment Reporting Process
Sens. Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), today introduced new bipartisan legislation that would overhaul the current process that victims of harassment and discrimination in Congress must go through when reporting a claim. Read more...
Texans in D.C.
The full press releases may be viewed here.
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