Cruz News: December 9, 2018

December 9, 2018

Greetings,

This week, Americans paused to honor the life of former President George Herbert Walker Bush. His love for America and calm, steady leadership secured him a special place in the memory of every Texan. He was an extraordinary man, who will be remembered for living his life committed to principles and values larger than himself. Now, President Bush and his beloved Barbara are together at last with their daughter Robin, and enjoying a well-deserved rest from their labors. May God bless the memory of President George H.W. Bush, and the legacy of service that he and Barbara instilled in generation after generation of the Bush family.

I have long supported criminal justice reform, and believe in reducing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders, and providing greater opportunities for offenders to be rehabilitated. At the same time, I do not believe we should be granting early release to violent offenders. That is why I drafted an amendment that would exclude violent offenders from being released early. I'm happy to report that, after working closely with the White House and the sponsors of this bill, they have decided to accept my amendment. This new version of the bill resolves my concerns, and is one that I wholeheartedly support and cosponsor. With these necessary improvements, I believe the Senate should take up and pass this important legislation. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the White House and the bill sponsors to make sure that happens. Read my full statement here.

On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) in introducing the WALL Act. This bill would fully fund the border wall along the southern border by closing existing loopholes that provide illegal immigrants with federal benefits and tax credits, without affecting the benefits and tax credits used by Americans. The overwhelming majority of Texans and Americans want to see the border secured, and I have long called for building a wall as a necessary step in defending our border and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into our country.

In the weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Congress passed the Cruz-Cornyn-Rubio bill, which provided crucial tax relief for hurricane survivors. An important part of this bill eliminated the tax penalty for hurricane survivors who wanted to withdraw from retirement accounts to pay for the costs of repairs from storm damages. Retirement account withdrawals must be made by December 31, 2018 – a deadline that is quickly approaching. I strongly urge my fellow Texans, if you are still in the process of rebuilding and recovering from the ravages of Harvey, to contact your tax advisor or for more information go to the IRS website at irs.gov. I am encouraged by the progress we have seen in the Texas communities that were affected by Hurricane Harvey, and will continue working each day to ensure Texas rebuilds stronger than before.

Please read below for an update from this last week.

Keep Texas Strong,

Ted Cruz

Sen. Cruz last week penned a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long urging him to amend the scope of the existing FEMA dredging project on the San Jacinto River near Kingwood to include the mouth bar located on the West Fork of the river. Read more...

Sen. Cruz along with ten senators sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross raising concerns that the Qatari government may be violating its Open Skies agreement with the United States. Read more...

Sen. Cruz, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, participated in the nomination hearing of Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. of the United States Marine Corps to be the next Commanding General of U.S. Central Command. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a Senate resolution honoring the late President George H.W. Bush. The full text of the resolution can be read here. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) issued statements after President Trump signed into law their bipartisan National Timing Resilience and Security Act. Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement in response to Israel launching Operation Northern Shield. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor honoring the life and legacy of former President George H.W. Bush.  Read more...

Sen. Cruz on Tuesday sat down with several Texas stations to discuss the life and legacy of former President George H.W. Bush, calling him an extraordinary man who dedicated his life to public service and civility. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) on Wednesday introduced the WALL Act, legislation that would fully fund the border wall along the southern border. Reads more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement after voting in favor of the nomination of Bernie McNamee to be a Commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Read more...

Sens. Cruz, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas), and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) introduced the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2018, a bill to help local jurisdictions improve the recording and reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains found along the U.S.-Mexico border. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, John Cornyn (R-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) released statements after the President signed their bill to rename the U.S. Postal Office in Mission, Texas as the "Mission Veterans Post Office Building" into law. Read more...

Sen. Cruz released a statement on his support for a revised version of the First Step Act. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.