{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-bill-to-boost-school-safety", "Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill to Boost School Safety", "2022-07-22", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced legislation to enhance school safety and prevent school-based violence. Sen. Cruz\u2019s bill is the Senate companion to legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas). The Cruz-Weber legislation would allow schools to use unspent previously appropriated Federal COVID-19 education-related funding to improve school security. This bill is cosponsored by Sen. Lankford (R-Okla.).\n\nAbout the \u201cProtect Our Children\u2019s Schools Act,\u201d Sen. Cruz said:\n\n\u201cFar too many atrocities have been committed at schools in Texas and across our nation. Increasing school safety is of paramount importance. The excess and unused monies given to schools to address the coronavirus should be used to keep our kids safe from monsters in their communities, and our bill would make sure local schools can use these funds to address their specific security needs. It\u2019s teachers and local education officials who know best what their schools need, and how to use funds to keep our kids safe when they go to school.\u201d\n\nRep. Weber said:\n\n\u201cMy district knows too well that evil people do evil things, and we know the importance of protecting our children in schools. As we approach a new school year, our children should feel safe and secure when they walk through the doors, and that\u2019s why I introduced a commonsense bill to harden schools. I appreciate Senator Cruz introducing the Senate version of the Protect Our Children\u2019s Schools Act.\u201d\n\nSen. Lankford said:\n\n\u201cSchools should have the flexibility to access unspent COVID funds to strengthen school safety,\u201d said Lankford. \u201cWhether funds go to keep kids safe during a pandemic or anything else that might pose a threat, there\u2019s no reason we can\u2019t make this common-sense change\u2014without adding to the debt and deficit\u2014so our schools have the option to use the money for their unique safety needs.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-bill-to-boost-school-safety"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.809340039268136, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}