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July 8, 2016
Greetings,
Today, our nation is grieving. Last night was a horrifying display, and all of us simply watched in horror as police officers, who risk their lives keeping us safe, who rush into dangerous situations, found themselves targeted for murder.
Heidi’s and my prayers are with the families of the five brave officers who lost their lives. Our prayers are with all 12 officers who were shot, and our prayers are very much with the community of Dallas that is mourning this horrific crime.
In my time in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with police officers, and their sacrifice and bravery in the face of danger is part of the basic fabric that keeps our society together.
May God protect our fallen heroes and bring peace upon the City of Dallas.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz Issues Statement on the Shooting in Dallas
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz issued the following statement on the shooting in Dallas:
"The men and women of the Dallas Police Department and the officers of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) selflessly run into harm’s way to protect the lives of others," Sen. Cruz said. "Tonight, we mourn the loss of [five] of their brothers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to these officers and their families, and to those who have been injured. My office is in close contact with the local authorities on the ground and we will be offering to provide whatever support we can to help in assisting the victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice. I encourage anyone with information about the suspects to contact the Dallas Police Department at (214) 671-3482."
Read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz on TheBlaze with Glenn Beck: 'Our Prayers Are with the Community of Dallas'
Sen. Cruz today spoke with Glenn Beck on TheBlaze Radio Network regarding last night’s vicious attack on police officers in Dallas.
"… I believe this morning what’s most important is that we stand in solidarity with law enforcement, with police officers and firefighters and first responders who were targeted for murder. There are many in the African American community who were protesting peacefully, as is their right to protest peacefully… But of course, nobody has a right to commit acts of violence. Nobody has a right to commit murder, which is what we saw in Dallas last night.
"And when it comes to condemning acts of violence, whether it is the targeted murder of police officers or whether it is, just a few weeks ago, a self-professed ISIS terrorist murdering 49 people and wounding another 50 in Orlando, murder is wrong. And it should not be a partisan issue. It should be an issue that brings us together united as Americans and united as men and women and brothers and sisters that protect and stand up for each other."
Listen to Sen. Cruz’s interview in its entirety and read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz Vows to Continue Fighting for Passage of Kate’s Law
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz delivered a speech on the Senate floor on Kate’s Law.
The Senate failed to invoke the 60-vote threshold necessary to move the bill forward. Sen. Cruz first introduced a version of Kate’s Law last July and reintroduced the current version in October. The legislation is named for Kate Steinle, the 32-year-old woman who tragically died in the arms of her father on a San Francisco pier after being shot by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times. This bill would strengthen federal law by increasing the maximum sentence for illegal reentry to five years, creating a new illegal reentry penalty of up to 10 years for anyone who had previously been denied admission or deported at least three times, and imposing a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of illegal reentry who had a prior aggravated felony or had been convicted of illegal reentry twice before.
In his speech, Senator Cruz noted, "We are failing to adequately deter deported illegal aliens from illegally reentering the country, especially those with violent criminal records. That's why we need to pass Kate's law. We must increase the risks, the penalties, for those who would contemplate illegally returning to the United States to commit acts of murder… This vote ought to be an easy decision. Just ask yourself, with whom do I stand? I hope that my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, will choose to stand with the American people, the people who we should be protecting rather than convicted felons like Kate Steinle’s killer."
After the vote, Sen. Cruz remarked, "It is disappointing to see Democratic leaders stand with convicted felons rather than the American people. Once again, many Democrats have politicized an issue that shouldn’t be a red state/blue state issue. Americans are tired of politicians standing with violent criminal illegal aliens. This should bring us together. We should protect the American people."
Watch Sen. Cruz’s floor speech in its entirety and read the full transcript here. Read Sen. Cruz’s full statement after the vote here.
Sen. Cruz Issues Statement on the FBI’s Investigation of Secretary Clinton
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz issued the following statement in response to FBI Director James Comey’s recommendation that the Department of Justice not pursue criminal charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, despite her gross mishandling of classified information on private servers:
"While I have tremendous respect for the dedicated men and women of the FBI, I have serious concerns about the integrity of Director Comey’s decision, and how it threatens the rule of law," Sen. Cruz said. "Director Comey has rewritten a clearly worded federal criminal statute. In so doing, he has come dangerously close to saying that grossly negligent handling of classified information should not result in serious consequences for high-level officials. In a nation where the rule of law is supposed to matter, this is troubling.
"Yesterday, Americans celebrated the 240th birthday of our Republic. We honored not only those who fought and died to defend our way of life, but the constitutional Republic for which they sacrificed. If we are to remain a beacon of hope and freedom for the rest of the world, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we remain a nation of laws, and that our laws apply equally and fairly to us all. Under President Obama, we have seen the most politicized Department of Justice in history; I very much hope that politicization has not similarly corrupted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I join my Senate Judiciary colleagues, including Chairman Grassley, in calling for public transparency of, and full access to, all the information that the FBI used to come to today’s dubious decision."
Read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz Issues Statement on GMO Labeling Bill
Sen. Cruz on Wednesday issued the following statement after voting in favor of advancing for further debate a bill aimed at preventing the State of Vermont from dictating a de facto nationwide standard for the labeling of food made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
"Although I am concerned about a prospective new federal labeling mandate, I voted to advance this bill to support Texas farmers and ranchers in the face of one state unilaterally threatening to force a national labeling standard that would confuse consumers, drive up the costs of doing business, and significantly harm the jobs of those in the agriculture industry," said Sen. Cruz. "Consumers should be empowered to make informed decisions, which this bill encourages, without producing the negative effects that the Vermont law would have on farmers, ranchers, and millions of agricultural jobs in Texas and nationally."
Read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz Honors the Memory of Elie Wiesel on the Senate Floor
Sen. Cruz on Wednesday delivered remarks on the Senate floor in remembrance of Nobel peace laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who passed away on Saturday at 87 years of age.
"He was a living testimony to the vow 'Never Forget,'" Sen. Cruz said. "Although he endured the unspeakable darkness of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, his defiant light burned ever brighter as he dedicated his immense talents to providing a voice, not only for the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, but also for the voiceless, the condemned, and the forsaken across the globe. Elie tirelessly reminded the world that the savage horror of the Third Reich was not an aberration in the past that was defeated in World War II. He knew the potential for such genocidal evil remains with us in the present and he warned that we must always be on guard against it… Elie Wiesel left an extraordinary legacy. His memory is a blessing. It’s an inspiration. But it is also a challenge to keep his legacy burning in our hearts. Our prayers go out to Marion and to all of Elie’s loved ones. May he rest in peace. But may every one of us rise to answer the call to truth and justice that Elie Wiesel championed each and every day."
Watch Sen. Cruz's speech in its entirety and read the full transcript here.
Sen. Cruz: We Must Keep the Internet Free
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz delivered a speech at The Heritage Foundation calling on Congress to keep the Internet free and prevent President Obama’s dangerous Internet giveaway. In his speech, Sen. Cruz outlined his concerns with the Obama administration's and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) proposal to end United States government oversight of key operating functions of the Internet.
"…Whenever there is an oasis of freedom, as surely as night follows day, there will be government regulators who want to get their grubby, little mitts on it," Sen. Cruz said. "That is the nature of government power – to want to control, to tax, to regulate, to make sure that freedom meets the prior approval of government. Right now, the Obama administration's proposal to give away the Internet is an extraordinary threat to our freedom and it's one that many Americans don’t know anything about. It is scheduled to go into effect September 30, 2016. We are not far away."
Cruz continued: "…To hand over control of the Internet, to muzzle everybody on the Internet, to ensure that what you say is only consistent with whatever is approved by the powers that be, that ought to frighten everybody. And there is something we can do about it. Along with Congressman Sean Duffy in the House, I have introduced the Protecting Internet Freedom Act, which if enacted will stop the Internet transition, and it will also ensure the United States Government, keeps exclusive ownership and control of the .gov and .mil top-level domains. Our legislation is supported by 17 groups across the country, advocacy groups, consumer groups, and just this afternoon, we heard it is receiving the formal endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus. This should be an issue that brings us all together."
Watch Sen. Cruz’s speech in its entirety and read the full transcript here.
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