The News with Sen. Cruz - October 17, 2014
This week, we were heartbroken to learn that two nurses in Texas have contracted Ebola. We must do everything possible to stop any more Texans, or Americans, from contracting this terrible disease.
It’s past time to act, and if the President will not, leaders of Congress should reconvene for an emergency session to impose a temporary flight ban on non-US passengers traveling from Ebola-afflicted nations.
All the best,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz Stands with Houston Pastors
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz stood in defense of Houston pastors’ First Amendment right to speak and worship freely, calling upon Houstonians to stand firm against the City of Houston’s recent subpoena requiring pastors to submit sermons and other forms of communication.
“Today we all stand united in defense of religious liberty, and we all stand united in defense of our pastors,” said Sen. Cruz. “Our nation is an exceptional nation, it is a unique nation. We were founded on the radical concept that rights do not come from government, but they come from the Almighty God.
“This is a country that was formed centuries ago by people fleeing religious persecution seeking a land where you do not need to seek the permission of a king or queen or president to preach the Word of God, because we serve a higher authority.”
In his remarks, Sen. Cruz noted several recent assaults on religious liberty:
- The IRS illegally targeting Americans and requests for content of their prayers;
- The Air Force Chaplain, who was forced to remove his blog post stating, “There are no Atheists in foxholes;”
- The Obama Administration’s litigation against organizations such as Hobby Lobby and the Catholic group of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, forcing them to either violate their conscience or face crippling faith fines.
Sen. Cruz concluded, “Yet as we’ve seen it across the country, our hearts are particularly broken that we are seeing it here in Houston, Texas. This week, the government of Houston, Texas sent a subpoena to silence prayers. The government of Houston, Texas demanded of the pastors, hand over your sermons to the government. The city of Houston has no power – no legal authority – to silence the church. Caesar has no jurisdiction over the pulpit, and when you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor.”
Sen. Cruz Calls on President Obama to Prevent the Spread of Ebola
Watch Sen. Ted Cruz with Sean Hannity
It’s been over two weeks since Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the FAA asking what precautions they’ve taken to prevent Ebola from traveling to the United States, and we have still not received a response. On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz published an op-ed in the Texas Tribune calling for the Obama Administration to ban flights on non-US passengers traveling from West Africa nations affected with Ebola. Read an excerpt of the op-ed below:
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa presents an urgent public health threat to America. The loss of life and the growing epidemic are heartbreaking and tragic. And we need serious leadership in the United States to protect our citizens today.
To date, roughly 8,000 people have contracted Ebola in West Africa. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that under worst-case-scenario conditions, the number of Ebola cases could reach 1.4 million by January. Of those, over 50 percent would likely lose their lives.
We need to do everything we can to contain this outbreak, to help the people who are suffering in Africa and to prevent this epidemic from spreading. But our first priority must be to protect the health and safety of American citizens. The Constitution sets forth the federal government’s responsibility to “provide for the common defense.” That should be the president’s focus.
Already, one Liberian citizen, Thomas Eric Duncan, was able to fly on a commercial flight to Texas, arriving at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport infected with Ebola. Duncan lost his life, but not before transmitting the disease to a Dallas nurse, Nina Pham, who bravely put her life in jeopardy caring for him in his final days. Officials announced on Wednesday that another health care worker had been diagnosed with the virus. Our prayers are with that worker, Pham and Duncan’s grieving family.
We all very much hope the virus will not spread any further in Texas. But hope is not a strategy. Given the gravity of the threat, common sense dictates that it’s time to ban flights from the countries afflicted by Ebola.
Senators Cruz and Cornyn File Amicus Brief Against Obamacare
On Tuesday, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn filed an amicus brief in support of rehearing Sissel v. US Department of Health and Human Services, a case arguing that Obamacare violates the Origination Clause of the Constitution, which requires that legislation that raises revenue originate in the House of Representatives. Obamacare originated in the Senate.
“The procedural hurdles imposed by the Origination Clause protect liberty and serve as a well-needed reminder of the source of government money, hopefully instilling greater thoughtfulness in the Senate and in government as a whole,” Sens. Cornyn and Cruz wrote.
Read the full release and brief here.
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