The News with Sen. Cruz - March 7, 2014
Vladimir Putin barely waited for the flame of the Olympic torch in Sochi to be extinguished before he turned his attention to crushing the most recent attempt of the Ukrainian people to move towards freedom and the West.
We must send a clear message to the world that we stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their God-given liberties.
I hope you will keep reading for the latest updates in the Senate.
All the best,
Ted Cruz
The DoD Should Look at Every Penny Before Cutting a Soldier
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz spoke at the National Security Action Conference against the Department of Defense’s recent budget decisions, Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, President Maduro’s oppression of Venezuelans’ freedoms, and a nuclear-armed Iran. Excerpts are below.
“Everyone would agree that there is waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon, like any large bureaucracy…Yesterday I had the opportunity to question Secretary Hagel. I asked him why the Pentagon is continuing to spend $170 million on algae fuel that costs four times as much as regular fuel and is instead cutting Army infantry troops. I asked him why they are spending $7 billion on renewable energy projects, including $14 million on wind turbines in Alaska in a place where there was no wind… why do they continue to pour that money down a rat hole? And rather than cut that waste they propose cutting the Army’s Brigade Combat Teams.
“The answers he gave were utterly unsatisfactory. At first he had to reach for the comptroller and say, I don’t know what we’re spending on that. Maybe he should know what we’re spending on that if he’s proposing cutting tens of thousands of people from our army. Before you cut a solider, let me suggest the Secretary of Defense should find out every penny that’s being wasted in this building and take that penny and use it to support the men and women in our military and to defend our national security.”
How We Win: Sen. Cruz at CPAC
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on how conservatives stand for principle. Here are some highlights.
“How do we inspire people? Number one we tell the truth…. The truth is Washington is corrupt. You are in some of the richest counties in the country. As more and more people make great wealth in Washington, young people, single moms, and small business owners suffer…. Real change is changing the corruption that is here in Washington, D.C.
“Under President Obama, the American Dream is harder to achieve…. If you were to sit down and hammer the living daylights out of young people, you couldn’t do better than the Obama Administration. Obamacare is a massive wealth transfer. And who the heck is going to pay for our national debt?
“We need to stop bankrupting our country. What we’re doing to our kids and grandkids is morally wrong. If we don’t change course, they will be left working to pay off the debts their parents left them with. We need to turn this around.”
Sen. Cruz: Honor Police Officers and Oppose Adegbile DOJ Nomination
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz spoke on the Senate floor to honor the brave service of America’s fallen police officers and oppose President Obama’s nomination of Debo Adegbile to head the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
In his remarks, the Senator noted that although every criminal defendant is entitled to an attorney, Adegbile’s representation of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a man convicted of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981, was pure political advocacy. Abu-Jamal's guilt was not in doubt – four eyewitnesses saw the shooting and Abu-Jamal confessed and stated in front of three witnesses that he hoped that Officer Faulkner died. And although Abu-Jamal already had a team of lawyers that had filed dozens of petitions and appeals, Adegbile and his team joined the case in 2009, 27 years after Faulkner’s death, and then began politicizing it. Under Adegbile's supervision, rallies, protests, and media campaigns instead dishonestly portrayed Abu-Jamal as a political prisoner and victim of racial injustice. Below are a few highlights:
“We must remember our nation’s fallen police officers who have bravely given their lives to serve our nation and to protect us. They form the backbone of our country that supports the rule of law and they risk their lives every day to keep law-abiding Americans safe.”
“We all should agree that violent criminals should be punished. We should all agree that those who advocate for, celebrate, lionize convicted cop killers are not suitable for major leadership roles at the United States Department of Justice. I urge every member of this body to oppose this nomination.”
Sen. Cruz Stands with the People of Ukraine
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz penned an op-ed in which he opposed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and suggested a clear path to support the interests of the United States and defend liberty. Excerpts are below. Read the full piece here.
“Vladimir Putin running rampant in Ukraine showcases how the Obama administration's abdication of global leadership is making the world a more dangerous place.
“Instead of providing clarity to our nation and our allies, the Obama administration offers tortured semantics. ‘Kinetic action’ glamorizes the failed policy of leading from behind in Libya. A ‘spontaneous protest’ explains the coordinated al Qaeda attack on American officials in Benghazi. The interim agreement over Iran's nuclear program -- described by one of our closest allies as a ‘historic mistake’ -- is in this universe referred to as a display of ‘international unity.’ And on Friday, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was euphemistically designated ‘an uncontested arrival.’
“This is the language of fools. Appeasement, historically, leads to more and more violence. Bullies and tyrants are only encouraged when the United States uses words that willfully ignore the reality of the threats the United States and our allies face.”
Sen. Cruz proposed several actions. Among them were the G8 suspending Russia immediately on the grounds that it is not contributing to a civil international order, Obama canceling his planned trip to Sochi for the G8 meeting in June, review options to withdrawal from the arms control treaties with Russia such as the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement, and immediate restoration of the full missile defense installations originally planned for Poland and the Czech Republic that were canceled by the Obama administration in 2009, and a free trade agreement with Ukraine in Kiev.
In Case You Missed It
- Sen. Cruz wishes Texans a Happy Texas Independence Day: READ
- Cruz opposes the nomination of Rose Gottemoeller to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security: READ
- Sen. Cruz questions Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Armed Services Committee: WATCH
- Sen. Cruz speaks with Sandy Rios on the radio: LISTEN
