Cruz News: June 10, 2018

June 10, 2018

Greetings,

This week, I had the opportunity to address the ‘Road to Majority’ conference hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition. There, I highlighted a number of the victories Republicans have achieved in the last year, including enacting historic tax cuts, repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate, and securing strong, constitutionalist judges on the bench. The Supreme Court took an important stand for religious liberty in a wide 7-2 decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case, ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop’s owner, Jack Phillips. The justices recognize what millions of Americans have known since the first Constitutional Convention: whether a baker, a teacher, a doctor, or clergy, the government may not force any American to violate his sincerely held religious beliefs. I was proud to lead a group of Senators in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court defending Jack’s freedom of speech and religious liberty, and look forward to the day when the First Amendment rights of all Americans are recognized and reaffirmed at the Supreme Court and in every statehouse across the nation.

I was gratified Majority Leader McConnell acted on our request to work through August recess. As a result of the victories we’ve achieved in the last year, we’re seeing the economy and opportunities for hard working Americans flourish. We must not waste one minute of the seven months we’ve got remaining in 2018. On Wednesday, Lamar Alexander and I appeared on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino’ to discuss our efforts to bring Republicans together and deliver real results. Republicans have a historic opportunity to work together right now, and by working through August, we will continue to fight for more policy achievements and to deliver for the American people who elected us. 

As the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness, I chaired a second hearing on Wednesday examining the future role of the International Space Station (ISS). The space industry generates tens of thousands of good paying jobs in Texas and across the country, and the ISS plays a crucial role in our nation’s technological and innovative advances. American taxpayers have invested roughly $100 billion in the ISS, and it is my firm belief that it would be irresponsible for the United States to prematurely end the life of the ISS before maximizing American taxpayer investment. As long as I am chairman of the Space subcommittee, the ISS will continue to have strong and bipartisan support in the United States.

On Thursday, I had the honor of participating in a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting with Santa Fe Police Officer Sgt. Robert Shores, U.S. Air Force Airman Devin Belluomini, a graduate of Santa Fe High School, and his sister, Taylor Belluomini, a current Santa Fe student. There, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, we paid our respects and honored the lives cruelly taken from us. As the Santa Fe community grieves the loss of their loved ones and friends, Texas continues to lift up the families and students of Santa Fe in prayer. I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure every Texas student is safe in our schools. 

Last year Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented damage to our Gulf Coast communities. While we continue to rebuild, 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

Sen. Cruz issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Read more...

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation recognizing the 29th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, urging President Trump to pressure China's President Xi Jinping to release artist and activist Liu Xia, and hold Chinese officials responsible for taking political prisoners. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) released statements after the Senate confirmed Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. to fill a vacancy at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas – Brownsville Division. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks at International Christian Concern’s (ICC) ‘Annual Policy Day’ on the topic of religious persecution in Nigeria. Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement in response to Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s announcement to extend scheduled working days for the U.S. Senate, eliminating August recess. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) appeared on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino’ to discuss their efforts to build upon the victories achieved for the American people in 2017. Read more...

Sen. Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, chaired a second hearing examining the future role of the International Space Station (ISS). Read more...

Sen. Cruz issued a statement in response to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report showing that the Obama Administration secretly authorized Iranian access to the U.S. financial system. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) released statements after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nominations of Cam Barker and Jeremy Kernodle to fill judicial vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler. Read more...

Sen. Cruz joined Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) in sending a bipartisan and bicameral letter to President Trump urging the Administration to use the authority provided by the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to hold individuals in Nicaragua accountable for human rights abuses and acts of corruption. Read more...

Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) released the following statements after their bill to rename the Laredo Federal Building and United States Courthouse the “George P. Kazen Federal Building and United States Courthouse” passed the Senate. Read more...

Sen. Cruz delivered remarks at the ‘Road to Majority’ conference hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, where he highlighted a number of the victories achieved in the last year, including historic tax cuts, repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate, and securing strong, constitutionalist judges on the bench. Read more...

At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Sen. Cruz participated in a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting. Read more...

Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen penned a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in the United States. Read more...

The full press releases may be viewed here.