Cruz News: December 2, 2018

December 2, 2018

Greetings,

This weekend, American hearts are heavy as we bid farewell to President George H.W. Bush. He will be remembered as a good and faithful servant to his country, whose great legacy of leadership and love of homeland became a family tradition, earned him the admiration of countless Americans, and secured him a special place in the memory of every Texan. Over his storied career, President Bush was a war hero and a businessman, a legislator and an ambassador. His time as Vice President prepared him well for the heavy burdens of that highest office, steering our nation through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the First Gulf War. Today, George and his beloved Barbara are together, enjoying a well-deserved rest from their labors.

On Tuesday, I voiced the concerns I’ve heard and share with many Texans across the state regarding technology companies engaging in censorship, in a hearing focused on examining the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) priorities in protecting consumers from privacy violations. During the hearing, I encouraged the commissioners to use their authority to address the concerns consumers have with technology companies, and to help provide transparency.

For far too long, the Ortega regime has operated with almost total impunity as it systematically repressed the people of Nicaragua, targeted political opponents for torture and murder, and aligned with hostile governments like Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, and China. As a result, hundreds of Nicaraguans have been imprisoned or killed. The regime exploited international loans to advance their policies. This week, I was grateful that my colleagues in the Senate passed my bipartisan bill, the NICA Act, to address the crisis occurring in Nicaragua, and ensure international loans will no longer be doled out to keep the regime afloat. This sends a strong signal to Ortega and his cronies that the U.S. will continue to increase pressure until they pursue meaningful democratic reform and human rights protections.

In the weeks after Harvey made landfall, Congress united to pass 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 your retirement accounts to pay for the costs of repairs from storm damages. But retirement account withdrawals must be made by December 31, 2018. That deadline is coming up quickly. 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’ve seen in the Texas communities that were affected by Hurricane Harvey, and will continue working each and every 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 issued a statement on the passing of former President George H. W. Bush. Read more...

Sen. Cruz member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security participated in a hearing focused on examining the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) priorities in protecting consumers from privacy violations and to prevent the growing influence large global tech companies are having on competition within the U.S. economy. Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement on the passing of Houston Texans late owner Bob McNair. Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement praising the U.S. Senate’s final passage of H.R. 1918, the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA). Read more...

Sen. Cruz reminded Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey who are still rebuilding their homes and businesses that they have until the end of the year to access their retirement accounts without having to pay the ten percent penalty that typically applies. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) 2018 States & Nation Policy Summit, before delivering the keynote address at the Center for Politics’ 20th Annual American Democracy Conference. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.