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June 12, 2015
Greetings,
This week I had the opportunity to visit Edinburg and meet with border officials, and our priority remains the same – we must secure the border to protect Texans and promote legal immigration.
Law enforcement officials in the region continue to work tirelessly to keep our families safe from criminals and drug traffickers. I thank them, and I remain committed to doing everything I can to address the border crisis.
Keep Texas strong,
Ted Cruz
A Regional Update from South Texas Regional Director Casandra Garcia
This week, our office had the opportunity to host a South Texas Border Security Roundtable discussion in Edinburg. Sen. Cruz met with local, state, and federal leaders – including Hidalgo County Sheriff Sgt Moreno, City of Mission Police Chief Dominguez, City of San Juan Police Chief Gonzalez, Texas Department of Public Safety Major Menchaca, Irrigation District #3 President Brand and RGV Border Patrol Deputy Chief Ortiz – to receive an update on security efforts in the region. This was a great opportunity for Sen. Cruz to hear from enforcement officers and discuss ways local and federal officials can continue to work together to secure the border.
After the briefing, Sen. Cruz hosted a press avail.
“We need Congress to bring people together and start solving these problems,” Sen. Cruz said. “To stop talking about it and to work together to solve it. And I will say again, it was encouraging listening to local sheriffs, local chiefs of police, local law enforcement, DPS [Texas Department of Public Safety], and the federal agencies, that on the ground, Texans are stepping up to do what we can to solve the problem. That's the spirit that brings our state together....”
Following Sen. Cruz’s visit to Edinburg, I had the chance to travel to Laredo and meet with Laura Llanes, Executive Director of the Laredo Housing Authority. It was great to hear an update on the Laredo Housing Authority’s service to the residents of Laredo, Zapata, and Asherton by providing safe and affordable housing options to low-income families in these communities.
Sen. Cruz Praises The Fifth Circuit for Upholding Texas Law to Protect Women and the Unborn
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz applauded the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for ruling in favor of several health and safety provisions in Texas legislation, House Bill 2, which ensures that abortion clinics meet the safety standards of state Ambulatory Surgical Centers and requires that abortionists qualify for admitting privileges at a local hospital. House Bill 2 also bans abortions after 20 weeks.
“This week Texas has once again led the way in affirming the dignity of women and the unborn,” said Sen. Cruz. “I applaud the Fifth Circuit for ruling in favor of applying commonsense safety standards to mothers’ health. We should never endanger a mother or child unnecessarily, and the Texas legislation that the Fifth Circuit has upheld makes great strides in protecting the most vulnerable among us.
“This is a victory for life, the most fundamental right. Without it, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not within our grasp. The people of Texas have sojourned to defend this precious gift, and millions of Americans are doing the same. The House has passed legislation to protect life after 20 weeks, the point at which an unborn child can feel pain; and I urge the Senate to immediately bring this legislation to the floor.”
Sen. Cruz Votes Against Reauthorizing Washington Cronyism
Sen. Ted Cruz issued the following statement after a vote on Wednesday regarding the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Sixty-five senators voted to keep Ex-Im alive, while 29 Republicans and one Independent joined Sen. Cruz in voting to end Ex-Im and the Washington cronyism it represents. Sen. Cruz looks forward to ensuring the Export-Import Bank charter expires permanently after its statutory expiration date of June 30.
“The vast majority of the Export-Import Bank’s funds go to giant corporations,” said Sen. Cruz. “Washington shouldn’t be picking winners and losers, and this vote this afternoon is a perfect example of why people are so frustrated with career politicians in both parties. A lot of Democrats rail against corporate welfare. And yet, Democrats are lining up to support giant corporations with U.S. taxpayer dollars, including some Democrats who style themselves as populists. Apparently, exposing the United States Treasury to hundreds of billions of dollars of losses in order to benefit well-connected giant corporations aligns with the priorities of today’s Democrats, and sadly, far too many Republicans as well.”
Sen. Cruz Advocates for Repeal and Opposes Continuation of Illegal Obamacare Subsidies
This week, Sen. Cruz spoke to Politico about the upcoming Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell and Congress’s response to the decision:
“I think the best legislative option is to allow states to opt out,” Sen. Cruz said in the Capitol. “I am cautiously optimistic that the Supreme Court will conclude in King vs. Burwell that the Obama IRS disregarded the plain language of the statute and acted lawlessly. And when that occurs, it will be a real opportunity for Congress to lead.”
He added: “In a perfect world, we would take that opportunity to repeal Obamacare. At a minimum, we should allow states to opt out.”
Full text of the article can be found here.
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