Cruz News: August 25, 2018

August 25, 2018

Greetings,

One year ago today, the Texas Gulf Coast was changed forever by Hurricane Harvey. With 135 mph winds and historic flooding, Harvey left in its wake 250 miles of devastation, from Corpus Christi to Louisiana. But we do not mark the anniversary of Harvey only in a spirit of tragedy, but also one of triumph. In the face of enormous destruction, first responders jumped into the floods to save their fellow Texans from harm’s way, and business owners and houses of worship threw open their doors to shelter those in need. Texans stood united. And that unity, along with the support of federal, state, and local partners has allowed disaster survivors and the entire Texas Gulf Coast to continue making long strides down the road to recovery over the last year. This week, I delivered remarks on the Senate floor and introduced a resolution recognizing the unity that has brought us through the storm, reiterating my commitment to seeing Texas’ recovery through to the end.

Americans have become all too familiar with the horror of school shootings. Texas is no exception. In the face of evil, horrific, violent attacks on our students, local school boards, teachers, and communities across the county have united to find a solution. Earlier this year, I participated in a school safety roundtable with Gov. Abbott, local law enforcement officials, and the victims of the Santa Fe High School, Alpine High School, and Sutherland Springs church shootings. On Tuesday, I introduced a school safety amendment to empower local communities and education officials with the resources they need to reinforce school safety and keep our children safe. This amendment expands the use of Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants so that our schools can hire school safety officers, and purchase infrastructure and technologies that keep our children safe.

On Friday, I had the honor of participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas. As a pillar in America’s defense, military readiness, and national security, it is only fitting that the Army Futures Command call Texas home. Here in the Lone Star State, we take seriously the defense of our great country. Given our long history of proud military service, and Austin’s booming innovative technology sector and equipped workforce, Texas is ready and able to ensure the Army succeeds in this new mission. I am eager to continue working with the Army to ensure they are modernized and ready to deter aggression, promote peace, and project American strength.

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

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) released statements in praise of the Senate confirmation of John Murray to be General in the U.S. Army. Read more...

Sen. Cruz introduced a school safety amendment to the Defense-Labor-HHS appropriations bill, which allows local communities to utilize Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants for measures that reinforce school safety infrastructure and technology. Read more...

Sen. Cruz questioned a panel of expert witnesses in a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing that explored the vulnerability of the United States’ infrastructure to foreign cyber-attacks, and ways in which Congress should act to eliminate such threats. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor to recognize the bravery and resilience of Texans and commemorate the first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall on August 25, 2017. Read more...

Sen. Cruz along with 15 senators sent a letter this week to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin congratulating the Treasury Department for reimposing a wave of sanctions on the Iranian regime and affirming Congressional support for the department’s maximum pressure campaign. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced the Hidden Figures Way Designation Act. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Kennedy (R-La.)introduced a resolution recognizing the first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall on August 25, 2017. Read more...

Sen. Cruz on Friday participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Army Futures Command, along with Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, Chief of Staff of the Army General Mark Milley, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Gov. Greg Abbott. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.

The full press releases may be viewed here.