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September 16, 2016
Greetings,
The Internet is one of the most powerful and transformational inventions of our time, and Texans, in particular, recognize its tremendous economic importance to our state. In 2015 alone, Texas was home to more than 500 Internet-based companies. The Internet allows anyone across our great state, with minimal capital, to bring a dream or an idea to life and participate in the national and global marketplace.
This extraordinary ability is a direct result of American ingenuity. Because the Internet was invented right here in the United States with the financial support of American taxpayers, our federal government has stood guard over critical Internet functions and protected free speech online under the First Amendment. But the Obama administration could change all of that in just 14 days.
Unfortunately, on October 1, President Obama intends to give oversight of the Internet away to ICANN, an international body that includes oppressive regimes such as Russia, China, and Iran, and has a history of poor accountability.
This radical proposal jeopardizes Texas jobs, our free speech online, and our national security. Congress must act by September 30 to protect Internet freedom, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to stop Obama’s dangerous handover and preserve your freedom and livelihoods online.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
This week, Sen. Cruz continued leading efforts and building momentum in Congress to block the Obama administration’s dangerous Internet proposal. He also introduced legislation that would reaffirm Texas’ leadership in the space industry and voted in favor of a bill that supports many key water infrastructure projects in the state. See below for more details of Sen. Cruz’s work on behalf of Texans this week.
Sen. Cruz Exposes Threats to Internet Freedom During Hearing
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz chaired a hearing investigating the risks of the Obama administration’s plan to give oversight of the Internet away to the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is composed of multinational corporations, civil society groups, and more than 160 foreign countries, including Russia, China, and Iran.
During the hearing, Sen. Cruz and expert witnesses shared serious concerns about this Internet handover, including the risk of increased censorship and loss of free speech online, possible legal repercussions, and national security vulnerabilities.
“Because of the First Amendment to our Constitution, which affords more protection for speech than anywhere else in the world, the United States Government—as long as it has authority to oversee the infrastructure of the Internet—has a duty to ensure that no website is denied Internet access on account of the ideas it espouses,” Sen. Cruz said in his opening statement. “…Once the government is out of the picture, First Amendment protections go away. The First Amendment by its term binds the government, it doesn’t bind private individuals. That means that when ICANN escapes from government authority, ICANN escapes from having to worry about the First Amendment, having to worry about protecting your rights or my rights.”
Read more about Wednesday’s hearing here. Watch Sen. Cruz’s full opening statement here.
GOP Senators Urge Democrats to Protect Internet Freedom; Oppose Oct. 1 Oversight Transition
On Friday, Sen. Cruz, along with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-A.K.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) issued the following joint statement urging Democratic senators to oppose the Obama administration’s proposed Internet oversight transition set to take place on October 1:
“It is profoundly disappointing that the Obama administration has decided to press on with its plan to relinquish United States oversight of crucial Internet functions, even though Congress has not given its approval. For years, there has been a bipartisan understanding that the ICANN transition is premature and that critical questions remain unanswered about the influence of authoritarian regimes in Internet governance, the protection of free speech, the effect on national security, and impacts on consumers, just to name a few.
“Without adequate answers to these questions, it would be irresponsible to allow the transition to occur in 15 days simply because of an artificial deadline set by the Obama administration.
“In fact, Democrats at both the state and national level have echoed many of these concerns. For example, former President Bill Clinton has warned that ‘[a] lot of people who have been trying to take this authority away from the U.S. want to do it for the sole purpose of cracking down on Internet freedom and limiting it and having governments protect their backsides instead of empower[ing] their people.’
“The issue of Internet freedom should unite us Americans – Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike. Partisanship and political gamesmanship have no place when it comes to the Internet, basic principles of freedom, and the right of individuals in our great nation and across the globe to speak online free from censorship.
“We urge our Democratic colleagues to work with us to ensure this transition does not occur on October 1.”
Read the release online here.
Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in Houston Chronicle: Congress Must Protect Internet Freedom
Sen. Cruz on Wednesday penned an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle, strongly urging Congress to stop the Obama administration from giving away control of the Internet to an international organization akin to the United Nations. In the op-ed, Sen. Cruz affirms that the administration is not authorized to relinquish oversight of the Internet without the authorization of Congress. Cruz also contends that the president’s radical proposal would remove First Amendment protections from the Internet and empower authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, and Iran to censor speech online.
“Because the internet was created here in America, the U.S. government has maintained the internet’s core functions to ensure equal access for everyone with no censorship,” Sen. Cruz wrote. “The government’s role isn’t to monitor what we say or to censor our speech; it is simply to ensure that the internet works properly.
“But this could all change. The Obama administration is pushing through a radical proposal to take control of internet domain names and give them to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), an international organization that includes 162 foreign countries. If Obama’s proposal goes through, it will empower authoritarian regimes like Russia, China and Iran to potentially censor speech on the internet. These countries are not our friends, and their interests are not our interests.”
Read Sen. Cruz’s op-ed in its entirety here.
New Cruz Video Spotlights GOP Efforts to Save Internet Freedom
Sen. Cruz on Tuesday released a video highlighting the ongoing efforts to stop President Obama’s Internet handover. The video includes Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and John Culberson (R-Texas), who have helped lead the fight against this dangerous proposal.
“Today, our country faces a threat to the Internet as we know it,” Sen. Cruz says in the video. “The Obama administration intends to give away control of the Internet to an international body akin to the United Nations. Do we want China, and Russia, and Iran having the power to determine that if a website is unacceptable, it’s taken down? I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to ensure that we protect freedom of the Internet for generations to come.”
Watch the video in its entirety here.
Congressional Momentum Builds to Stop Obama’s Internet Handover
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz unveiled a list of lawmakers who have joined him in opposing President Obama’s radical proposal to give away control of the Internet.
The Cruz-Lee-Lankford-Duffy legislation has 31 cosponsors on top of several members in the Senate and House who have voiced support for stopping President Obama’s proposal. Statements from lawmakers including Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.); and Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), Joe Barton (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Michael Burgess (R-Texas), John Culberson (R-Texas), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) may be read here.
Conservative Stalwarts Affirm Cruz’s Efforts to Save Internet Freedom
On Monday, 108 conservative leaders with the Conservative Action Project (CAP), including former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, CAP Chairwoman Becky Norton Dunlop, Media Research Center founder and president Brent Bozell, ForAmerica president David Bozell, and Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham, among others, issued a memo calling on Congress to stop President Obama’s Internet handover before it goes into effect on October 1. The conservative group also praised Sen. Cruz’s and Rep. Duffy’s Protecting Internet Freedom Act, which will ensure protection of Internet freedom by prohibiting the current contract from expiring.
Read the CAP memo in its entirety here.
Cruz, Nelson, Others Introduce the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2016
Sens. Cruz, Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) on Friday announced the introduction of S. 3346, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Transition Authorization Act of 2016. The legislation provides stability for NASA to sustain and build upon existing national space investments designed to advance space exploration and science with an overall authorization level of $19.508 billion for fiscal year 2017.
“America has a long history of leading the way in space exploration and we must reclaim that leadership,” said Cruz, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness. “This NASA reauthorization bill brings us one step closer to reasserting American leadership in space by ensuring NASA has the certainty it needs to continue to grow and improve upon what it does best: lead the world in space exploration. This legislation also provides the framework in which the State of Texas and the entire nation can confidently continue reshaping the future of human space exploration. The state of Texas has seen tremendous increase in jobs and activity within the commercial space industry over the past several years, and this bill will foster their continued growth.
“I’m proud to have worked with both my Republican and Democrat colleagues to author this reauthorization bill and would like to particularly acknowledge the dedication and leadership of Senator Nelson on this issue,” Cruz continued. “I would also like to thank Chairman Thune and Senator Peters for their involvement in crafting this legislation. This bill ensures that American astronauts are no longer dependent upon Russia to access space; reaffirms our national space commitment to advance recent achievements in space exploration and space science to extend humanity’s reach into deep space including the surface of Mars and beyond; and maximizes the utilization of the International Space Station while continuing to facilitate the commercialization and economic development of low-Earth orbit. Last year our subcommittee worked in a bipartisan manner in passing and enacting the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act. This legislation builds upon that foundation and provides a bipartisan legislative solution to ensure that NASA has the ability to continue to make progress in exploring space and redoubling its partnership with the private sector. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we work to pass this legislation into law.”
Read the full release, including more information on the bill, here.
Sen. Cruz Praises Passage of Water Resources Development Act
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz issued the following statement upon Senate passage of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act:
“When I was elected to the Senate, I pledged that my top priority would be to help create good-paying jobs for Texans in every corner of our great state. And job creation remains my top priority today.
“In keeping with that commitment, I am pleased to join with my colleagues today to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, which continues the modest reforms started in 2014. This legislation will provide integral support for our nation’s infrastructure, and it also strengthens key projects to ports across the state, which are critical to the creation of more, good paying jobs for Texans. These projects include: deepening the ship channel at the Port of Brownsville, continuing efforts to further expand the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, and addressing navigation issues that arise on the waterway at the Port of Houston.
“Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the ports of Beaumont, Houston, and Corpus Christi, and I was able to see first-hand the positive economic impact they have on their local communities. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Texas port communities and employers to ensure they remain strong job creators for our state and for our nation.”
Read the full release online here.
Sen. Cruz: We Must Hold Fast to Our Constitution
On Friday, Sen. Cruz released a video in observance of Constitution Day.
“In the history of mankind, freedom has been the exception,” Sen. Cruz said in the video. “The revolutionary document agreed to on September 17, 1787 set forth two transformative premises. First, our rights come from God — not kings, queens, or even presidents. And second, that sovereignty resides with ‘We The People.’ Legitimate government exists only by the consent of the governed.
“As we celebrate the adoption of the United States Constitution, it is important to remember the freedoms it was designed to preserve. We must hold fast to the miracle that is our Constitution and our Republic. For only when government is limited are rights protected, the rule of law honored, and freedom allowed to flourish.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s video here.
Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in TIME: President Obama Must Not Fear Diplomatic Provocation
Sen. Cruz on Monday penned an op-ed for TIME, calling on Congress and President Obama to actively oppose the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) disregard for human rights and pass legislation that would put the PRC on notice that the United States will not stand for the Communist regime’s oppressive tactics. Sen. Cruz detailed the plight of Dr. Liu Xiaobo, a pro-democracy dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has been imprisoned in China since 2008 for peacefully advocating for basic political reforms.
Read Sen. Cruz’s op-ed here.
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