Cruz News: July 21, 2018

July 21, 2018

Greetings,

Supporting law enforcement used to be a bipartisan issue. However, in the last several weeks Americans have been discouraged to see Democrats calling to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This week, I spoke on the Senate floor supporting the essential work of ICE, urging my Democratic colleagues to support my resolution denouncing the radical calls for its dissolution and ignore reckless voices within their party. ICE agents risk their lives every day to keep this country safe by stopping violent criminals, and abolishing law enforcement will endanger our country and our communities. I will continue to support the brave men and women who serve as ICE agents, and urge my colleagues to stand by ICE and honor the key role it plays in keeping our country safe.

On Tuesday, I met with Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh in my Washington, D.C. office. By any measure, Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most respected federal judges in the country, and I look forward to supporting his nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I look forward to his confirmation hearing, where he will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the American people that he will uphold the rule of law and interpret the Constitution according to its original meaning. Furthermore, I was very pleased that this week the Senate confirmed Andrew Oldham to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Andy represents the best of Texas’ legal community, and I am confident he will make an outstanding judge.

Last week, the U.S. Army announced that it would base the new Army Futures Command (AFC) in Austin, Texas. This command is charged with planning the modernization and technological future of the Army. I am honored to have helped bring the AFC to Texas, which will create 500 jobs and many more new economic opportunities in our state. There is simply no state in the Union that loves, values, and supports the military the way Texas does.  As I discussed with Michael Berry on Friday, it was a competitive selection process, but ultimately, Texas prevailed. Austin has the right resources to host the AFC, including the talent coming out of our universities every year, a growing tech community, and resolute support for our men and women in uniform.

As we continue to rebuild from the unprecedented devastation from Hurricane Harvey, we must also take all steps necessary to prepare for the hurricane season ahead. For those seeking information or assistance during the recovery and rebuilding process, please do not hesitate to contact my office or use the federal and state resources listed here. For those seeking preparedness information and resources, please refer to the federal and state resources listed here.

Please read below for an update from this last week.

Keep Texas Strong,

Ted Cruz

The U.S. Army announced that Austin, Texas has been selected as the host for the new Army Futures Command (AFC). Sen. Cruz, the leading advocate for Texas to host the new Army Futures Command, penned a letter to Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, and a letter to Secretary of the Army Mark Esper advocating for the Army’s expansion into Texas. Read more...

Sen. Cruz released a statement after his meeting with Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Read more...

Sen. Cruz attended the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) 2018 Congressional ‘Pig Book’ press conference, where he discussed his opposition to wasteful earmark spending. Read more...

Sen. Cruz, member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, participated in a hearing titled ‘Promoting Justice for Victims of Crime: Examining the Federal Investment in DNA Analysis.’ Read more...

Sen. Cruz spoke on the Senate floor urging his Senate colleagues to confirm Andrew Oldham for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Read more...

Sen. Cruz released a statement after the Senate confirmed Andrew Oldham to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) Ben Cardin (D-Md.) Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced bipartisan legislation to address the escalating crisis in Nicaragua. Read more...

Sen. Cruz spoke on the Senate floor in support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), urging his Democratic colleagues to support the resolution he and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced last week denouncing the radical calls for the dissolution of ICE. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) led a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to use every diplomatic tool possible to bring William Nguyen home from Vietnam to America. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor the legacy of Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá and commemorate the upcoming anniversary of his death. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.