The News with Sen. Cruz - November 14, 2013
Greetings,
On Monday, we honored the men and women who have served our nation in the armed services. I was grateful for the opportunity to spend the morning with veterans in Texas. Their dedication and sacrifice is inspiring, and I thank all of the Americans who have protected this great nation through military service.
President Calvin Coolidge once said, “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” He was right.
We are blessed to live in a society where men and women continue to fight for our flag. Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, more than 3 million Americans have volunteered to defend their country, knowing full well the risks they may face. More than 50,000 are serving in Afghanistan right now.
They, like millions of veterans before them, are willingly putting themselves in danger to keep us safe. I express my deepest gratitude to the brave citizens who protect our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
I hope you will keep reading below for an update on our efforts to defend American’s freedom both at home and abroad.
All the best,
Ted Cruz
Bring Transparency to the Federal Reserve, Vote to Audit the Fed
On Wednesday, Senator Cruz released a statement urging the Senate to fully account for the burgeoning money supply the Federal Reserve has continued to issue. He stated:
“I agree with Rand Paul: before the Senate votes on whether to confirm Janet Yellen, we should at the very least allow a vote on the Audit the Fed bill. The Federal Reserve has expanded our money supply by trillions, benefitting Wall Street but making life harder for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Never-ending quantitative easing threatens to undermine the dollar and to drive up prices on everyday goods from food to gasoline to the basic necessities of life. We need to bring transparency to the Fed, so the American people can understand the scope and consequences of its policies."
Proposal to Offer Reward on Benghazi Terrorists
Last week, Senator Cruz introduced legislation to require the Secretary of State to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information on the Benghazi attacks or information that leads to the capture and prosecution of a suspect. The Senator expressed his concern that the current administration has neglected to follow the protocol already established to protect American citizens:
"The State Department's Rewards for Justice Program exists to help the U.S. identify and apprehend its enemies, but the Obama Administration has not used it to pursue the terrorists who attacked our personnel in Benghazi," Cruz said. “U.S. investigators should have all available tools at their disposal to bring to justice those who murdered four Americans in Benghazi, including the first Ambassador killed in service since 1979."
The Rewards for Justice program has been a visible and successful element in the ongoing battle against terrorism. Since 1984, over $125 million has been distributed to more than 80 people.
To date, there has been no reward offered for the Benghazi terrorist suspects under the Rewards for Justice Program. Earlier this week, the State Department announced that they are giving out up to $5 million in exchange for information on drug lords. They did this without any new authorizing or appropriating legislation.
Last year, then-Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) offered similar legislation to expand the Rewards for Justice program to help capture Joseph Kony. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and was enacted into law last year.
Discussing the Horrors of Obamacare with Jay Leno
Last Friday, Senator Cruz talked with Jay Leno about his time in office and the recent Obamacare roll out. The number one job-killer in the nation is Obamacare, and Senator Cruz remains focused on providing meaningful relief from this law that is hurting millions of Americans:
“So my focus every day, my number-one priority in office is bringing back jobs and economic growth. What we're doing right now isn't working. And you've got too many career politicians in Washington that want to just keep going down this road of more and more spending and taxes and regulation. And you know, Jay, the people that are getting hurt are young people. They're Hispanic. They're African-Americans. They're single moms. They're people who are struggling.”
Urging Relief from Obamacare and Freedom for Pastor Abedini on Fox and Friends
Senator Cruz remains concerned about the harm that Obamacare is inflicting upon millions of Americans who are receiving letters canceling their current policies, seeing premiums sky rocket, and suffering from reduced work hours. He reiterated:
"The problem is, [Obamacare] is falling apart, but as it's falling apart, millions of people are being hurt.
"I don't think [Obamacare] is fixable…. It's fundamentally flawed.
"We need to stop it and start over, because it's not working."
Senator Cruz also spoke in defense of Pastor Abedini, who has been wrongly imprisoned by the Iran government for practicing his Christian faith. Last week, it was revealed that he would be transferred to an even more brutal prison. The prison at Karaj houses violent criminals on death row, and is infamous for the abuse of political prisoners. He stated:
"[Pastor Abedini’s bold stand and Iran’s abuse of human rights] reminds us of the blessed liberties we have here, to worship God. In Iran they're imprisoning and torturing this Pastor simply for professing his faith.
"And I hope the President calls upon President Rohani to release Pastor Abedini. It's the right thing to do.
"The deal that John Kerry was trying to negotiate on behalf of the President [last week] I think was a terrible deal…. It wouldn’t stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, it lets them keep their centrifuges, keep their enriched uranium. That was a mistake."
