Statement on Sen. Ted Cruz's Vote Regarding VAWA

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spokesman Sean Rushton issued the following statement regarding Sen. Cruz's Violence Against Woment Act vote, which defends states' jurisdiction over criminal law:

For many years, Senator Cruz has worked in law enforcement, helping lead the fight to ensure that violent criminals—and especially sexual predators who target women and children—should face the very strictest punishment. Indeed, Senator Cruz has personally argued and successfully defended the Texas Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment law before the Texas Supreme Court, and he has repeatedly argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the very strictest punishments for rapists and violent criminals who target women and children. Nevertheless, he voted against this federal law because stopping and punishing violent criminals is primarily a state responsibility, and the federal government does not need to be dictating state criminal law.

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