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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led a bipartisan letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to increase pressure on Chinese authorities to immediately release Pastor “Ezra” Jin Mingri and dozens of other Zion Church leaders who were wrongfully detained for their beliefs. Excerpts and highlights from the letter: “Pastor Jin, the 56-year-old founder and senior pastor of Beijing’s Zion Church, was detained on October 10, 2025, along with nearly...

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the approval of Texas’ proposal to use over $1.2 billion of funding to deliver universal high-speed internet access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Chairman Cruz’s oversight of the program under the Biden administration saved billions of taxpayer dollars, while ensuring states were not saddled with onerous mandates that prevented unserved...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced a key promotion in his Washington, D.C. office. KEN LEE promoted to Chief Counsel. A member of Senator Cruz’s team since May 2024, Ken previously served Senator Cruz as Senior Counsel. Originally from Hawaii, Ken is a proud graduate of the University of Southern California and a law school graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to his time in Senator Cruz’s office, Ken clerked for the Fifth Circuit and practiced law in...

AUSTIN, TEXAS- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) celebrated the work of his Service Academy Nominations Board after it concluded its annual meeting. The Board recommended the most qualified Texas candidates for nomination to our nation’s distinguished military service academies. Following the annual meeting, Sen. Cruz said, “Texas has long produced remarkable military leaders who embody service, courage, and commitment to our nation’s values. I am thankful for the tireless work of my Service Academy...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-Texas-11) led a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation to the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) urging them to prioritize the release of funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion spent on border security efforts during the disastrous Biden-Harris border crisis. Excerpts and highlights...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, released the following statements after President Trump announced that he is nominating Nicholas Ganjei to be the District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Sen. Cruz said, “Nick served as my Chief Counsel for three years, during which he oversaw vital initiatives on criminal justice, border security, judicial nominations, antitrust issues, intellectual...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and their colleagues issued statements following Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the abduction of Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church and calling for their release. Sen. Cruz said, “Christians are fighting daily for their religious freedom against the Chinese Communist Party. Last month, the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), sent a letter requesting that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi unseal the application for a non-disclosure order signed by Obama-appointed Judge James Boasberg, which required phone carriers to keep the Biden DOJ and Jack Smith’s subpoenas secret for one year.   Click...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement about Senate passage of the House version of the Monetary Enhancement for Distinguished Active Legends (MEDAL) Act, legislation which he drafted and will now pass into law. The act was unanimously passed by the Senate had previously been passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives It will increase the monthly pension for living Medal of Honor recipients...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) introduced the Upholding a Secure Postal System (USPS) Act to direct the U.S. Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress on nationwide mail theft trends and the security of postal property. Sen. Cruz said, “Mail theft has become a growing concern for Texans who depend on a reliable postal service. I am committed to restoring trust in the USPS by addressing the widespread theft...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the House-passed version of the Monetary Enhancement for Distinguished Active Legends (MEDAL) Act, legislation that he drafted, after which the Senate unanimously passed the bill. The act had previously been passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives and will now go to the President for his signature to become law. This legislation will increase...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Ensuring Predictable and Reliable Water Deliveries Act of 2025. The bill strengthens enforcement of the 1944 Water Treaty relating to the utilization of the waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico, and holds the Mexican government accountable for not meeting its water delivery requirements under...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Deporting Fraudsters Act, which would make defrauding the United States or unlawfully obtaining public benefits as grounds for inadmissibility and deportability under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Sen. Cruz said, “Americans who meet eligibility requirements should be the only ones to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. Under the Biden administration’s border policies, abuse of these...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, filed an amicus brief in Trump v. Washington and Trump v. Barbara. The brief argues that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause does not grant automatic citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are illegally present. This case is before the U.S. Supreme Court. Upon filing, Sen. Cruz said, “Birthright...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s announcement to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Sen. Cruz said, “I am deeply gratified to President Trump for making this determination. I have fought for years to counter the slaughter and persecution of Christians in Nigeria, and this year introduced legislation that will lock in the designation made today. Today’s designation is a critical step in holding...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party for the abduction of Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church and calling for their release. Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party is conducting yet another sweeping crackdown on Christians, and they are again targeting Pastor Jin and the Zion Church. The CCP fears anything it cannot...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and colleagues introduced the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act. The bill expedites the federal approval process for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). Sen. Cruz said, “Increasing U.S. energy exports is good for America, and there is no bigger energy producer than the state of Texas. My legislation expedites permits for LNG exporters to ensure that Texas-produced gas can be...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced that they are accepting applications for federal judicial vacancies in the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas. These vacancies are located in McAllen and Dallas, respectively. Sen. Cruz said, “Selecting lawyers to serve as federal judges is one of the most important duties I have as a U.S. Senator. Texans deserve principled, unwavering leaders who will defend the Constitution, honor the rule of law,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and colleagues, today introduced the Kayla Hamilton Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct thorough background and criminal record checks on unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and potential sponsors prior to their placement. This legislation is named in honor of Kayla Hamilton, a young woman who was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered by a 17-year-old MS-13 gang member and...