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April 15, 2016
Greetings,
This week, I continued pushing back against the Obama administration’s unconstitutional effort to target lawful American small businesses, particularly law-abiding gun shops, known as Operation Choke Point. This initiative, implemented by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Obama, is an insidious abuse of power that should not be tolerated.
Rest assured, I will keep fighting against this initiative and similar schemes from the Obama administration that violate the rule of law and the Constitution.
Please keep reading for an update on the latest in the Senate.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sens. Cruz and Lee Take Aim at DOJ’s Operation Choke Point
On Wednesday, Sens. Cruz and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced legislation (S. 2790) fighting the Obama administration’s Operation Choke Point, a Department of Justice (DOJ) initiative that unconstitutionally sought to choke off access to banking services for sellers of firearms and other lawful business enterprises. This legislation sponsored by Sens. Cruz and Lee serves as a companion bill to U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer’s (R-Mo.) Financial Institution Customer Protection Act (H.R. 766), which passed the House with bipartisan support in February.
“Under President Obama’s reign, the DOJ has abandoned its longstanding tradition of staying out of politics and has instead become a partisan arm of the White House,” Sen. Cruz said. “The Obama administration initiated Operation Choke Point to punish law-abiding small businesses that don’t align with the President’s political leanings. The DOJ should not be abusing its power by trying to bankrupt American citizens for exercising their constitutional rights. I am proud to stand with Sen. Lee and Rep. Luetkemeyer to stop this insidious manipulation by the administration and look forward to sending this legislation to the President’s desk."
Read Sen. Cruz’s release and the full bill text here.
Sen. Cruz Cosponsors Legislation to Warn Americans of Prisoner Transfers from Guantanamo Bay
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz joined Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and 11 additional senators to introduce the Detainee Transfer Transparency Act, legislation that would require the Secretary of Defense to make available to the public the intended transfer or release of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at least 21 days in advance.
“Radical Islamic terrorists who seek to kill Americans should not be transferred and allowed to continue their efforts, particularly behind the backs of American citizens,” Sen. Cruz said. “When the Obama administration intends to transfer terrorists to foreign countries, despite the repeated demonstration of their willingness to reengage in hostilities against the United States, the American people have every right to know who and why. The security of our people, not political expediency, should guide decisions regarding prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. Ensuring that our national security interests are being protected is only prudent, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in the Senate to stop this dangerous ploy.”
Read the full release here.
Josh Abbott Band Visits the Office of Sen. Cruz in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, Texas’ own Josh Abbott Band met with Sen. Cruz’s staff in Washington, D.C. to discuss issues affecting the musicians.
Amarillo Community Leaders Visit the Office of Sen. Cruz in Washington, D.C.
Leaders from the Amarillo community sat down with Sen. Cruz’s staff in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to discuss commerce and other important issues.
2016 American Ambulance Association ‘Stars of Life’ Award Recipients Visit the Office of Sen. Cruz in Washington, D.C.
This week, the 2016 American Ambulance Association ‘Stars of Life’ award recipients from Texas visited Washington, D.C., where they were greeted by staff in Sen. Cruz’s office.
A Regional Update from South Central Texas Staff Assistant Letty Daniel
Letty Daniel recently joined Sen. Cruz’s staff in San Antonio, where she serves as staff assistant. Daniel supports constituent relations and facilitates communication with service organizations. She also assists the South Central Texas Regional Director and the South Central Texas Deputy Director to develop strategies for regional outreach and special projects, provides legislative research, attends meetings with staff members, and performs other administrative duties as needed.
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