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June 10, 2016
Greetings,
Heidi and I, along with millions of Americans, are lifting up in prayer those Texans who have lost their lives, who have lost their homes, businesses and farms, and the families that are suffering due to the latest historic flooding.
In the Lone Star State, there is a spirit of solidarity, a spirit of unity, that the worse the tragedy, the more we come together and help our friend and neighbor. And during these difficult times, Texans demonstrate that sharing spirit, and we are thankful to the Americans across the country who are lifting us up in prayer.
As the water continues to recede and the wreckage is being cleared, my office is continuing to work very closely with local and state government officials, along with the entire Texas delegation, to help ensure a smooth recovery process, including offering my full support for Gov. Abbott’s request for federal aid for those afflicted by this disaster.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz, Cornyn Support Major Disaster Declaration for Texas Flooding
On Thursday, Sens. Cruz and John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to grant Governor Greg Abbott’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the recent severe weather and flooding that has affected Texas.
“As you know, Texas has now experienced more major disasters over a one-year period than at any other point in nearly two decades. We ask that you expedite the processing and approval of Governor Abbott’s request to support our state’s resilient and determined resolve to rebuild and recover following yet another devastating weather event,” the Senators wrote.
Read the full release, including the letter in its entirety, here.
Sen. Cruz: In the Face of Adversity, Texans Come Together
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz delivered a speech on the Senate floor, honoring those who have lost their lives in the recent flooding across the State of Texas and praising the swift action of first responders. In his speech, the senator also spoke on key national security issues.
“Mr. President, my home state of Texas is strong and resilient. Texans aren’t people who tire easily, and we certainly don’t give up when the going gets tough. But that doesn’t mean that the State of Texas hasn’t faced its share of adversity. Over the last few weeks, the resolve of our great state has been tested with historic flooding that has taken at least 16 lives across Texas.
“Among those 16 are nine young soldiers at Fort Hood – nine soldiers whose truck was overturned while crossing a flooded creek. Their lives were ended in that flooding. Their families have been torn asunder, not by combat losses far away. When brave young men and women sign up to defend this country, they expect, they understand the threat that enemies abroad might endanger them. But they shouldn’t be losing their lives here at home in a sudden and unexpected accident that took the lives of nine soldiers in an instant. Those nine soldiers should be remembered: Spc. Yingming Sun, Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, and Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey. All of us should remember those soldiers and every one of the soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines who risk their lives for us daily.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s speech and read the release in its entirety here.
Sen. Cruz Seeks to Strengthen National Security in NDAA
Sen. Cruz on Tuesday spoke on the Senate floor, bolstering three of his amendments that would secure our homeland and protect American interests abroad. Specifically, Sen. Cruz urged his colleagues to take up and pass amendments supporting Israel Missile Defense programs, halting the Obama administration’s plan to give away the Internet, and stripping citizenship from any American who takes up arms against the United States of America.
“The first amendment that I’ve introduced, that I would urge this body to take up, would increase funding for our cooperative missile defense program with Israel, to ensure that our ally, our close friend, can procure the necessary vital assets and conduct further mutually beneficial research and development efforts…,” Sen. Cruz said.
“In addition to working to provide for our common defense and protect our sovereignty, I’ve also introduced an amendment that would safeguard our country in a very different way. I have introduced an amendment that will prohibit the Obama administration from giving away the Internet. This issue doesn’t simply threaten our personal liberties, it also has national security ramifications…If Congress sits idly by and allows the administration to terminate U.S. oversight of the Internet, we can be certain that authoritarian regimes will work to undermine the new system of Internet governance and strengthen the position of their governments at the expense of those who stand for liberty and freedom of speech…
“The third amendment that I've introduced on the NDAA, that I want to address is the Expatriate Terrorist Act, a bill that I introduced over a year ago, and I have now filed as an amendment to the NDAA.
“As we all know radical Islamists have been waging war against the United States since, and indeed well before, 9/11, and yet the President cannot bring himself to identify the enemy, preferring instead to use meaningless bureaucratic terms like violent extremists. The President naively believes that refraining from calling the threat what it is—radical Islamic terrorism—will somehow assuage the terrorists and discourage them from making war against us and our allies…The question for us in Congress is whether we have given the government every possible tool—consistent with our Constitution—to defeat this threat. I do not believe we have, which is why I have introduced the Expatriate Terrorist Act.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s speech, and read more about his proposed amendments, here.
Sen. Cruz and Rep. Duffy Introduce the Protecting Internet Freedom Act
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz and Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) introduced the Protecting Internet Freedom Act, which would prevent the Obama administration from giving the Internet away to a global organization that will allow over 160 foreign governments to have increased influence over the management and operation of the Internet.
“The Obama administration is months away from deciding whether the United States Government will continue to provide oversight over core functions of the Internet and protect it from authoritarian regimes that view the Internet as a way to increase their influence and suppress freedom of speech,” Sen. Cruz said. “This issue threatens not only our personal liberties, but also our national security. We must act affirmatively to protect the Internet and the amazing engine for economic growth and opportunity the Internet has become, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”
Read the full release, including more information about the bill, here.
Obama Administration Preparations to Give Away the Internet Violate Federal Law
On Thursday, Sens. Cruz, James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) issued a joint statement following the Obama administration’s announcement that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) proposal to end U.S. oversight of the Internet is satisfactory. The members of Congress maintain that the Obama administration has violated federal law by undertaking preparations to give the Internet away to foreign governments.
“Today’s announcement by the Obama administration is a clear indication that it has flagrantly violated federal law,” Cruz, Lankford, Lee and Duffy said. “This is the latest step in a troubling series of steps that the administration has taken to relinquish its responsibilities, and it should send a concerning message to every American. If the United States relinquishes its supervision of the Internet—which it has nurtured from inception to become the greatest source of information in human history—authoritarian regimes could try to undermine the new system of Internet governance and thereby threaten free speech around the world. Congress must enact the Protecting Internet Freedom Act and continue to fight for a free Internet.”
Read the full release here.
Sen. Cruz Chairs Hearing on Reuniting Nazi-Confiscated Art with Its Rightful Owners
Sen. Cruz on Tuesday chaired a hearing titled ‘Reuniting Victims with Their Lost Heritage,’ focused on S. 2763, The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act. The HEAR Act facilitates the return of artwork stolen by Nazis during the Holocaust to their rightful owners or heirs. The HEAR Act would ensure that claims in the United States to Nazi-confiscated art are resolved in a fair and just manner on the merits, and are not barred by state statutes of limitations and other procedural defenses.
“Sadly, even today—over 70 years later—we are still trying to cope with the consequences of the Holocaust,” Sen. Cruz said in his opening statement. “One consequence that we are here today to address is the Nazis’ looting of hundreds of thousands of works of art and other cultural property in what has been described as the ‘greatest displacement of art in human history.’ Despite the Allies’ restitution efforts following the war, much of the stolen property was never reunited with their rightful owners. And over the years, often through sheer happenstance, many works found their way into American museums and galleries… This bill will help ensure that claims for the restitution of Nazi-looted art are adjudicated based on the facts and merits, and are not short-circuited by technical or non-merits defenses that often work to the disadvantage of Holocaust victims and their families.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s opening statement and read the full release here. Read an op-ed on this topic penned by Sen. Cruz here.
Senators Cruz, Cornyn, Hatch, Lankford, and Lee Introduce Stop Settlements Slush Fund Act
Today, Sens. Cruz, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Stop Settlements Slush Fund Act (S.3050) to prohibit settlement agreements that require donations to third-parties. This legislation will prevent the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) practice that sometimes requires defendants who choose to settle lawsuits to contribute funds to preferred third-party groups selected by the Administration.
“Cronyism reigns supreme at President Obama’s DOJ, and its use of settlement agreements to funnel millions of dollars to left-wing political allies is perhaps the perfect example,” Cruz said. “This bill will put an end to that sordid practice and ensure that settlement money is only used for public purposes. Congress should pass it without delay.”
Read the full release here.
An Update from Sen. Cruz’s Texas Summer Interns
Each year Sen. Cruz’s state offices host some of the best and brightest in Texas in the summer internship program. This year, 13 students from 10 different colleges and universities will work alongside Sen. Cruz’s state staff, as the interns learn about the functions of a Senate office.
Students have the opportunity to learn how Sen. Cruz engages with Texans. They spend the summer learning about the movement of legislation and addressing the concerns of Texans through phone and email correspondence on a daily basis. Additionally, the interns research daily news, study the dynamics of regions around the state, and read and discuss selections of political theory and American history, enhancing their understanding of our nation’s founding and Constitution. With the guidance of state staff members in a professional atmosphere, each intern is given the opportunity to learn more about how government agencies function and the work the constituent services team does on behalf of all Texans.
Those interested in interning with Sen. Cruz’s office this fall should apply here.
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