November 18, 2016
Greetings,
Our founding documents established that our rights come from God Almighty, not the government – an idea that men and women all across the great State of Texas hold dear. This week, at the Federalist Society’s annual gathering in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to reflect on the need to restore our Constitution and the rule of law.
For eight years under President Obama, Texans have felt an unprecedented assault on religious liberty, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and protect our homes, and our right to privacy. Obamacare, illegal amnesty, and an abusive IRS have wreaked havoc on our country, and We the People have spoken for change.
The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a champion and passionate defender of the Constitution, a justice whose legacy the American people affirmed last week when they made clear that elected officials in Washington should respect the written text of the Constitution and the rule of law. As a new administration takes power in Washington, I will continue to heed the call of Texans and fight to confirm strong conservative judges to the Supreme Court, on the circuit and district courts in the state, and throughout the federal judiciary.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz: We Have the Opportunity to Revive the Rule of Law in America
Sen. Cruz on Friday spoke at the 2016 Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, where the convention theme was “The Jurisprudence and Legacy of Justice Scalia.” Sen. Cruz spoke about Justice Scalia’s legacy and the need to appoint strong, constitutionalist judges to the Supreme Court and throughout the federal judiciary.
“The loss of Justice Scalia helped shape the recent presidential election as a referendum on his ideas: Would Americans choose to be ruled by the Constitution as written, or would they be ruled instead by unelected activist judges with life tenure,” Sen. Cruz said. “…President-elect Trump assured the American people that, if elected, he would nominate constitutionalists in the mold of Justice Scalia. So in a very real respect, Justice Scalia was on the ballot as well. And thanks to the historic victory we saw last week, it gives me immense pleasure to say that the People have spoken and Justice Scalia has won as well.”
Cruz continued: “And that’s fitting because Justice Scalia never lost faith in the American people; he never lost faith in the goodness and the ability of Americans to govern ourselves. We now have an historic opportunity to return to the Constitution. We have an historic opportunity to restore integrity to the federal government.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s full remarks here.
Sen. Cruz Issues Statement on President-Elect Trump’s Choice for Attorney General
On Friday, Sen. Cruz issued the following statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as his nominee for U.S. attorney general:
“Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination as attorney general is great news for all of us who revere the Constitution and the rule of law. I have been honored to work with Sen. Sessions on many of our nation’s most important issues over the last four years. Sen. Sessions has had an extraordinary career in government and law enforcement. He has been an exemplary senator for the state of Alabama, and I am confident that he will be an exceptional United States attorney general.”
Read the full release online here.
Cruz Service Academy Nominations Board Holds Annual Meeting
The Service Academy Nominations Board, established by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in 2013, on Friday held its annual meeting to review applications and recommend the most qualified Texas candidates for nomination to our nation’s distinguished service academies. The board is currently chaired by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell, a native Texan and decorated military veteran representing Texas Senate District 22.
“Texas is home to some of the best and brightest students who possess a deep-seated sense of service to our country,” Sen. Cruz said. “Each year during the service academy nomination process, it is profoundly uplifting to see that the call of duty and exceptional patriotism are alive and well in our future leaders. I’m grateful to Chairman Birdwell and all of the board members for their balanced and judicious expertise in reviewing this year’s applicants, and I look forward to continuing the tradition of selecting the most qualified Texans through a fair and objective process.”
Read the full release online here.
Sen. Cruz Works to Protect the Agriculture Industry from Harmful Regulations
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator Howard Shelanski expressing concerns regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) pending Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule.
The Obama administration intends to finalize the GIPSA rule, affecting well-established marketing practices in the meat and cattle industry, after six years without updated public comment. In the letter, Sen. Cruz calls on the administration to allow additional input from the public before finalizing the rule.
“The issuance of this interim final rule comes at a time when farm income is down and many agricultural operations across the country are suffering from low commodity prices. It is therefore especially important that USDA now follow the notice and public comment requirement under the APA and past Executive Orders, and allow for updated stakeholder input prior to USDA finalizing the rule to ensure that it fully understands the economic impact of this rule.”
Read the full release online here.
Distinguished Texan
- This week, I’m proud to recognize Kirk Miller, an outstanding junior at PSJA Thomas Jefferson Early College High School in Pharr. Miller was recently chosen for NASA’s Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program, a prestigious opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
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