ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Promotes Tax Relief for Texans in Houston and Katy
Delivers remarks at State of the Senate, receives briefing on Harvey recovery efforts, surveys storm damage
KATY, Texas – Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivered remarks at the Greater Houston Partnership State of the Senate 2017, before receiving a briefing on recovery efforts and surveying flood damage in Katy. During his visits, he discussed the letter he and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos encouraging Bezos to locate Amazon's newly announced headquarters in Texas. Earlier in the day, Sen. Cruz hosted a Facebook Live discussion with FEMA and U.S. Small Business Administration officials to answer constituent questions about accessing storm recovery and relief resources.
Several media outlets covered Sen. Cruz’s visits in Houston and Katy. Selected news coverage is below:
KHOU: Cruz on Disaster Aftermath & New Tax Relief
“ ‘The iconic moment of Hurricane Harvey, I still believe will go down in history as the thousands of Texans that just went out in a boat to save their neighbors,’ Sen. Cruz said. ‘Rednecks in bass boats is what I call it.’ U.S. Senator Ted Cruz giving an update on Harvey relief efforts in Katy today. A tax relief bill that he co-authored has been signed into law. It makes it easier to deduct personal casualty losses on your taxes.”
CW 39: Senator Cruz Visits Storm Survivors in Houston
“Senator Ted Cruz is back in Houston, updating those affected by Hurricane Harvey of what Congress is doing to help rebuild the city. ‘There are many challenges, particularly with the Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir where a lot of homes were flooded badly,’ Sen. Cruz said. ‘A lot of citizens are working on rebuilding their lives.’ In addition to allocating funds for Harvey recovery, Congress passed a bill to bring tax relief to many of those affected by the storm. ‘If your home was damaged by Harvey, you can deduct those losses on your taxes without being subject to the ordinary restrictions, the ordinary caps that it’s got to exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income,’ Sen. Cruz said. President Trump signed that bill into law last week.”
KRIV: Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn Want Amazon to Build 2nd Headquarters in Texas
“Actually, this area has a lot of this. In fact, the entire state does. Wide, open land. And that is one of the reasons Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn want Texas to be Amazon's next prime location. They have actually penned a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos outlining the reasons why he should build the second location for the headquarters in the Lone Star state. We have land here he says, we have people, and more importantly, we have a favorable business plan. And a number of states and cities are competing to get the second HQ location. Bezos has asked locations to submit proposals; it’s how the game is played. Localities will offer to make improvements, make infrastructure improvements, give tax incentives and things like that, with an eye towards landing jobs. Cruz says, it would be as many as, now get this, 50,000 jobs all paying $100,000 a year, or more. Jobs he wants to end up right here. ‘Texas is the right place for that headquarters, and so John and I together are making the case to Jeff as to why Amazon should be in Texas,’ said Sen. Cruz. ‘There are a number of cities making a case from it, whether in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, or Austin, or San Antonio, or Houston. Since I represent the whole state, I'll stay out of the fight city to city, but I think any of those choices would be fantastic’”
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