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December 2, 2017
Greetings,
On Friday, I was proud to vote for tax reform legislation that passed the United States Senate and helps fulfill our promise to provide genuine tax relief for hardworking Americans and their families. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will provide meaningful relief and bring more good paying jobs back to our great nation from across the globe. This historic bill significantly lowers our corporate tax rate – currently the highest in the developed world – which will bring needed jobs back to America and up to $2.9 trillion in capital back to our economy. Most importantly, this legislation brings relief to working families, greatly increasing the child tax credit and providing rate cuts for individual taxpayers in all brackets. And to further provide tax relief for Texans, I worked to ensure we provided up to $10,000 in property tax deductions for those who itemize.
This bill also includes my amendment expanding 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition for public, private, and religious schools, including K-12 educational expenses for homeschool students. The amendment, passed by a 51-50 margin early this morning with Vice President Pence casting the tie breaking vote, prioritizes the education of the next generation of Americans and allowsfamilies to save and prepare for their children’s future educational expenses.
Finally, I’m incredibly proud that this legislation incorporates my request to include the repeal of Obamacare’s unconstitutional individual mandate to purchase health insurance. Not only does this mandate repeal bring immediate and significant relief to 6.5 million Americans unfairly fined each year by the IRS for not being able to afford health insurance, it also provides for $338 billion over ten years to go toward even more individual tax relief.
As the Senate continues its work during this Congress, I will continue to push for policies that create jobs and expand opportunity for all Americans, including repealing and replacing Obamacare, cutting job-killing regulations, and confirming strong constitutionalists to the federal judiciary.
Prior to the Astros’s World Series win, Sen. Kamala Harris (D - Calif.) and I had a friendly wager on the series outcome, each offering the winner cuisine from our home state. Of course, the ‘Stros won the day. On Tuesday, Sen. Harris, wearing an Astros hat and shirt, came to my office and gifted me California wine and candy. It was another great way to celebrate the Astros win.
My Senate office, led by our Hurricane Harvey recovery working group, 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
Sen. Cruz Reintroduces the Educational Freedom Accounts Act
Sen. Cruz reintroduced The Educational Freedom Accounts Act (EFAA), which creates a unique educational choice program in Washington, D.C. that 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: We’re All ‘Stros!
Prior to the 2017 World Series, Sen. Cruz and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), placed a friendly wager on the series outcome, each offering the winner cuisine from their respective home state. Read more...
Sens. Cruz, Perdue, and Rep. Williams Introduce Bill to Strengthen Congressional Oversight of Iran’s Access to Global Financial System
Sens. Cruz, David Perdue (R-Ga.), and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) introduced the Strengthening Oversight of Iran’s Access to Finance Act, which requires the Treasury Secretary to submit a report to Congress regarding financial transactions authorized in connection with commercial passenger aircrafts sales to Iran. Read more...
Sens. Cruz and Cornyn Issue Statement on Venezuela’s Detainment of Texas CITGO Executives
Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding the Government of Venezuela’s detainment of six CITGO executives from Texas. Read more...
Senators Threaten to Undo Any New CFPB Rules as Director Standoff Continues
Sen. Cruz joined Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), and seven Senate colleagues in announcing their intent to work to invalidate any new rules issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) should Leandra English prevail in her attempts to serve as the bureau’s Acting Director. Read more...
ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Promotes Proposals for Tax Reform Bill on Fox News
Sen. Cruz (R-Texas) appeared on Fox News’ ‘Your World With Neil Cavuto,’ to discuss the Senate’s tax reform bill and his efforts to reach consensus. Read more...
Sen. Cruz: The Senate Must Pass Kate’s Law
Sen. Cruz appeared on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing With Dana Perino,’ where he discussed the not-guilty verdict in the Kate Steinle murder trial, the Senate’s tax reform bill, and news of the day. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Urges Administration to Hold Corrupt Individuals in Nicaragua Accountable
Sen. Ted Cruz joined Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Albio Sires (D-N.J.) in sending a letter to President Trump requesting action to designate two leading figures in Nicaragua, under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, for their engagement in corrupt and illicit activity which has significantly undermined democracy in Nicaragua. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Announces Support for Senate Tax Bill
Sen. Cruz announced his intention to vote in favor of the Senate’s tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Sen. Cruz also filed an amendment to the bill under consideration that would expand school choice by expanding the definition of the popular 529 College Savings Plans. Read more...
Sen. Cruz Student Opportunity Amendment Is Adopted Into the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Sen. Cruz filed an amendment to the Senate’s tax reform bill that seeks to expand 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition for public, private, and religious schools, including K-12 educational expenses for homeschool students. Read more...
Texans in D.C.
The full press releases may be viewed here.
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