Cruz News: April 8, 2018

April 8, 2018

Greetings,

This Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a heartbreaking moment in our Nation’s history. But death could not conquer his vital message of peace and love. As an extraordinary champion for freedom and equality, Dr. King fought tirelessly for America to fully embrace her founding promise — to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for those who had so long been denied them. May we never forget our responsibility to pursue truth and justice as he did, and secure the blessings of liberty for every American.

While hardworking Texans and Americans across the country are receiving good paying jobs, wage raises, and bonuses as a result of the massive tax cuts passed last year, there are those in Washington, D.C. attempting to undo the economic growth we’ve seen with an internet sales tax. Both in Congress and the Courts, I am working to prevent this burdensome tax.  I joined my colleagues Sens. Steve Daines (Mont.) and Mike Lee (Utah) in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in South Dakota v. Wayfair opposing a new internet sales tax and defending Congress’ constitutional role in making decisions about taxation and interstate commerce. The internet is one of the driving engines of jobs and innovation in the American economy, and I have long since believed that an internet sales tax would disproportionately harm small businesses and low-income consumers, while benefiting the largest corporations. Any decision on such an important policy should be made in Congress, not in the courts, and I will continue to fight against an internet sales tax in both.

This week, I penned a bipartisan letter with my colleagues in the Senate to Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging the Department of Agriculture to issue implementation guidance for disaster assistance funding so that all Texas farmers and ranchers impacted by last year’s hurricanes and wildfires can quickly receive aid. Texans are coming back stronger than ever since Hurricane Harvey, but there is no denying that more work needs to be done, as there remain millions of Texans within our Gulf Coast communities who need help to rebuild and recover. It is essential for the USDA to avoid imposing restrictions in disbursing disaster assistance so that disaster payments can be used as intended and help all impacted farmers rebound from crop losses in time for the 2018 planting season.

My Senate office continues to work to ensure swift and effective service to Texans and Texas communities in need of federal assistance following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. If you need additional 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.

Please read below for an update from this last week.

Keep Texas Strong,

Ted Cruz

Sen. Cruz issued the following statement in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Read more...

Sen. Cruz announced recent senior staff hires. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R- Fla.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) penned a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement in response to the U.S. Air Force’s decision to grant the appeal of disciplinary actions taken against Col. Leland Bohannon, who had previously been heavily sanctioned for exercising his religious beliefs. Read more...

Sens. Cruz, Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) submitted a joint amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in South Dakota v. Wayfair. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.