The News with Sen. Cruz - February 14, 2014
Texas has been and continues to be a land of opportunity. In 2013, Texas’ entrepreneurs added more jobs than any other state in the nation.
The possibility to expand jobs in Texas and in all states is at our fingertips if we utilize the bountiful resources on our own soil.
The time to strengthen our economy is now, and my upcoming bill takes steps to ensure that government stops stifling growth and instead paves the way to private-sector job creation.
I hope you will keep reading for more about my recent speech on energy policy and my latest efforts in the Senate.
All the best,
Ted Cruz
Embracing the American Energy Renaissance
On Monday, Sen. Cruz outlined his vision for unleashing American jobs and opportunity by harnessing our nation’s energy resources. He spoke at the Heritage Action for America’s 2014 Conservative Policy Summit.
“A Great American Energy Renaissance is at our fingertips,” Sen. Cruz said. “There is only one thing that will stop us from embracing it to its full potential: the federal government. Nothing else will stop the next generation of American energy pioneers. It won’t be lack of determination, ingenuity, or grit. It will be some faceless bureaucrat who simply says, ‘You’re not allowed to do that.’
“The government will not solve our economic problems by controlling the economy or placing bureaucratic barriers to growth. The only thing that it must do is what it did in the Ronald Reagan era: get out of our way and let Americans do what they do best: dream, innovate, and prosper. It’s happening in Texas and it's happening in North Dakota. Now, we just have to convince Washington to let it spread through the rest of America.”
In the coming days, Sen. Cruz will present a bill that not only prevents the federal government from undermining the American energy renaissance and the jobs it creates, but also expands energy development so more private sector jobs can be created. The steps include:
- Prevent Federal Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing.
- Improve Domestic Refining Capacity.
- Improve Process to Develop Energy Infrastructure.
- Stop EPA Overreach and the War on Coal.
- Force Congress and the President to Vote on EPA Regulations that Kill Jobs.
- Broaden Energy Development on Federal Land.
- Open Offshore Exploration.
- Expand U.S. Energy Exports.
- Dedicate Additional Revenues to a Trust Fund for Debt Reduction.
Sen. Cruz Votes Against the Debt Ceiling Increase
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz voted against the debt ceiling increase that failed to address Washington’s out-of-control spending. He released the following statement regarding the vote:
"Today's vote is yet another example that establishment politicians from both parties are simply not listening to the American people. Outside the beltway, Americans of all political stripes understand that we cannot keep spending money we don't have.
"Some members of Congress care so much about being praised by the Washington media that they're willing to mortgage our children's future. They pretend we don't have a problem and can just kick the can down the road.
"Let's be clear about the motive behind this vote -- there are too many members of Congress who think they can fool people and they will forget about it the next week. But sometimes, come November, the people remember."
Introducing The State Marriage Defense Act
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz and Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced S. 2024, the State Marriage Defense Act, which respects the definition of marriage held by the people of each state and protects states from the federal government’s efforts to force any other definition upon them. The bill will ensure the federal government gives the same deference to the 33 states that define marriage as the union between one man and one woman as it does to the 17 states that have chosen to recognize same-sex unions.
“I support traditional marriage. Under President Obama, the federal government has tried to re-define marriage, and to undermine the constitutional authority of each state to define marriage consistent with the values of its citizens,” said Sen. Cruz. “The Obama Administration should not be trying to force gay marriage on all 50 states. We should respect the states, and the definition of marriage should be left to democratically elected legislatures, not dictated from Washington. This bill will safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for its residents.”
“How a state should define marriage should be left up to the citizens of each state,” said Sen. Lee. “It is clear the Obama administration finds the principles of federalism inconvenient in its effort to force states to redefine the institution of marriage. The State Marriage Defense Act provides an important protection for states, respecting the right to choose for themselves how each will treat the institution of marriage under the law.”
In United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court improperly held Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court's reasoning requires the federal government to respect the primacy of the states in defining marriage.
Unfortunately, since the Windsor decision, the Obama Administration’s agenda to force same-sex marriage has led both to the violation of these principles and to the rise of inconsistencies among several federal agencies that either look to the law of the state where an individual lives to determine eligibility for marital benefits or recognize marriages based solely on the law of the state where a marriage ceremony was held.
The State Marriage Defense Act will correct this inconsistency and protect states from an out of control administration that is seeking to force same sex marriage upon states that define marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
Speaking with Gretchen Carlson
This week, Sen. Cruz spoke with Gretchen Carlson regarding the still concerning unknown facts about the Benghazi attack, the President’s most recent act of lawlessness as he grants additional Obamacare delays, and the need for a pro-growth energy policy. Below are some key quotes:
Regarding Benghazi:
“What we should do is form a joint select committee to investigate Benghazi. I've introduced a resolution, it has 24 Senators as co-sponsors to get to the bottom of what happened, why these attacks occurred, why they weren't prevented, why the talking points were altered and critically why nobody has been held accountable, nobody at the State Department, none of the terrorists have been brought to justice, and this ought to be a bipartisan priority.
Regarding most recent Obamacare delay:
“It's yet another example of lawlessness from this President. We've never seen a President who takes the view if he disagrees with a federal law he can ignore it, refuse to enforce it, or just unilaterally change it. And Obamacare has been the embodiment of lawlessness.
“The burdens Obamacare is putting on small businesses are enormous. Small businesses generate two-thirds of all new jobs… If you get 10, 15, 20 small business owners in a room, it doesn't matter what part of the state you're in, East Texas, West Texas, up in the Pan Handle or down in the Rio Grande Valley, they describe Obamacare as the biggest job killer they're facing.
Regarding the Keystone Pipeline:
“We just had recently [Obama’s] former Energy Secretary admit the delay on Keystone has nothing to do with the science. It's purely a political decision. And just this week, I laid out the outlines for a broad energy agenda for a bill that I intend to introduce, the American Energy Renaissance Act, which would, number one, stop the federal government from getting in the way, from messing up the incredible energy renaissance we're seeing, and number two, would open up new lands because we have the potential to create millions of high-paying jobs, which is the top priority for Americans.”
In Case You Missed It
- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Cruz introduce the Welfare and Upward Mobility Act: READ MORE
- Sen. Cruz speaks with Mark Levin about the recent debt limit vote: LISTEN
- Sen. Cruz speaks with Tony Perkins about the State Marriage Defense Act: LISTEN
- Sen. Cruz speaks with Hugh Hewitt about the Obama Administration's lawlessness: LISTEN
- Sen. Cruz discusses the Syrian refugee crisis with Greg Palkot: WATCH
- Sen. Cruz discusses an American Energy Renaissance with Neil Cavuto: WATCH
