09.22.2023

e-Newsletter - Week of September 22nd

Throughout my tenure in the U.S. Senate, I have stood firm in my commitment to represent the voices of 30 million Texans across the Lone Star State. In Texas, we embody the best of American values. There is a grit that we have here in the Lone Star State to unapologetically stand up for what we believe in, and passionately defend the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This week, my staff and I welcomed Texans to Washington D.C. to discuss the issues impacting our great state. It is a privilege to serve the state of Texas in Congress and it’s a job I don’t take lightly. I will continue to fight in the Senate to create jobs, secure our border, and put Texas first always.

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On Tuesday, I spoke at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Public Policy and Advocacy Summit where I addressed my commitment to protecting religious freedom and school choice. School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, and every child deserves access to an excellent education. For over a decade, I’ve been the leading advocate of school choice in the Senate, and I’m proud to have authored multiple pieces of school choice legislation. I’m committed to continue to lead this fight for every child in Texas and across the country.

ACSI

“School choice is the single most protested issue in this country and it was a major reason why I ran for office to begin with. … School choice is about ensuring that every single child in America has access to an excellent education regardless of their race, ethnicity, wealth, or zip code. School choice is something that has existed from the dawn of time. The rich and middle class have always had school choice. ... They’d either pack up and move to another neighborhood that has better public schools, or they would pay for tuition and send their kids to a private school. School choice is all about giving low income parents and kids the same options.”

On Tuesday, I appeared on Spectrum News with Reuben Jones where I discussed my recent legislative efforts to codify name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for student-athletes, provide legal certainty for the roles of universities, conferences, and athletic associations, and ensure nationwide legal uniformity.

“You end up having a situation that I think ends up having the potential to undermine competitiveness in college sports.”

On Tuesday afternoon, I was honored to accept the Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) for my commitment to supporting the upstream oil and gas industry. The Biden administration has dangerously jeopardized American energy independence by making our country reliant on foreign adversaries when we can make clean energy right here at home. It’s time to unleash American energy and I won’t back down in this fight to create American jobs and keep our country secure.

IADC

Later on Tuesday, I joined The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News to discuss the unprecedent numbers of illegal aliens crossing at our southern border that are rapidly approaching the highest numbers ever recorded in our nation’s history.

“I was at the border and a reporter asked me, ‘Aren’t the policies of the Democrats more humane more compassionate on immigration?’ I got to tell you I just started laughing. You know who doesn’t believe that anymore—the Democrats. Where is Joe Biden? Where is Kamala Harris? Where is even a single Democrat senator? The reason they don’t come is you cannot see the death, suffering, misery, and the women and children being sexually assaulted, you can’t defend it. So their only strategy is to ignore it.”

On Wednesday, I attended the Senate Commerce Committee hearing where I questioned the nominees to fill the current vacancies at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As the most senior Republican and ranking member on the committee, I am determined to ensure that this independent and nonpartisan agency ceases to be used as a political weapon by the Biden administration.

“I previously worked at the FTC as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning, where I helped develop the long term strategy and policy goals for the agency. … But today's FTC is sadly unrecognizable from the FTC that I knew. Over the past two years, Chairwoman Lina Kahn has taken the FTC wildly off course, and pursued a blatantly partisan agenda. … The FTC has weaponized its enforcement authority against the Biden administration's political opponents.”

Later on Wednesday, I joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the Biden administration’s egregious energy policies that are driving inflation even higher.

“We’ve seen for two and a half years the Biden administration wage a relentless war against U.S. oil and gas production. Joe Biden … has implemented over twenty different regulatory steps designed to do exactly that, and I’ll tell you the most pernicious he’s gone after capital. … If a business can’t get debt and can’t get equity how the heck does it get capital to engage in new exploration and new drilling? The simple answer is that it doesn’t.”

Rest assured, I won’t let up in the fight to unleash American energy and put Texas first. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,