url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-another-great-year-of-fighting-and-winning-for-texans,Sen. Cruz: Another Great Year of Fighting and Winning for Texans,2023-12-31,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led the fight in the Senate this year against the Biden administration’s woke agenda and delivered pro-growth, pro-jobs, and pro-freedom policies to promote jobs, freedom, and security for Texans.

Reflecting on the past year, Sen. Cruz said, “As your senator for Texas, I have been proud to lead the fight to defend our values and promote jobs, freedom, and security. This year, I’ve had the privilege of leading my Republican colleagues as ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. We formed bipartisan coalitions around Biden nominees to stop inexperienced and radical ones while supporting qualified public servants, and we worked in a bipartisan manner to advance policies that will benefit the families and businesses in the Lone Star State. As we look ahead to 2024, I excited to keep fighting for the Lone Star State, and defending your freedoms, strengthening our economy, and creating more jobs for hardworking Texans and their families.”

Sen. Cruz’s 2023 Highlights:

Delivering for Texas

SIGNED INTO LAW: After months of legislative efforts from a bipartisan coalition of Texas lawmakers led by Sen. Cruz, the annual defense authorization bill included language to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas.

Sen. Cruz also wrote a letter to the Biden administration in support of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB)presidential permit application.

SECURED BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL SUPPORT: Sen. Cruz led the fight for U.S. diplomats and officials of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary Commission to have the necessary resources to ensure Mexico’s compliance with the 1944 Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado, Tijuana, and Rio Grande Rivers. A bipartisan majority of senators supported his efforts.

PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Sen. Cruz led efforts to formally name the Ports-to-Plains Corridor through Texas and New Mexico asInterstate 27, which will boost economic growth in Texas.

Sen. Cruz participated in agriculture roundtables with industry leaders from the coast to the panhandle as he works to ensure our farmers and ranchers have the resources they need for Texas agriculture to thrive.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter calling out FEMAfor rejecting the City of Corpus Christi’s appeal for additional funding for the Packery Channel Restoration Project to rebuild after damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to President Biden supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for an emergency disaster declaration to provide federal assistance to Texans impacted by severe weather, including tornadoes and heavy rain, in Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, and Orange counties.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Biden administration supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for an emergency disasterdeclaration to provide federal assistance to Texans impacted by Winter Storm Mara.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Highway Formula Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation that would direct the Department of Transportation to reevaluate the funding formulas used to distribute federal highway dollars to ensure we invest properly in Texas highways and highways across the nation.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Improving Access to Our Courts Act to provide an additional court – located in Alpine, Texas – to those served by the Pecos Division of the Western District of Texas.

Following reports of mail theft in the Galveston area, Sen. Cruz introduced the Upholding a Secure Postal System (USPS) Act that would require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress on nationwide mail theft trends, and what the Postal Service is doing to combat theft.

Boosting Jobs and the Economy

Sen. Cruz was awarded the 2022 Club for Growth Defender of Economic Freedom Award for dedication to promoting economic growthand championing issues related to limited government.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Cost Recovery and Expensing Acceleration to Transform the Economy and Jumpstart Opportunities for Businesses and Startups (CREATE JOBS) Act to generate much-needed investment in America’s workforce, create jobs, and provide relief for struggling Americans.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act, and legislation to make permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s middle-class tax cuts.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Chemical Tax Repeal Act to eliminate the Superfund Tax imposed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to repeal a provision from the 2021 infrastructure package that created new reporting requirements for many cryptocurrency and blockchain companies. The amendment would remove harmful regulations on the cryptocurrency industry that stifle innovation, endanger the privacy of Americans, and would push key aspects of the industry overseas.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Adopting Cryptocurrency in Congress as an Exchange of Payment for Transactions Resolution, also known as the ACCEPT Resolution.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to prohibit the Federal Reserve from developing a direct-to-consumer central bank digital currency, which could be used as a financial surveillance tool by the federal government.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Federal Permitting Modernization Act (FAST Act) and the 90-day Review Act aimed at streamlining and expediting federal permitting for major infrastructure projects by putting more stringent timetables on federal agencies and courts to review projects.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation that will prevent companies that manage investment funds held in federal employee retirement accounts from using those holdings to vote in corporate shareholder meetings to force leftist Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies onto private sector businesses.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to eliminate the Office of Financial Research, a stark example of redundancy and unaccountability within the Treasury Department.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to eliminate the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Protecting Our Independent Judiciary and Combating the Weaponization of Government

Sen. Cruz introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that would ensure only nine justices could serve on the U.S. Supreme Court at a time.

Sen. Cruz led a Supreme Court amicus brief in the case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo arguing that the doctrine of “Chevron deference” violates Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution.

Sen. Cruz filed a Supreme Court amicus brief in the case Washington Alliance of Technology Workers v. Department of Homeland Security in support of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, seeking Supreme Court review of the unlawful issuance of student visas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland confronting the Department of Justice for surveilling the personal communications of attorneys advising congressional oversight committees.

Sen. Cruz filed an amicus brief in the case Estados Unidos Mexicanos v. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to support the Second Amendment and American sovereignty.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland at the Department of Justice requesting an investigation into why radical environmental organizations have been able to accept foreign money without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Sen. Cruz introduced Eric’s Law, a bill that aims to deliver justice to victims and their families in federal death penalty cases.

Sen. Cruz introduced a joint resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to fight a D.C. Council measure that would allow illegal aliens to vote in local D.C. elections.

Sen. Cruz introduced a series of bills to stop the lingering authoritarian COVID-19 mandates and protect Americans fromunconstitutional federal mandates around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. Cruz led a coalition of Senate Republican committee ranking members in sounding the alarm over an attempt by the White House to hijack the rulemaking process to promote left-wing policy goals.

Pushing Back on the Left’s Woke Agenda

Sen. Cruz introduced bicameral legislation, the Safeguarding Free Speech Act, to prohibit federal agencies from forcing an employee or contractor to use personal pronouns that differ from an individual’s biological sex.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Respect for Hispanic Americans Act, which would ban the use of the wholly-invented term “Latinx” in any official government communication by a federal agency or employee.

Freeing American Energy and Dismantling Burdensome Environmental Regulations

The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) honored Sen. Cruz with the Legislator of the Year Award for championing policies and advocating and leading legislative efforts to promote U.S. energy.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the Biden administration’s executive overreachbanning gasoline powered vehicles and establishing an electric vehicle mandate.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Public Water Supply Invasive Species Compliance Act and the Saving America’s Vulnerable and Endangered Species Act (SAVES Act), which would remove regulatory burdens for ranchers and conservators engaged in captive breeding of exotic wildlife while promoting animal conservation in the United States.

Sen. Cruz introduced a resolution pushing back on the implementation of a carbon tax. The resolution addresses the negative impacts of instituting a carbon tax.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) against addingunnecessary bureaucratic barriers to the permitting process for domestic mining.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Congressional Oversight of the Antiquities Act to reform the Antiquities Act of 1906 and require congressional approval for national monument designations.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to extend the public comment period for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) financial assurance proposed rule.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to amend the National Trails System Act and designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail without harming Texas and American energy development projects in the areas around Route 66.

Sen. Cruz sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm raising concern about a proposed rule by the DOE to change efficiency standards on distribution transformers—critical electric grid components.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of the Treasury Janet Yellen condemning efforts by the Biden administration to use the U.S. tax code to penalize American energy production.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act, which would expedite the federal approval process for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and increase free trade.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Energy Freedom Act, in order to make America energy secure again by accelerating federal permitting for energy projects and pipelines, mandating new onshore and offshore oil and gas lease sales, approving pending liquified natural gas (LNG) export licenses, and generally speeding up solar, wind, and geothermal development.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Black Vulture Relief Act, which would alleviate burdensome government regulations and allow farmers to protect their newborn livestock from black vultures without a depredation permit whenever their livestock is threatened.

Backing Law Enforcement

PASSED THE SENATE: Sen. Cruz sponsored a resolution commemorating the bicentennial of the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Back the Blue Act, which would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation that would protect the brave men and women of law enforcement by criminalizing fleeing from agents or officers in a high-speed chase. The bill is named in honor of Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who died in the line of duty while pursuing a group of illegal aliens near Mission, Texas.

Combating the Drug Crisis and Increasing Healthcare Access

SIGNED INTO LAW: Sen. Cruz’s Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act is now law. It will direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take steps to enhance understanding of the dangerous animal tranquilizer xylazine, or tranq and other novel synthetic drugs, develop new tests for detection, and establish partnerships with front-line entities that are often the first points of contact with new street drugs.

Sen. Cruz introduced bipartisan legislation to address the online sale of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act, to expand healthcare innovation and accessibility for Texans and all Americans by increasing access for all Americans to life-saving drugs, devices, and other medical therapies already approved in other trusted countries.

Defending the Right to Life

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers about allegations that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was secretly surveilling recent meetings of the pro-life group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU).

Sen. Cruz led the effort to demand answers from Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, about the reported harassment of a pro-life Catholic school group at the National Air and Space Museum.

Sen. Cruz sent a bicameral letter to the National Archives and Records Administration acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall urging a prompt response regarding the treatment of several pro-life Americans at the National Archives Museum on January 20, 2023.

Championing Our Military and Veterans

SIGNED INTO LAW: Sen. Cruz authored the bipartisan, bicameral bill that renamed a Texas post office after Spc. Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old soldier of the United States Army stationed at Fort Hood Army Base who was murdered by another soldier on base.

SIGNED INTO LAW: Sen. Cruz’s Changing Age-Determined Eligibility to Student Incentive Payments (CADETS) Act expanded the age of eligibility for the Student Incentive Payment Program at the Maritime Administration, granting financial assistance to cadets who attend one of six state maritime academies, including Texas A&M Maritime Academy, and who commit to a post-graduation service obligation.

SIGNED INTO LAW: Sen. Cruz spearheaded a bipartisan amendment to the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)prohibiting the sale of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to the FY24 NDAA that build on the NDAA of 2023, to support servicemembers who were wrongly discharged solely based on their COVID-19 vaccine status.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, bicameral, bipartisan legislation to ensure Coast Guardsmen are paid just like other military personnel in the event of a government shutdown.

Sen. Cruz sent a bipartisan letter to the United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requesting answers on the backlog of veterans’ service record requests impacting their access to critical government benefits and services.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation that creates an opt-in for military families to establish Military Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) to help fund their child’s education and expand access to personalized, high-quality educational experiences.

SIGNED INTO LAW: Sen. Cruz introduced the Deterring Egregious State Infiltration of Schools’ Training (DESIST) Act, which would prohibit the Department of Defense from establishing or maintaining a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program at any private school operated or controlled by entities linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This amendment was included in the FY24 NDAA.

Advocating for Our Students

Sen. Cruz introduced and fought for the immediate passage of his Securing Our Schools Act and the Protect Our Children’s Schools Act, which would improve school security and access to student mental health resources and allow schools to use unspent, previously appropriated federal COVID-19 education-related funding to improve school security.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging the Biden administration to address the growing rates of antisemitism in K-12 schools following Hamas’s war against Israel.

Standing Up to America’s Enemies and Adversaries, While Standing with Her Allies

PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Sen. Cruz spearheaded the passage of his bipartisan legislation to rename the street outside of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Oswaldo Payá Way” after the Cuban dissident leader who was assassinated by Cuba’s communist regime.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Protecting America from Spies Act, legislation that would make individuals who have committed acts of espionage or intellectual property theft against the United States ineligible for visas, as well as the family members of such individuals, for a period of five years.

Standing with Israel

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on him to rescind discriminatory guidance issued by the State Department halting bilateral scientific and technological cooperation in certain Israeli-held territories.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Harvard University President Claudine Gay demanding that the university condemn the antisemitic statementsmade by student organizations on campus.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Hamas Sanctions Act, the first piece of legislation to comprehensively target Hamas. The legislation wouldimpose sanctions on Hamas, its members and affiliates, and countries that provide funding and territory for Hamas operations.

Countering the Iranian regime

Sen. Cruz introduced the Strengthening Entry Visa Enforcement and Restrictions Act, or SEVER Act, to block the Biden administrationfrom allowing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other sanctioned individuals linked to the Iranian regime to enter the United States.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to prohibit the Biden administration from waiving Congressional sanctions that prohibit cooperation on Iran’s nuclear program.

Countering Communist China

PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Sen. Cruz gained unanimous support for his resolution calling for the release of wrongfully detained Texan Mark Swidan, who is imprisoned in China.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act, to stop adversaries from acquiring land near military bases, and military areas, which puts our military and national security at risk.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Stop Higher Education Espionage and Theft (SHEET) Act to counter Chinese espionage efforts in American universities.

Supporting freedom and opposing oppression in Central and South America

Sen. Cruz introduced a resolution supporting the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD), a multilateral initiative by American allies in Latin America including Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Ecuador.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to President Biden calling on his administration to reverse political concessions and increase pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela, after the administration eased economic pressure as part of a deal related to the Venezuelan elections in 2024.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Corruption in Argentina Stymied by Enforcing Sanctions Act of 2023, or CASES Act, which would require the President to investigate five Argentinian officials for corruption, including Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Fighting to Secure the Southern Border

Sen. Cruz introduced the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, which would allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and would pull taxpayer-funded grants going to sanctuary cities.

Sen. Cruz introduced the FINISH IT Act, which would require the federal government to use previously purchased and unused border wall panels to extend the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border or to transfer them to state governments to be used for wall construction.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to President Biden urging the White House to reverse the administration’s decision to end Title 42.

Sen. Cruz led Republican Senate colleagues on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to Brownsville, Texas on the eve of the end of Title 42 to meet with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Texas National Guard, and other law enforcement officials.

Sen. Cruz introduced bicameral legislation to amend federal law and impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any person who has multiple convictions, or a conviction for an aggravated felony, who enters the country illegally.

Sen. Cruz traveled to Texas’ maritime border at South Padre Island to visit key Coast Guard stations and hear directly from the men and women of the Coast Guard about what resources they need to keep Texas’ maritime borders safe and secure.

Sen. Cruz introduced the Schools Not Shelters Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support, to protect and prioritize students by prohibiting K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that receive federal funding from being used as shelters to house illegal aliens.

Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to add the Secure the Border Act to the continuing resolution to stop the Biden Border Crisis dead in its tracks and halt the invasion at our southern border.

Sen. Cruz led Republican Senate colleagues on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to witness the impacts of the millions of illegal immigrants who have flooded through the southern border, the rising rates of drug smuggling, and the increasing national security threats due to President Biden’s open border policies.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas calling on the Biden administration to address a text message, discovered by El Paso Sector Intelligence, soliciting personal information of Border Patrol agents and their families.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding that the Biden administration immediately address the influx of “special interest aliens” who have been arrested at the southern border.

Leading Republican Legislative Initiatives as the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce Committee

PASSED THE U.S. SENATE: Sen. Cruz advanced legislation that would streamline the CHIPS permitting reform process, removing burdensome hurdles to achieving environmental reviews and permits. The amendment, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July, would provide regulatory certainty and accelerate the construction of semiconductor manufacturing plants.

Sen. Cruz introduced the bipartisan, bicameral AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in vehicles. In Texas, over 88,000 jobs are tied to radio.

Sen. Cruz introduced bipartisan legislation that passed the Commerce Committee to require all event ticket sellers to display the total ticket price—including all required fees—in any advertisement or marketing materials.

Sen. Cruz led bipartisan efforts to stop three Biden administration nominees over lack of experience or radical policy positions.

Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to limit children’s access to social media at school by requiring schools receiving federal broadband funding to prohibit access on subsidized services, devices, and networks.

Sen. Cruz unveiled a discussion draft of legislation aimed at addressing major issues in college athletics that have wrought a patchwork of pending litigation, inconsistent state laws, and labor complaints.

Sen. Cruz and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, legislation that would block the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from banning gas stoves.

Sen. Cruz and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, introduced the Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act, legislation that would require the FTC to create reasonable disclosure guidelines for products that have audio or visual recording components, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers and dishwashers that are not clearly obvious. This legislation passed the Commerce Committee.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) President and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison, expressing objections to a CPB mandate that radio and television stations must engage in affirmative action to qualify for grant funding.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Eventbrite President and CEO Julia Hartz requesting details regarding the firm’s seemingly inconsistent enforcement of community guidelines targeting conservatives, which has resulted in the removal of events featuring comments from Riley Gaines, while permitting feature speakers espousing allegiance to Hamas.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and National Science Foundation (NSF) to turn over information regarding their role in helping facilitate the censorshipof Americans’ constitutionally protected speech online.

Sen. Cruz led 27 of his colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rescind its draft order on “Digital Discrimination,” which would give the federal government control over nearly every aspect of the Internet while opening broadband providers to expansive, indeterminate, and crippling liability under a “disparate impact” standard.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey demanding answers regarding the company’s decision to delete references to a donation the company made to the Black Lives Matter Global Network.

Sen. Cruz asked the National Science Foundation (NSF) to turn over information regarding its taxpayer-funded censorship, including doling out tens of millions of dollars in grants to universities building online censorship tools and developing “trauma support” therapy for journalists.

Sen. Cruz led more than 100 other lawmakers in calling on Congressional leaders to include Sens. Cruz and Kelly’s amendment to streamline the CHIPS permitting reform process in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Sen. Cruz led a bicameral coalition of federal lawmakers calling on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to reverse its suspension of rules allowing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail.

Sen. Cruz led Commerce Committee Republican members in sending a letter to companies X, Meta, TikTok, and Google seeking information on their content moderation policies during the Israel-Hamas war, and asking the companies to commit to fully preserving a documentary history of Hamas’s atrocities.

Sen. Cruz led a group of senators in urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to withdraw a proposed rule designating more than 28,270 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico, an area larger than West Virginia, as a “critical habitat” for the newly discovered Rice’s whale—a clear attempt to shut down oil and gas operations in the area over a single sighting of a whale in 2017.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter pressing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the decision-making behind certain grants to the Amtrak NY-NJ Gateway Program and asked the Department of Transportation (DOT) to commit to giving fair consideration to the whole country for grants, rather than favoring the Northeast Corridor.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) demanding answers on whether the deployment of federal air marshals to assist along the southwest border is risking the safety of the flying public.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the newly sworn-in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, Anna Gomez, urging her to oppose FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s plan to expand the E-rate program beyond school classrooms and libraries. The proposed expansion of funding, including to fund Wi-Fi hotspots on school buses, is not only unlawful (the statute only allows for connectivity spending for classrooms and libraries) but raises concerns about subsidizing children’s unsupervised internet access to social media sites like TikTok and Instagram on their bus rides to and from school.

Sen. Cruz and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today sent a letter to the law firm Sher Edling LLP demanding information related to the firm’s barrage of lawsuits targeting energy companies, and the role the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ann Carlson, played in these lawsuits while serving as a professor at UCLA Law School.

Sen. Cruz took to the Senate floor requesting unanimous consent to pass the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, bicameral, bipartisan legislation he introduced with Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). The Pay Our Coast Guard Act would ensure Coast Guardsmen are paid just like other military personnel in the event of a government shutdown.

Sen. Cruz led all Committee Republicans in sending a letter to President Biden, blasting the administration for violating the Vacancies Act by allowing Ann Carlson, who was effectively rejected by the Senate to be administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to serve as acting head of the agency.

Sen. Cruz joined Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on an amicus brief in a case concerning the Biden administration’s decision to alter the terms of “Lease Sale 261,” an oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico required by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Sen. Cruz released a fact-finding report on the single largest pot of federal money ever allocated for broadband—the $42.45 billion allocation for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan seeking answers regarding her plans to regulate artificial intelligence for “disinformation” and “bias.” The letter explains that the FTC’s review of large language models used to train AI, which comes without any explicit statutory congressional authorization, may also infringe on constitutionally-protected speech.

Sen. Cruz sent letters to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan and the head of the European Union’s San Francisco office, demanding answers regarding the degree of coordination between the FTC and the EU to enforce the EU’s Digital Services Act (“DSA”) and Digital Markets Act (“DMA”) on U.S. soil.

Sen. Cruz and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), announced that they had secured a bipartisan amendment to prevent the Biden administration from banning gas stoves in households across America in the Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) funding bill. The amendment largely mirrors the bipartisan Gas Stoves Protection and Freedom Act that they had introduced together in February that would preclude CPSC from using federal funds to ban gas stoves or impose regulations that would substantially increase the costs of gas stoves to make them unaffordable for Americans.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Vice Admiral Joanna Nunan, the superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), demanding answers about the safety of cadets in light of disturbing remarks by the school’s sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) director.

Sen. Cruz and Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a bipartisan letter to seven automakers that either removed or planned to remove broadcast AM radio in their current and future vehicle models, including electric vehicles, urging the automakers to make a commitment to keep AM radio in their vehicles.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan regarding the troubling drop in employee morale at the agency.

Sen. Cruz led a coalition of Senate Republican committee ranking members in sounding the alarm over an attempt by the White House to hijack the rulemaking process to advance left-wing policy goals that have been rejected by Congress.

Sen. Cruz published a 13-page memo to the beer industry’s self-regulatory body detailing how Bud Light’s sponsorship of Dylan Mulvaney violated industry standards that prohibit marketing to underage individuals.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to President Biden, urging him to immediately nominate a “serious and well-qualified person with substantial aviation experience” to serve as Federal Aviation Administration administrator.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg demanding answers about reporting from the Wall Street Journal describing how Instagram’s recommendation systems actively facilitated the production, purchase, and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Sen. Cruz and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) opened an investigation into and called on the beer industry’s self-regulatory body—the Beer Institute—to investigate whether Anheuser-Busch’s partnership with influencer Dylan Mulvaney violates the Beer Institute’s guidelines prohibiting marketing to underage individuals. The letter outlines evidence showing that Dylan Mulvaney’s audience skews younger than the legal drinking age and that Mulvaney’s social media content appeals to young viewers.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission Acting Inspector General asking that she open an investigation into whether FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s unprecedented actions against the Standard General-TEGNA transaction, including the decision to have the FCC’s Media Bureau designate the transaction for an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) hearing, were motivated by a biased desire to block the deal.

Sen. Cruz and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) sent bicameral letters to Consumer Reports, the Climate Imperative Foundation, and Stacey Abrams’ Rewiring America group.

Sen. Cruz led his Senate Commerce Republican colleagues in sending a letter highlighting serious concerns regarding President Biden’s nominee to lead the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA), Ann Carlson, and her past record of promoting green energy mandates for the automobile industry.

Sen. Cruz and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a bicameral letter to Mary Daly, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (“SF Fed”), regarding the SF Fed’s failure to properly ensure the safety and soundness of Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) and to comply with congressional oversight requests about SVB’s collapse.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg requesting information related to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) long-running inability to address congestion and air traffic controller shortages in the New York region.

Sen. Cruz and Republican committee members sent a letter expressing concern that President Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg are improperly favoring Northeastern states over the rest of the country with respect to Amtrak Board seats and a large taxpayer-funded rail grant program.

Sen. Cruz sent letters to nine Big Tech firms seeking information about coordination with more than 40 government officials who were attempting to flag, censor, and investigate the content and accounts of Americans online.

Sen. Cruz led a letter with more than a dozen Senate Republican colleagues to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo urging the administration to strike a number of liberal social policy conditions that were attached to grants for domestic chip production. Few of the requirements on the $39 billion in money, such as requiring applicants to develop plans around mass transit use and affordable housing, were found in the CHIPS Act, a bill enacted last year meant to help re-shore semiconductor manufacturing.

Sen. Cruz sent a series of letters to Biden regulators and left-wing environmental advocacy groups seeking information and preservation of documents regarding their role in the Biden administration’s recent efforts to ban gas stoves.

Sen. Cruz and Rep. Jim Jordan opened a probe into the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover.

Sen. Cruz called on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to rescind its costly, radical proposed rule to require government contractors to provide extensive information about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) seeking information about its lengthy delays in reaching decisions on applications for deepwater ports for exporting oil and natural gas. The letter also urged MARAD to meet its statutory deadlines to make decisions. Currently, four of the seven applications for licenses are for projects located off the coast of Texas.

Sen. Cruz sent a letter to social media companies Meta, Google, Twitter, and TikTok launching an oversight investigation into these companies’ use of recommendation algorithms and their reported use of “blacklists,” “de-emphasizing,” and other means of “reduced distribution” of content from users, including many conservatives.

Sen. Cruz, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent a letter to the CEOs of DirectTV and its controlling shareholders, AT&T and TPG, voicing deep concerns about DirecTV’s decision to drop conservative news network Newsmax.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-demands-answers-about-temporarily-shuttered-international-railway-crossings-in-texas-diverted-cbp-resources-to-process-illegal-aliens,"Cruz Demands Answers About Temporarily Shuttered International Railway Crossings in Texas, Diverted CBP Resources to Process Illegal Aliens",2023-12-22,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, demanding answers about U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s decision to temporarily close two international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, and divert CBP resources to help process illegal aliens, who are unlawfully entering the U.S. in record numbers. Sen. Cruz asked for answers about who made these decisions, what led to the decisions, and how CBP plans to prevent this from happening again.

Closing these international railway crossings delayed hundreds of thousands of tons of consumer and agriculture goods from traveling between the U.S. and Mexico. This is the second time since September that DHS has closed an international bridge in response to uncontrolled numbers of illegal aliens.

In the letter, Sen. Cruz wrote,“…by shutting down legal border crossings to accommodate the surge of illegal aliens flooding the border at Eagle Pass, you have created a national security threat of the highest degree. You are also signaling to the world that the United States government—and certainly your Department—will put the interests of foreign citizens over the needs of American people and businesses. Furthermore, by ceding operational control of our southern border to criminal cartels that are ferrying terrorists, drugs, and dangerous criminals, you have effectively turned Border Patrol into a travel agency rather than a law enforcement organization. It goes without saying that this is an outrage and a total breakdown of law-and-order.”

Read the full letter here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-statement-on-americans-including-texans-freed-from-maduro-custody-in-venezuela,"Cruz Statement on Americans, Including Texans, Freed from Maduro Custody in Venezuela",2023-12-21,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the announcement that ten Americans, including three Texans, have been freed from captivity in Venezuela, where they were held by the Maduro regime, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said, “I’m pleased these Americans, including Texans Luke Denman, Airan Berry, and Jerrel Kenemore, will finally be reunited with their loved ones here at home. I have long called on the Maduro regime to release them and for the United States to impose pressure on the regime until it did so, and it is heartening that their unjust ordeal is over. Nevertheless, I continue to be concerned that the Biden administration’s hostage diplomacy, in this case the release of criminal and terrorist financier Alex Saab, sends a message to terrorists and other American adversaries abroad that American hostages can be used as bargaining chips.

“This news must also deepen our focus and commitment to bring back all Americans who are wrongfully detained overseas. Texan Mark Swidan remains unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party, and the Biden administration must do everything it can to secure his release.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-britt-introduce-legislation-to-bar-non-citizens-from-voting-in-federal-elections,"Sens. Cruz, Britt Introduce Legislation to Bar Non-Citizens from Voting in Federal Elections",2023-12-21,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), members on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, joined together with their colleagues on the committee to introduce the Citizen Ballot Protection Act. This bill would ensure states have the authority to verify that only American citizens are voting in federal elections. The bill specifically amends Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, to explicitly allow states to put in place a proof of citizenship requirement for both the federal mail voter registration form, and any state mail voter registration forms they might develop.

Upon introducing the bill, Sen. Cruz said, “Voting is a privilege and right reserved for American citizens to participate democratically in deciding the leadership of our country. Under Joe Biden’s watch, the integrity of our electoral process has been compromised. Democrat-run jurisdictions have violated our electoral process by granting an open invitation to any non-citizen or illegal alien to unconstitutionally participate in voting in local elections. This presents an unreasonable risk of cross-contamination of ballots and voting by non-citizens in federal elections. We must uphold the integrity of our electoral system by requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before casting a vote at the ballot box.”

Cosigners of the bill include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Sens. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).

Read the full text of the bill here.

Background:

Sen. Cruz has spearheaded several efforts to block non-citizens from voting in elections including:

Introducing legislation to prohibit the Washington D.C. city government from using federal funds to facilitate non-citizen voting in elections in our nation’s capital;

Introducing a joint resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to fight a measure passed by the D.C. Council that would allow illegal aliens to vote in local D.C. elections.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-coons-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-urging-steps-to-restore-deterrence-against-iran-proxies-attacking-us-troops,"Sens. Cruz, Coons, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Urging Steps to Restore Deterrence Against Iran Proxies Attacking U.S. Troops",2023-12-21,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), joined by 12 additional cosponsors, this week introduced a resolution urging the Biden administration to take all necessary steps to restore deterrence against Iran and Iranian proxies targeting Americans and American interests in the Middle East. American troops in the region have been targeted by Iran and Iranian proxies more than 115 times since mid-October. Iran provides financing, training, and other support to terrorist groups throughout the region, including the Houthis.

Sen. Cruz said, “The Iranian regime is attacking Americans, our allies, and our interests across the Middle East. They are not only launching attacks and massacres against our Israeli and Arab allies, but their Houthi proxies are now trying to shut down freedom of navigation that is vital to the American and global economies. It is clear that they are not deterred, and it is long past time for the Biden administration to take all necessary steps to deter and counter these activities. Enough is enough.”

Sen. Coons said, “Attacks on American troops are reprehensible, and Iranian support for these attacks has rightfully earned a swift and forceful response from the Biden administration. I join Senator Cruz in introducing this resolution to condemn these attacks, increase pressure on Iran to cease its support for violent militia groups, and support efforts to deter Iranian-backed militia attacks on U.S. troops and the international community. I also commend the resiliency and bravery of American service members across the Middle East and hope this resolution makes clear Congress’ support for U.S. Central Command’s mission of countering terrorism and maintaining stability across the region.”

In addition to Sens. Coons and Cruz, the resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).

The text of the full resolution is available here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-marshall-rep-arrington-send-letter-calling-out-the-usdas-misguided-emergency-relief-program-requirements,"Sens. Cruz, Marshall, Rep. Arrington Blast USDA’s Discriminatory Emergency Relief Program Requirements",2023-12-20,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) along with Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) calling out the USDA’s discriminatory methodology for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). Under the Biden administration’s 2022 ERP requirements, the purpose of the relief program is not to provide the greatest amount of relief to those farmers who’ve suffered the most from recent natural disasters, but instead to adjust payments based on a farmer or producer’s skin color and sex. Under the new requirements, farmers will receive a fraction of the amount they would previously have received, simply because of their color. This is blatantly discriminatory, and a shocking example of the Biden administration’s radical social agenda, pushed under thecover of “equity.” The USDA’s new methodology undermines the agriculture community and breaks a long-popular, highly praised, and well-functioning program. The new requirements will hurt Texas farmers and Texas agriculture.

About the letter, Sen. Cruz said, “Texas and American farmers are vital to our thriving country. The cattle they raise and crops they grow are the very food on our table, and the USDA is actively attacking a huge swath of the Lone Star State’s ranchers and producers because they think people of one race need less help than people of another. This is taxpayer-funded racism, it is anti-American, and it will only increase the amount of foreign agricultural products that we consume. American farmers will suffer for it, and I was proud to call out this action with my colleagues in the House and Senate.”

In the letter, the members wrote, “American producers have experienced significant losses, and the Administration has taken an approach that does not reflect Congressional intent. The current program does not provide needed assistance to full-time farm families that suffered the deepest losses, and in short, it misallocates limited but badly needed assistance.”

Cosigners of the letter include, Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Representatives Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) , August Pfluger (R-Texas), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Scott Franklin (R-Ga.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Dan Newhouse, (R-Wash.) Keith Self (R-Texas), Julia Letlow(R-La.), James Baird (R-Ind.), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Brian Babin (R-Texas), Rick Allen (R-Ga.), Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Russell Fry (R-S.C.), Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), John Carter (R-Texas), W. Gregory Steube (R-Fla.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Kay Granger (R-Texas), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Michael Burgess (R-Texas), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Roger Williams (R-Texas), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

Read the full text of the letter here or below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

We write to share our strong concerns regarding the methodology and implementation of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. As farm and ranch families across the country continue navigating challenges caused by various natural disasters, it is vital that proper assistance be delivered in an effective and timely manner.

It is unacceptable that USDA’s announcement comes almost one year after Congress appropriated over $3 billion in funding to address natural disasters that occurred during the 2022 crop year through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023 (P.L. 117-328). This is especially true considering USDA had the framework of 2021 ERP Phase 1 available and Congress encouraged USDA to use such framework.

American producers have experienced significant losses, and the Administration has taken an approach that does not reflect Congressional intent. The current program does not provide needed assistance to full-time farm families that suffered the deepest losses, and in short, it misallocates limited but badly needed assistance.

Additionally, the methodology used for the 2022 ERP will negatively impact many farmers’ ability to receive financing from lenders and plan for the next crop year. Based on your regulation, farmers suffering losses who would have received assistance covering more than 75% of their calculated losses in 2020 or 2021 will now be capped at closer to 10%. For a mid-sized farm of 1,000 acres with calculated losses of $200 per acre ($200,000 in total losses), the vast difference between upward of $150,000 assistance in 2020 vs. $18,750 in 2022 could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy.

Earlier this year, Members of Congress sent a bicameral letter to USDA pertaining to the ERP Phase II, requesting that USDA reconsider the fundamental changes under such an approach and utilize EPR Phase 1 framework for the 2022 crop year. Unfortunately, these concerns were not addressed, as evidenced by the two-track payment calculation system utilized in the current program.

Furthermore, ERP for 2022 introduces a new payment limit, albeit under a novel name, the progressive payment factor. These factors have resulted in a system of winners and losers that punish the farm families hit hardest by disasters. Additionally, the 2020 and 2021 ERP payments were adjusted for premiums and administrative fees paid by all eligible producers whereas for 2022 payments this only benefits a limited number of producers. This change is also contrary to the statute.

While this program is already unnecessarily delayed it is still imperative that USDA depart from its current path because of the major problems raised by producers and Congress. USDA needs to follow the law and Congressional intent to address the crop losses of our farm families without the pay limits and without preferences that are not authorized by the statute. We strongly request the USDA abandon this current program and implement the framework of 2021 ERP Phase 1 as quickly as possible.

/x/

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-scott-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-crack-down-on-ccp-espionage,"Sens. Cruz, Scott, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Crack Down on CCP Espionage",2023-12-19,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to require more stringent reporting requirements from diplomats of American adversaries. This bill also applies to foreign missions in the U.S. conducted by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This legislation requires a monthly report of the notification logs from the State Department to the President, Senate Homeland Security Committee, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee to ensure transparency around the business of foreign governments in the United States.

The Countering Corrupt Political Influence Act (CCP Influence Act), builds upon the Trump administration policy that required the State Department to mandate that Chinese foreign missions, including its embassy and various consulates around the United States, notify the Department of State in advance of all official meetings with state officials, official meetings with local and municipal officials, official visits to educational institutions, and official visits to research institutions.

Cosponsors include Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Upon introduction, Senator Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party takes a whole of government and indeed often whole of nation approach to advancing its national security interests, including through global influence and espionage operations conducted from within diplomatic facilities. Other American adversaries utilize the same tactics and strategies. This legislation will ensure Congress and the president have a clear picture of what our adversaries are doing in the U.S.”

Read the full text of the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-calls-for-immediate-release-of-jimmy-lai-as-chinese-communist-party-begins-trial,Sen. Cruz Calls for Immediate Release of Jimmy Lai as Chinese Communist Party Begins Trial,2023-12-18,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today called for the release of Jimmy Lai, a dissident and the founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, who is being unjustly detained by the Chinese Communist Party and subjected to an illegitimate trial without his choice of legal representation. Lai has spent over 1,000 days in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison in Hong Kong. Lai’s trial began today under unprecedented security and coercive measures.

Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party should immediately release Jimmy Lai. He should never have been detained and there is no excuse left to extend his time in prison. He should be released, returned to his family, and allowed to travel.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-condemns-biden-administration-closing-eagle-pass-bridge-for-second-time,Sen. Cruz Condemns Biden Administration Closing Eagle Pass Bridge for Second Time,2023-12-18,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after the Biden administration’s Customs and Border Protections (CBP) Office of Field Operations closed vehicle processing at Bridge 1 and the international railway crossing bridge in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas in order to accommodate illegal aliens illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. This is the second time the bridge has been closed for this reason in 2023.

“The Biden administration has announced CBP will issue yet another closure of two Texas-Mexico rail bridges, which will stop critical goods like farmers' grain and other consumer goods from flowing between our countries. President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas's failed immigration policies must not stand in the way of commerce. We frankly need to increase the flow of commercial traffic between the U.S. and Mexico, and I have been leading the fight in Congress to remove unnecessary barriers and build new international bridges. Instead, this administration is prioritizing the processing of illegal aliens and won't even staff the bridges we already have. We need legal commerce, not illegal immigration. Time to prioritize American families and keep the bridges open!""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-december-15th,e-Newsletter: Week of December 15th,2023-12-15,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

This week, I voted in favor of final passage of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes five bipartisan victories I was proud to spearhead. One measure reinforces our defense and national security interests by ensuring B-1 bombers at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas remain in service as long as necessary for our national defense. Another measure streamlines the presidential permitting process for building four bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass. A third victory counters the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to influence our children in schools. A fourth measure addresses the Maduro regime’s seizure of Americans, including Texans, as hostages in Venezuela, and a fifth victory holds corrupt officials accountable for Vladimir Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

“Overall, this bill ensures our military is able to defend the United States at home and abroad, and it secures Texas as a pillar of America’s defense capabilities.”

This year’s NDAA also provides funding for military construction projects in Texas, including:

Read more about the five bipartisan measures I secured for Texas in the national defense bill: HERE

On Tuesday, I joined Hannity on Fox News to discuss the ongoing horrific harassment of Jewish students on Harvard University’s campus. I also addressed the disgraceful testimony of Harvard’s President Claudine Gay before Congress.

“[Harvard University President, Claudine Gay] is a radical leftist [and] a cultural Marxist. … This is Cultural Marxism: they define Jews as oppressors [and] they define Palestinians as victims. The cultural Marxists support the violent revolution of the victims against the ‘so-called’ oppressors. … They are cheering for the Hamas terrorists. It is disgraceful. And I gotta say at Harvard, you are seeing Jewish students being harassed. You're seeing Jewish students afraid to go to class, and these leftists are unwilling to stand up and defend their students. She should resign. And I gotta tell you, I think there are thousands upon thousands of Harvard alums who are horrified at the behavior of the institution right now.”

On Wednesday, as the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, I attended a hearing where we discussed the future of commercial space flight.

“It’s not the value of our system to have asinine delays that accomplish nothing, and that put us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors. We are in a race for space. Understand I'm not advocating for a wholesale repeal of our environmental laws or NEPA. I'm just arguing for them not to be applied and in a way that slows down commercial space. Under the current status quo with agencies giving the opportunity for third party lawsuits to derail commercial space development—that is slowing down our effectiveness.”

On Thursday, I addressed my colleagues on the Senate floor urging a vote on passage for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill extension to keep the flying public safe.

“More than 7.5 million Americans will fly to see loved ones and celebrate the holidays. A record number. This is no easy feat. A seamless travel experience depends on airlines, on air traffic controllers, on airport managers, [and] on TSA screeners—all working together for the aviation system to run efficiently during times of extreme strain, like the holiday season. … There's one problem, the FAA’s authorities are set to expire at the end of the year. Without the FAA extension, air travel and air cargo … will be severely impacted. At the moment, we face a potential challenge of not extending the FAA’s authorities because of the objections of a Senate Democrats. This is irresponsible and frankly bad for the safety agency's ability to operate effectively.”

Rest assured, I will continue to stop at nothing to fight for the priorities of Texans across the Lone Star State. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Sen Ted Cruz calls out VP Kamala Harris for Palestinian sympathy push: 'Undermining Israel'

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Secures Five Bipartisan Measures, Victories for Texas in the National Defense Bill

READ: Ted Cruz Says CPB Tying Grants To Diversity May Run Afoul Of Federal Law.

ICYMI: Cruz Rips Durbin For Protecting Those Who Flew On Jeffrey Epstein’s Plane By Not Subpoenaing Flight Logs

State Spotlight

Texas Rangers Victory Celebration Hosted by Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly

Commerce Corner

Notre Dame University Athletic Director

Verizon CEO",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-secures-five-bipartisan-measures-victories-for-texas-in-the-national-defense-bill,"Sen. Cruz Secures Five Bipartisan Measures, Victories for Texas in the National Defense Bill",2023-12-14,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this week voted in favor of final passage of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes five bipartisan victories he secured to protect Texas and the nation.

Upon passage in the Senate, Sen. Cruz said, “This week, Congress came together to fund our military and protect our national security, and I'm proud it included several of my measures. We live in dangerous times. That’s why I fought to make sure this bill reinforces our defense and national security interests, including by ensuring that B-1 bombers at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas remain as long as necessary for our national defense.

“This legislation also includes a provision of mine to streamline the presidential permitting process for building four bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. These bridges will boost the Texas and U.S. economies by billions of dollars. I was proud to lead on this bipartisan effort, and I look forward to seeing these cross-border bridge projects through to completion.

“Further, the bill includes language I authored to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to influence our children in schools with JROTC programs.

“The NDAA also includes my measure to counter the efforts by the Maduro regime to seize Americans, including Texans, hostage. It requires the State Department to produce a detailed report on efforts by the government of Venezuela to detain American citizens.

“Finally, I’m proud that my legislation to hold corrupt officials accountable for Vladimir Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline was included in the final version of the NDAA.

“Overall, this bill ensures our military is able to defend the United States at home and abroad, and it secures Texas as a pillar of America’s defense capabilities.”

Background:

This year’s NDAA also provides funding for military construction projects in Texas, including:

$118 million for construction and land acquisition at Ft. Bliss in El Paso;

$113 million for construction and land acquisition at Red River Army Depot in Texarkana;

$20 million for barracks construction at Ft. Cavazos in Killeen;

$18.25 million for developing a microgrid and backup power at Ft. Cavazos in Killeen;

$90 million to build a chapel at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio;

$48 million to build a cyber operation center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio;

$20 million to build a child development center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio;

$16 million to build a warehouse at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Fort Worth; and

$35 million to build an analytic gas laboratory at DOE’s Pantex plant in Amarillo.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-comprehensive-border-security-amendment-to-the-national-security-supplemental,Sen. Cruz Introduces Comprehensive Border Security Amendment to the National Security Supplemental,2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced an amendment to the National Security Supplemental to secure our southern border. The amendment is based on a bill Sen. Cruz introduced earlier this year in the Senate, the Secure the Border Act, which includes a comprehensive plan to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by investing resources in both border and interior enforcement. It would provide physical and technological border improvements, manpower assistance to Border Patrol and ICE Enforcement Removal Operations, and protection to families seeking entry at the border as well as unaccompanied alien children. Additionally, Sen. Cruz’s amendment punishes visa overstays, reforms immigration parole, asylum, and the legal immigration workforce issues, and prevents uncontrolled alien flows into the United States.

The companion bill, which passed the House of Representatives as H.R. 2, is the most comprehensive border security legislation in decades. The bill garnered a majority of Republican support in the House of Representatives and was voted out of the House with 219-2 Republican members voting in favor of its passage.

Upon introducing the amendment Sen. Cruz said, “Under Joe Biden’s leadership, we’ve seen the largest illegal immigration crisis in our nation’s history. Every single day, thousands of illegal aliens pour over our southern border and strain our communities. Women are being raped, children brutalized, and over 100,000 Americans are dying every year from narcotics and fentanyl flooding into our country. We cannot turn a blind eye to the perilous invitation the Biden White House continues to freely give out to break our immigration laws. Right now, we are at the greater risk for a major terrorist attack in the United States than we have been at any time since September 11. If we are going to provide aid to secure our allies abroad, we also have an obligation to secure our own border for the safety of our country.”

Chad Wolf, former Acting DHS Secretary and Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute said: “Addressing the Biden Administration’s self-inflicted border crisis demands strategic policy changes, not more spending to process illegal aliens into American communities. The administration’s intentional and ineffective border strategy has created chaos and lawlessness that makes America less safe. Congress must reject the White House supplemental and demand real policy changes that will secure the border. H.R. 2 is a good first step to fix the Biden border crisis, and I stand with Senator Cruz for introducing it in the upper chamber. Because the Biden Administration refuses to use the authority it already has, H.R. 2 is needed to restart the Migrant Protection Protocols, end asylum fraud, curb Mayorkas’s abuse of parole, and discontinue the cruel policies that fuel human trafficking of migrant children. The American people reject open borders and are tired of the administration enabling the drug and human traffickers. America must come first, always.”

Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) said: “The Secure the Border Act is critical to regaining control of our southern border. Without real reforms to our asylum policy, detention and removal of illegal aliens, and an end to the Biden Administration’s wholesale abuse of parole, the chaos at our borders and in our cities, and threats to national security, will only grow more dire. Throwing more money at the border crisis won’t solve it. We need real policy reforms and H.R. 2 is the solution. Now is the time to act -- the American people can't afford to wait any longer.”

Kris Ullman, President of Eagle Forum said: “For far too long, illegal immigrants have exploited loopholes in the American immigration system. The Biden administration has been instrumental in causing the havoc we all see at our southern border by allowing historic numbers of illegal immigrants to not only enter the US but to drain resources and overwhelm cities and towns across the country. Republicans in the House united to pass H.R. 2, legislation that provides real solutions to the crisis at hand. It is imperative to support Senator Ted Cruz’s amendment that will add H.R. 2 to the National Security Supplemental. Anything less than these strong provisions is unacceptable to grassroots Americans who are relying on Congress to provide real border security.

Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation said: “If senators are concerned with protecting innocent lives and communities from deadly terrorist activity, there’s no need to look thousands of miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean. From Laredo to Manhattan, this national security crisis threatens the lives of every American. H.R 2 will bring about the policies that are proven to be successful in keeping our homeland safe.”

Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President of Heritage Action said: ""Heritage Action, along with our partners in the strongest border coalition ever assembled, has been clear with our Hill allies throughout this process: H.R. 2 is the only viable solution to the border crisis. This legislation is the floor, not the ceiling, for the policy changes needed to repair the damage caused by the Biden administration.""

Read the full text of the amendment here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-rubio-colleagues-warn-dod-of-national-security-risks-for-installing-technology-produced-by-ccp-linked-companies-on-american-military-bases,"Sens. Cruz, Rubio, Colleagues Warn DOD of National Security Risks for Installing Technology Produced By CCP-Linked Companies on American Military Bases",2023-12-12,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding accountability for the installation of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) batteries produced by companies under the influence and direction of the Chinese Communist Party at Camp Lejeune and other U.S. military installations.

In the letter the senators wrote, “The presence of CATL in U.S. energy infrastructure raises alarms about the known security risks associated with Chinese technology produced by companies operating under the direction or influence of Beijing. CATL could introduce malware into large-scale power storage stations, threatening the U.S. energy grid. Further, the significant known cyber risks to Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) systems more broadly, such as security limitations that prevent regular updates and gaps in reviewing vulnerabilities, raise several concerns that a malicious actor, or government, could seek to exploit.”

Other cosigners of the letter include, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), James Moylan (R-Guam), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Gregory Murphy (R-N.C.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Mark Alford (R-Texas), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), and Rich McCormick (R-Ga.).

Read the full text of the letter here or below.

Dear Secretary Austin:

We write out of concern with regards to the installation of a battery and solar array by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-aligned Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as part of a new Battery Energy Storage System(BESS). A CCP-funded and supported firm should have no role or presence on a U.S. military installation, especially one that trains U.S. Marines for a potential conflict with China. The presence of CATL’s system at Camp Lejeune also raises the question of whether CATL, or other CCP-affiliated companies, operate similar energy projects on other U.S. military installations. We urge the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to immediately reverse the decision to install CATL batteries at Camp Lejeune, as well as conduct a full assessment on all installations.

CATL, the world’s largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries and a dominant actor in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, is closely linked to the highest levels of the CCP, including General Secretary Xi Jinping, who praised CATL’s growth this March 2023. CATL is an important component of the CCP’s military-civil fusion (MCF) strategy. Moreover, CCP industrial policies have steered business towards CATL, placing the company in a position to influence supply chains globally and increasingly in the United States, where CATL operates in several states. In turn, the CCP has benefitted from CATL’s record revenues and immense growth. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) may soon power its conventional submarine fleet with lithium-ion batteries provided by CATL and other Chinese companies. The CCP is well aware of how China’s commercial EV industry, CATL included, benefits its military. Further, Beijing dropped a government safety test from its inspections after a CATL rival found that the test showed CATL battery cells exploding, demonstrating its insistence to bolster CATL as its battery champion.

CATL has striking similarities to other Chinese firms that have been deemed serious national-security threats and banned from U.S. government use. A recent report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) made clear that CATL’s “parallels to Huawei are not difficult to see.” Huawei, like CATL, was built as a champion for the CCP, and Beijing acted to support its success. Like Huawei, the presence of CATL in U.S. energy infrastructure raises alarms about the known security risks associated with Chinese technology produced by companies operating under the direction or influence of Beijing. CATL could introduce malware into large-scale power storage stations, threatening the U.S. energy grid. Further, the significant known cyber risks to BESS systems more broadly, such as security limitations that prevent regular updates and gaps in reviewing vulnerabilities, raise several concerns that a malicious actor, or government, could seek to exploit.

The growing presence of CATL and other Chinese products in U.S. infrastructure is concerning, but it is inexcusable on U.S. military installations. On April 14, 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps held a ribbon cutting for its new BESS, featuring CATL batteries, at Camp Lejeune. Less than two weeks later, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) held an exercise at Camp Lejeune to practice extracting noncombatants from conflict zones. Units such as the 26th MEU, which are trained to conduct amphibious operations in crisis response situation, will be vital in a potential conflict with China over Taiwan. Our military cannot afford to subsidize the PRC’s national champions by installing them on bases. The CCP’s pattern of espionage leaves little room for doubt that CATL products pose a threat to national security at any base where they are installed.

We therefore implore you to address the national-security concerns with CATL’s presence at Camp Lejeune and potentially other U.S. military installations. We request a full accounting of CATL batteries and other products by CCP-aligned companies on U.S. military installations. In addition, we wish to know the following:

1. When did DoD become aware that Duke Energy would be purchasing batteries manufactured in China by CATL for installation on the grounds of Camp Lejeune?

2. At the time, were the contracting officers aware of CATL’s close ties with the CCP?

3. Did Duke Energy, or the DoD, consider utilizing batteries manufactured by an American company, or any allied or partner country of the United States, for this project?

4. Has DoD conducted an analysis of vulnerabilities in this system that the PRC could exploit, especially during time of war?

5. Will CATL employees perform maintenance on the batteries? Will maintenance require granting base access to CATL employees, who may be CCP members or Chinese nationals?

6. Will CATL systems installed in Camp Lejeune require any data connections to CATL-operated servers in the People’s Republic of China?

7. Have CATL systems been installed on or at any joint DoD-National Security Agency facilities or locations?

We appreciate your prompt response and attention to this important matter.

/x/

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-december-8th,e-Newsletter: Week of December 8th,2023-12-08,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

Under Joe Biden’s watch, the Department of Justice has become the most partisan we’ve ever seen, acting as the political strong-arm of the DNC. I am appalled by the actions of this administration to weaponize the DOJ and strip the power away from the American people. As a result, the FBI has become the Democrat’s vigilant attack dog, promoting their political ambitions and silencing dissenters. I am regularly approached by FBI agents, honorable men and women who stand up for the rule of law, who are frustrated about the weakening of the integrity of this institution because it’s being used as a political weapon. This week, I confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray on his negligent and partisan decisions to cover up the Biden family’s ongoing corruption allegations from the American people. This is a disgusting abuse of power that must be thoroughly checked by Congress.

“I think the Department of Justice [and the FBI] has been profoundly politicized. … In particular, the investigation into multiple allegations of corruption concerning Hunter Biden, and Joe Biden. … Now, Democrats and those in the media trying to defend the White House, repeatedly say there is no direct evidence of Joe Biden's involvement in his son's corruption. … Nobody answers these questions, and it's why people are furious with a cover up because you don't believe the FBI is accountable to Congress or to the American people.”

On Tuesday, I also met with the Sameh Shoukry, Foreign Minister of Egypt and Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States to discuss the crisis unfolding in the Middle East.

Later Tuesday evening, as the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, I spoke on the Senate floor to stop big auto from killing life-saving AM radio.

“AM radio is a haven for free speech. [It] is a haven for people to speak even if their views are disfavored by the political ruling class. Talk radio is an oasis for conservatives. … I believe these automakers stood up to remove AM radio as a part of a border pattern we see of censoring views that are disfavored by big business.”

On Wednesday, I joined Sean Hannity on Fox News to discuss the severity of the political weaponization of the FBI and DOJ because they believe they are not held accountable to the American people.

“This Department of Justice, this FBI, is the most political, the most partisan, [and] the most weaponized we have ever seen. … I asked Chris Wray, ‘Did the FBI try to determine if [Hunter and Joe Biden were engaged in] bribery shakedown?’ … It is the biggest lie. It is the biggest shell game. They claim it is an open investigation, but they aren’t investigating anything.”

On Thursday morning, I joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business to address the condescending motives of Democrats to not do anything to secure our southern border.

“Two days ago, we were having a classified briefing in the Capitol on Ukraine, all the senators were in the briefing, and it erupted into a screaming match. … The reason was, Chuck Schumer [had] prompted it all, because he sat there smugly [and] condescendingly saying, ‘We're going to do nothing on border security.’ They don't care about border security. They're not going to do it.”

Rest assured, I will continue to defend the integrity of our democracy. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Cruz, Cornyn join Senate Republicans in demanding border overhaul for Ukraine aid

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz’s Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Name Ports-to-plains Corridor ""Interstate 27"" Passes House

READ: Cruz: Biden admin funneled taxpayer cash to universities for ‘misinformation’ research to 'censor' Americans

ICYMI: ‘A MAJOR WIN FOR ALL OF TEXAS’ - Cruz Provision Advancing New Texas-Mexico Bridges Set to Become Law

State Spotlight

Children's Hospital Association of Texas

Commerce Corner

City of Floresville",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-lummis-demand-end-to-bidens-electric-vehicle-mandate,"Cruz, Lummis Demand End to Biden’s Electric Vehicle Mandate",2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), along with several of their Senate Western Caucus colleagues, sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) urging Congressional leadership to defund the Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) rule, which requires vehicles to be fully electric by 2032. This rule will affect more than two-thirds of vehicles sold in the U.S. Defunding the EV mandate would protect the freedom of Americans in Texas, the west, and across the country to choose the cars or trucks they drive and remove excessive costs.

In the letter the senators wrote, “Not only would the EPA’s proposed regulation hurt America’s national security, but it would severely limit consumer choice for affordable vehicles that fit the needs of the average American. At a time of inflation, high interest rates, and rising costs, the last thing Americans need is to find both new and used vehicles unaffordable because of an EPA mandate.”

Cosigners of the letter include Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Boozman (A-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) James Lankford (R-Kan.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

Read the full text of the letter here.

BACKGROUND

The EPA’s mandate would require 67.5% of vehicles sold to be an EV in less than nine years, which is a steep increase from 2022 where less than 6% of all vehicles sold were EVs.

The mandate comes at a very high cost for hardworking people across the west:

o The average cost of an EV is $53,469, just $663 less than the median American income which is $54,132 according to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

o A study found the cost of charging an EV is equivalent to $17 a gallon for traditional internal combustion vehicles.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-a-major-win-for-all-of-texas,ICYMI: ‘A Major Win for All of Texas’,2023-12-07,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Texas and Mexico are one step closer to better transportation connections thanks to bipartisan legislation championed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Last night, House and Senate lawmakers announced an agreement on an annual defense authorization bill that includes language authored by Cruz, and pushed by a bipartisan and bicameral coalition of Texas legislators, to streamline a presidential permitting process for new and expanded bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. This provision, which Cruz inserted into the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and battled to keep in the final bill, is an important victory that will help alleviate border crossing bottlenecks, expand trade, and create jobs.

Sen. Cruz’s amendment gives the State Department 60 days to issue a recommendation to the president about whether the president should issue a permit to allow four international Texas bridge projects. The president would then have 60 days to grant or deny the permits. The amendment adheres to the practice used by the prior administration where presidential permits could be issued contingent on successful completion of environmental reviews.

Upon the announcement, Sen. Cruz said, “This is a huge win for South Texas. For months, I've worked hand in hand with my Democrat and Republican colleagues to ensure that this critical provision for Texas was included in legislation that could pass Congress and be signed into law. Construction of these four new and expanded cross-border bridges are vital for our state's economy. These Rio Grande bridges will help farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and small businesses throughout Texas. They will support international trade, fix supply chain bottlenecks, and support economic development and security for Texas border communities. And given the $800 billion in trade that Texas has with Mexico each year, shortening lengthy delays in crossings will help lower the cost of goods for American families, onshore manufacturing from China, enable economic growth in the Lone Star State, and create good jobs across Texas.”

BACKGROUND:

In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted Sen. Cruz’s amendment to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande. The amendment, which was included in a bill authorizing funding for the State Department, was ultimately passed by the entire Senate as part of the annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act, on July 27, 2023. Sen. Cruz vowed to keep working to see that his amendment is part of the final defense bill that is signed into law.

In June 2023, Sen. Cruz led the entire south Texas congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to resolve delays in providing permits for the four international Texas bridge projects. Joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter were Sen. Cornyn, and U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Read the full text of the letter here.

In October, Sen. Cruz again led a letter, this time to President Biden, expressing frustration, “over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico,” and urging the president to, “swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.” Joining Sen. Cruz in sending this letter were Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Cruz’s bipartisan effort to streamline the presidential permitting process for Texas-Mexico bridge projects are supported by a diverse group of stakeholders, including:

Texas Association of Business

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Laredo Motor Carriers Association

Border Trade Alliance

American Trucking Associations

Texas Trucking Association

Texas International Produce Association

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruzs-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-to-name-ports-to-plains-corridor-interstate-27-passes-house,"Sen. Cruz’s Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Name Ports-to-Plains Corridor ""Interstate 27"" Passes House",2023-12-06,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Ben Ray Luján (D- N.M.), along with U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) introduced legislation to rename the Ports-to-Plains corridor as “Interstate 27” that passed the House yesterday. The amended legislation will now head back to the Senate to be considered again.

About the victory, Sen. Cruz said, “In Texas, we are leading the country in economic prosperity. The passage of this critical legislation to name the Ports-to-Plains corridor as Interstate 27 is an incredible step to greater economic growth in Texas. I am proud to have spearheaded the fight in the Senate, alongside Reps. Jodey Arrington and Henry Cuellar in the House, to advance the development of the I-27 corridor and create jobs across the Lone Star State.”

Read the bill text here.

Read the Ports-to-Plains legislation here and the press release here.

BACKGROUND:

The Ports-to-Plains Corridor aims to facilitate an additional key North-South route to bolster the transportation of goods and people. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has projected nationwide freight moved by trucks could increase by 44% from 2015 levels by 2045.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in conjunction with the Ports-to-Plains Advisory Committee, conducted a comprehensive study of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. The study found significant economic benefits to upgrading the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. For example, the study found that the upgrades would result in a 76% return on investment, $4.1 billion in annual travel cost savings, 22,110 new jobs, and a $2.8 billion annual increase in state GDP.

The Ports-to-Plains Corridor was designated as a High Priority Corridor on the National Highway System. The Cruz-Lujan legislation was passed into law in late 2022.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-passes-cruz-welch-bipartisan-bill-targeting-deadly-street-drug-tranq,House Passes Cruz-Welch Bipartisan Bill Targeting Deadly Street Drug Tranq,2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan bill combatting a deadly street drug from U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is headed to the President’s desk.

The senators praised yesterday’s House passage of the Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act. The Cruz-Welch legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take steps to enhance understanding of the dangerous animal tranquilizer xylazine, or tranq, and other novel synthetic drugs; develop new tests for detection; and establish partnerships with front-line entities that are often the first points of contact with new street drugs. This legislation previously passed the Senate with unanimous support in June.

Following passage of the TRANQ Research Act, Sen. Cruz said:

“Our common sense, bipartisan legislation will help law enforcement better detect a deadly drug that is destroying lives in my home state of Texas. I am grateful to Senator Welch for working with me to help give the frontlines of the Tranq drug crisis access to reliable data and research, and I look forward to our Cruz-Welch legislation being swiftly signed into law.”

Sen. Welch added:

“In my first week as Vermont’s new Senator, I came home to talk about the opioid and drug epidemic, and it couldn’t have been more clear: the drug supply in Vermont has changed and it’s making an already brutal overdose crisis even more challenging to combat. Our communities needed federal resources to deal with Xylazine, and they needed it now. So, we got to work–and we did it in a bipartisan way. I look forward to President Biden signing the TRANQ Research Act into law, and I thank Senator Cruz and Representatives Collins and Caraveo for their partnership. This bill is a step in the right direction, and it will help us get the resources where they’re needed most–to those on the frontlines and the folks who need testing and detection tools.”

The Texas Municipal Police Association has previously said about the bill:

“The drug epidemic is not just a Texas problem – it’s a national problem. As new drugs find their way onto the street, law enforcement must have the tools at their disposal to address the latest crisis. Senator Ted Cruz’s TRANQ Act would provide us with the resources we need to combat the distribution of tranq, and save the lives of vulnerable Texans.”

Background:

Xylazine, which has been nicknamed “tranq,” is a powerful sedative used by veterinarians. Although the tranquilizer is often combined with other drugs like fentanyl and Xanax, it is not an opioid, and so it cannot be reversed with Narcan. Its use has spread across the country, including in Texas and Vermont.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports skyrocketing detections of xylazine, with growth between 2020 and 2021 of 198% in the South, 112% in the West, 61% in the Northeast, and 7% in the Midwest. According to the DEA, “the presence of xylazine in illicit drug combinations and its detection in fatal overdoses may be more widespread than reported as a number of jurisdictions across the country may not include xylazine in forensic laboratory or toxicology testing.” Tranq, also known as the “zombie drug” has gruesome side effects, causing large wounds that will not heal, and is resistant to standard opioid overdose treatments.

Texas law enforcement officials have recently detected this drug in illicit fentanyl supplies, and it has led to several deaths in the state.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) introduced the bipartisan companion legislation (H.R. 1734) to the TRANQ Research Act in the House of Representatives.

On April 12, the Office of National Drug Control Policy declared fentanyl-adulterated or -associated xylazine an “emerging threat” to the country, the first time in history a substance formally received this declaration.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cassidy-colleagues-send-letter-urging-the-biden-administration-to-address-antisemitism-in-k-12-schools,"Sens. Cruz, Cassidy, Colleagues Send Letter Urging the Biden Administration to Address Antisemitism in K-12 Schools",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bill Cassidy (R-L.A.), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter along with several of their Senate Republican colleagues to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging the Biden administration to address the growing rates of antisemitism in K-12 schools following Hamas’s war against Israel. The Senators urged the administration to use their Title VI enforcement power to ensure a safe learning environment for Jewish students.

In the letter, the Senators write, “We are deeply concerned that the Department of Education is not ensuring American K-12 schools are fostering a safe learning environment for all students following the terrorist organization Hamas’ violent attack on civilians, including Americans and Israeli citizens.”

Cosigners of the letter include U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

BACKGROUND:

Since the Hamas-led massacre against Israel on October 7th, there has been a disturbing rise in antisemitic incidents, including targeted harassment, directed at Jewish children in K-12 schools.

Shortly after the October 7th attacks, an 11-year-old in Manhattan Beach told four Jewish girls at his school that “all Israelis and Jews should be killed.”

On October 9th, the Superintendent of Revere Public Schools in Massachusetts sent an email to school staff promoting resources that claimed, “Israeli terrorism has been significantly worse than that of the Palestinians.”

On October 17th, a New York City middle school teacher and United Federation of Teachers’ (UFT) school representative sent an email to teachers’ union members deriding the UFT’s official statement denouncing the October 7th attack and calling on the unions’ retirement system to “divest from weapons and other companies that are complicit in violations of Palestinians’ civil and land rights.”

On October 18th, students in San Francisco marched through the hallways of their high school chanting antisemitic slogans.

According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Department of Education has a duty to ensure that schools receiving federal funds maintain a safe learning environment for all children.

Read the full text of the letter here or below.

Dear Secretary Cardona:

We are deeply concerned that the Department of Education (Department) is not ensuring American K-12 schools are fostering a safe learning environment for all students following the terrorist organization Hamas’ violent attack on civilians, including Americans and Israeli citizens. We write to urgently inquire what your Department is doing to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and to ensure students are not subjected to discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 civilians and took over 240 civilians hostage, including Americans. As children continue to grapple with the aftermath of this violence, incidents of antisemitic violence are picking up in our K-12 schools. Antisemitism in high schools is uniquely concerning as teenagers are particularly impressionable, deeply affected by the social dynamics of their peers and by the authority of their teachers.[1]Young students are still developing emotionally and are less equipped to handle and process incidents of antisemitism, making recent reports all the more concerning.

On October 18, 2023, students in San Francisco marched through the hallways of their high school chanting antisemitic slogans.[2] Shortly after the October 7th attack, an 11-year-old in Manhattan Beach told four Jewish girls at his school that “all Israelis and Jews should be killed.”[3]

Imagine a parent of a Jewish student learning of such incidents. Parents should feel confident that their children’s school will be safe and the focus will be on education. Instead, parents are beginning to fear that not only is school not safe for their students, but school officials are actively working to undermine the safety of their children. Parents cannot trust their students are safe if they fear school officials are key perpetrators in spreading antisemitic rhetoric. On October 9, 2023, the Superintendent of Revere Public Schools in Massachusetts sent an email to school staff promoting resources that claimed, “Israeli terrorism has been significantly worse than that of the Palestinians.”[4] On October 17, 2023, a New York City middle school teacher and a United Federation of Teachers’ (UFT) school representative sent an email to union members deriding the UFT’s official statement denouncing the October 7th attack and calling on the unions’ retirement system to ""divest from weapons and other companies that are complicit in violations of Palestinians' civil and land rights.""[5] The email also promoted the pro-Palestine protest in Washington Square Park later that day where protestors burned Israeli flags and chanted “Allahu Akbar.”[6]

This type of harassment and intimidation is unacceptable and particularly troubling in K-12 schools. Younger students often have little choice in where they attend traditional public school, meaning there are ultimately fewer avenues for recourse. The difficult decision to switch schools due to an unsafe environment can be traumatic for a child and could involve moving to a different neighborhood or a lengthy battle with school district officials to be given a waiver to leave their assigned school. The process of switching schools is difficult for parents and could take years, all while their student could be in an unsafe environment.

Unfortunately, these incidents are not a new phenomenon as antisemitic incidents have surged in K-12 schools long before the October 7th attack. In 2022, 494 incidents of antisemitism were reported in non-Jewish K-12 schools, a 49 percent increase compared to 2021.[7] In fact, the growing rate of antisemitic incidents in educational facilities outpaced that of such incidents in the country at large.

The rise in antisemitic incidents is a symptom of growing antisemitism amongst our nation’s young people who are a product of our K-12 education system. Less than half of Gen Z and millennials believe the U.S. should publicly voice support of Israel compared with 63 percent of Gen X, 83 percent of baby boomers, and 86 percent of members of the Silent Generation.[8] Over half of voters under the age of 35 do not support sending weapons and military equipment to Israel in response to the Hamas terrorist attacked, compared with 77 percent of those 50 and over.[9] A Generation Lab poll of two- and four-year college students found that 48 percent of college students who say they are aware of the October 7 attack do not blame that attack on Hamas.[10]

We must understand what role public K-12 schools are playing in furthering these sentiments. Since October 7, dozens of targeted attacks have occurred on college campuses, including reported vandalism, arson, and even professors taking discriminatory actions in their classroom based on a student’s status as a member of a protected class. While these polls focus on young people ages 18 and over, it is hard to believe these antisemitic tendencies began when they arrived at college. This prompts concerns that these tendencies might be taking root in K-12 schools.

Examples are continuing to surface of K-12 teachers using materials that perpetuate antisemitism. There is a trend of school districts establishing courses under the guise of “ethnic studies” that are aimed to force a political agenda on students and that uniquely target Jews, alleging that all Jews are white or “white adjacent” and illegally occupy Israel.[11]The Zinn Education Project, whose history curriculum is used by 155,000 teachers, declared that the October 7th attack was “the direct result of decades of Israeli occupation.”[12]

America’s K-12 schools must be a safe learning environment for all students. School officials are supposed to be the adults in the school building. They should be setting an example for our students and ensuring a safe learning environment rather than undermining it.

As you are aware, any harassment or the creation of a hostile environment for students is unacceptable and invokes the responsibility of the Department to uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”[13]

In May 2023, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon wrote that “the protection offered by Title VI … extends to students who experience discrimination, including harassment, based on … (i) shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; or (ii) citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.”[14]

Additionally, on November 7, 2023, your office released a Dear Colleague letter in which you state, “The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) stands ready to support schools in fulfilling this promise and to ensure every student’s right to learn without discrimination.”[15] While we are pleased to see your renewed attention to this issue, listening sessions and working groups are not in alignment with the appropriate actions outlined in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is time to live up to those obligations.

Some schools seem unwilling or unable to uphold their legal obligations under Title VI. Therefore, the Department should use its full resources to enforce the law. To assist us in our oversight and legislative duties, we request a briefing to be scheduled no later than December 14, 2023 to discuss:

The Department’s plan to promptly move the Antisemitism Awareness Campaign forward in the face of increased, brazen antisemitism at educational institutions across the country;

Technical assistance or guidance provided to states and school districts on how to maintain safe learning environments;

Data about antisemitic-related or other subgroup complaints specifically at the K-12 school-level into the Office for Civil Rights (OCR);

Whether OCR has begun any compliance reviews based on harassment or violence complaints in K-12 schools; and

Whether OCR has undertaken any directed investigations based on news reports of harassment or violence in K-12 schools.

We look forward to an update regarding your efforts on the Antisemitism Awareness Campaign and broader enforcement of Title VI to ensure the Department and K-12 schools receiving Federal funds protect Jewish students in the same capacity as other legally-protected classes.

###

[1] Adam Milstein, What about antisemitism in our high schools?, The Jerusalem Post (September 13, 2022), https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-717053.

[2] Julianna Frieman, Video Of San Francisco High Schoolers Chanting Antisemitic Slogan Goes Viral Amid Israel-Hamas Firestorm, Daily Caller (October 20, 2023), https://dailycaller.com/2023/10/20/san-francisco-high-schoolers-antisemitic-slogans/.

[3] Hal Eisner, Mahattan Beach student allegedly told Jewish classmates ‘all Israelis and Jews should be killed’, Fox 11 (October 23, 2023), https://www.foxla.com/news/manhattan-beach-student-allegedly-told-jewish-classmates-all-israelis-and-jews-should-be-killed.

[4] Incidents, Immediately after attack on Israel, Revere Public Schools superintendent sends email to staff promoting resource that claims “Israeli terrorism has been significantly worse than that of the Palestinians,”Parents Defending Education (October 11, 2023), https://defendinged.org/incidents/revere-public-schools-superintendent-sends-email-to-staff-promoting-resource-that-claims-israeli-terrorism-has-been-significantly-worse-than-that-of-the-palestinians/.

[5] Gabe Kaminsky, Israel War: NYC School Union Head Justifies Hamas Attack in ‘Private’ Email to Teachers, Washington Examiner (October 25, 2023), https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/israel-war-nyc-school-union-email-judi-cheng.

[6] Stephen M. Lepore, Pro-Palestine and Israel Protestors Clash in NYC’s Washington Square Park as Flags Are Lit on Fire and Chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ Emerge, Daily Mail (October 17, 2023),https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12642847/NYC-Washington-Square-Park-protest-Israel-Palestine-Hamas-war-flags-fire-cops.html.

[7] Press Release, U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Hit Highest Level Ever Recorded, ADL Audit Finds, ADL (March 23, 2023), https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-hit-highest-level-ever-recorded-adl-audit-finds.

[8] Domenico Montanaro, Americans Strongly Support Israel, but There Are Generational and Racial Divides, NPR (October 13, 2023), https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205627092/american-support-israel-biden-middle-east-hamas-poll.

[9] Poll Release, 85% Of Voters Concerned Israel - Hamas War Will Escalate into A Wider War in The Middle East, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Approval For Building Border Wall With Mexico Reaches Record High, Quinnipiac University (October 17, 2023), https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3880.

[10] Mark Murray, Poll of U.S. College Students Finds Most Blame Hamas for attack on Israel, NBC News (October 17, 2023), https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meetthepressblog/poll-us-college-students-finds-blame-hamas-attack-israel-rcna120833.

[11] Resources, 5 Things to Know About Ethnic Studies, Parents Defending Education (n.d.), https://defendinged.org/resources/5-things-to-know-about-ethnic-studies/.

[12] Tweet Message, Zinn Education Project (October 10, 2023), https://twitter.com/ZinnEdProject/status/1711789447333745023.

[13] 42 USC 2000d

[14] Dear Colleague Letter from Assistant Sec’y for C.R., Catherine Lahmon (May 25, 2023), https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/antisemitism-dcl.pdf.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-27T22:34:08Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-mullin-introduce-legislation-to-protect-ranchers-from-federal-government-overreach,"Sens. Cruz, Mullin Introduce Legislation to Protect Ranchers from Federal Government Overreach",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) in introducing the Black Vulture Relief Act, which would alleviate burdensome government regulations allowing farmers to protect their newborn livestock from black vultures without a depredation permit whenever their livestock is threatened.

Upon introducing the bill Sen. Cruz said, “Texas has long been a stronghold in American agriculture. Our ranchers already face headwinds like drought, high input costs, and inflation.The last thing they need is to get a permit from the federal government to protect their own livestock. Livestock producers must possess the autonomy and authority to defend their livelihood from black vultures that are killing nearly 2.1 million cattle each year. The federal government has no place to stand in their way.”

Cosponsors of the bill include Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Read the full text of the bill here.

BACKGROUND:

• Black vultures are known to attack livestock, especially calves. These attacks are gruesome, often lasting hours, and cost ranchers an average of $2,000 per calf killed.

• The black vulture population has increased by 468% since 1990.

• Despite being listed as a species of lowest conservation concern, black vultures are still protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, making it illegal to take one without a depredation permit from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS).

• FWS currently operates a pilot program that allows state entities to register for a master permit and disburse sub-permits to ranchers. However, these sub-permits limit ranchers to 3-5 black vulture takes per year, even though attacks normally involve 20+ black vultures at a time.

• This bill maintains protections for the species by requiring annual reporting of takes to ensure FWS receives accurate data to monitor the population and prohibiting the use of poison as a method of take.

• The legislation is endorsed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, Texas Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife & Conservation, 19 state cattlemen’s associations, and 5 additional state farm bureaus.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-scott-demand-answers-on-the-biden-administrations-latest-iran-sanctions-waiver,"Sens. Cruz, Scott Demand Answers on the Biden Administration’s Latest Iran Sanctions Waiver",2023-12-05,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Scott (R-S.C), members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, as well as other colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calling for the administration to clarify and re-evaluate its policy granting Iran access to tens of billions of dollars through sanctions waivers.

In the letter, the senators said, “A strong signal of deterrence—utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools—is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel and prevent the war in Gaza from expanding into a protracted regional conflict. Unfortunately, the administration’s military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have not only been disproportionate, they appear to be completely disjointed. We therefore request that your departments provide us with a classified assessment on the administration’s plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. This assessment should include an estimation of how Iran has already leveraged—and could in the future leverage—against U.S. persons and interests the tens of billions in assets it now has access to due to your administration’s use of U.S. sanctions waivers and is to be provided in a member or staff-level briefing no later than December 7, 2023.”

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretaries Blinken, Yellen, and Austin:

On August 18, 2023, we wrote to express our concern over the administration’s decision to release $6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the return of American detainees. This decision reinforced an incredibly dangerous precedent of providing ransom payments to the world’s greatest state sponsor of terrorism and put a price on the life of every American overseas. Understanding the grave error of the unfreezing of Iranian assets and the danger this action poses to U.S. lives and interests, it is therefore alarming to hear that the administration is doubling down on its appeasement strategy by actively working to provide Iran with access to billions more in funding.

On October 7, 2023, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, brutally killing an estimated 1,200 civilians and taking over 200 hostages. In response, the administration reached an agreement with Qatar on October 12 to temporarily prevent the unfrozen assets—now held at Qatari financial institutions—from being expended. Based on information from your administration, it is our belief that with the current lack of safeguards, Iran will soon access this $6 billion and use the funds to continue to expand its malign proxy activities.

Since October 7, Hamas and fellow Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, have continued to launch attacks against Israel as it fights to defend its sovereignty and protect its people. As we continue to stand with our greatest ally in the Middle East, other Iranian proxies have increased their attacks against U.S. personnel in the region. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have launched sixty-one attacks against U.S. personnel since October 7. United States forces have responded only three times. However, at the same time, your administration has inadvisably taken steps to unlock tens of billions of dollars for Iran to fund additional terrorist activities that directly threaten American lives.

On November 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of State extended a sanctions waiver pursuant to Section 1245(d)(5) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 and Section 1244(i) and 1247(f) of the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, finding that a sanctions waiver to allow Iraq to pay Iran for electricity was in the national security interest of the United States. Public reports have held that there is roughly $10 billion in Iraqi payments for Iranian electricity currently being held in escrow accounts in Iraq.[1] The decision to extend this waiver and allow Iran to convert Iraqi Dinars to Euros was signed the day after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out its latest strike against facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian proxy groups in Eastern Syria, in response to their attacks against U.S. personnel. Such timing signals to Iran that despite attacks on U.S. servicemembers and our allies, it is business as normal on the economic front.

As we said in August, money is fungible. Combined with the $10 billion waiver extension, the administration has provided Iran with access to roughly $16 billion in assets over the past four months; assets that can be used—now or in the future—to offset the cost of the Iranian regime’s increase in destabilizing activities across the region.

A strong signal of deterrence—utilizing military, economic, and diplomatic tools—is needed if we want to stop the attacks against U.S. personnel and prevent the war in Gaza from expanding into a protracted regional conflict. Unfortunately, the administration’s military and economic responses to Iran and its proxies have not only been disproportionate, they appear to be completely disjointed.

We therefore request that your departments provide us with a classified assessment on the administration’s plan to deter Iranian aggression and prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. This assessment should include an estimation of how Iran has already leveraged—and could in the future leverage—against U.S. persons and interests the tens of billions in assets it now has access to due to your administration’s use of U.S. sanctions waivers and is to be provided in a member or staff-level briefing no later than December 7, 2023.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-december-1st,e-Newsletter: Week of December 1st,2023-12-01,2023,2023-12,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

Two weeks ago, I joined several of my Republican colleagues in the Senate in pushing for a vote on the motion to proceed on a House-passed bill that would provide $14.3 billion in emergency aid to Israel. I am gravely disappointed that Senate Democrats voted party line on this issue, opposing critical aid to our Israeli allies and failing to protect American national security. This legislation should have passed 100-0. We must deliver this much-needed aid and support to Israel as they work to utterly eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes. This week, I met with several American families of U.S. hostages facing the brutal terror of Hamas. I committed to standing with them, praying for the freedom of their loved ones, and working with colleagues to ensure that Israel has the support it needs to bring American hostages home.

On Monday, I joined Chris Salcedo on Newsmax to discuss how the Biden administration is putting our national security at risk by prioritizing their woke agenda over enforcing the law for drug traffickers and human smugglers crossing our southern border.

“Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), under Joe Biden, recently [put out] a memo to border patrol agents saying, ‘do not use pronouns to address illegal immigrants, human traffickers or drug traffickers as he, she, him or her.’ It is utterly asinine. Right now [our country is at] the greatest risk of a terrorist attack since 9/11. CBP also knows Hamas and Hezbollah are trying to send terrorists across our southern border except these woke ideologues … are now trying to figure out what's your gender identity and your sexual orientation. … If you break the law, we ought to enforce the law.”

Monday evening, I also joined Sean Hannity on Fox News ahead of viewing nearly an hour’s worth of footage released by the Israeli government on the unspeakable evil that took place on October 7th at the hands of Hamas.

""[This week in] the Senate I'm doing something I'm really not looking forward to. … I'm going to watch about an hour of footage … of the atrocities these terrorists have committed. I'm gonna see tragically terrorists raping young women, raping children and murdering children. … This is evil and we've got to stop it.”

On Tuesday, as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I attended a hearing to discuss the issue of gun control and the radical left’s soft-on-crime policies that would strip guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.

“There are no moderate Democrats left in Congress. Today’s Democrats, when it comes to guns, their objective is to disarm law-abiding citizens [and] simultaneously embrace policies that release violent criminals from jail. They’re not interested in locking up murderers. … They’re not interested in locking up violent criminals. Instead, they systematically support policies that release violent criminals.”

On Thursday, I attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on a Biden nominee to the federal bench who signed a letter calling for the release of ALL prisoners during the pandemic. I challenged my Democrat colleagues to consider the severe gravity of this nominee’s actions before voting party line on this judicial nominee.

“A judge who calls for releasing every violent criminal in the state of Connecticut who's on pretrial containment shouldn't be a judge. You all know it. The choice you're facing is, ‘Well, if I vote no, the White House is gonna be really mad. If I vote no, Chuck Schumer's gonna be really mad.’ … You're United States Senators … you don't represent the White House. You don't represent Chuck Schumer. … You were elected to represent the citizens of your own states [and] I promise you the citizens of your state would find this a simple question.”

Rest assured, I will not stand idly by and let the radical left continue to destroy our great nation. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Reintroduces Bill to Reimpose Terrorism Sanctions on Iran-controlled Houthis

READ: Disney's 'stunning' financial statements show company has risked profits for woke politics: Ted Cruz

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Applauds Bipartisan House Vote in Support of Resolution to Secure Water for Texas Farmers

State Spotlight

Texas Bankers Association

Commerce Corner

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Pettiti, and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:14:16Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-applauds-bipartisan-house-vote-in-support-of-resolution-to-secure-water-for-texas-farmers,Sen. Cruz Applauds Bipartisan House Vote in Support of Resolution to Secure Water for Texas Farmers,2023-11-30,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement after the passage of Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz’s (R-Texas) resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives highlighting that Texas farmers are experiencing acute water shortages and supporting diplomacy to ensure that Mexico fulfills its treaty obligations to provide annual deliveries of water.

The resolution is a companion resolution to one that Sen. Cruz authored and introduced in the Senate in September. Last month, Sen. Cruz secured a vote in the Senate for a related amendment he authored, requiring the Secretary of State to utilize the full range of American diplomacy to secure Mexican compliance with its treaty obligations. The amendment secured majority bipartisan support, but failed to clear a filibuster.

Upon passage of the House resolution Sen. Cruz said, “Farmers in Texas and across the Southwest deserve reliable and predictable water supplies, and Mexico’s failure to adhere to its treaty obligations badly undermines those goals. I’m proud to lead the fight in Congress with Rep. De La Cruz to secure those supplies and address the crisis farmers and ranchers are facing in the Lone Star State, and to have secured bipartisan majority support for language supporting U.S. officials and diplomats as they seek to secure Mexico’s compliance. This week’s vote in U.S. House of Representatives reaffirms that those officials and diplomats have the full support of the U.S. Congress as they advance their negotiations.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “South Texas farmers and ranchers rely on consistent releases of water to the Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs for their livelihood and to maintain a healthy standard of living. I applaud Congresswoman De La Cruz’s work on this issue in the House of Representatives, and I remain committed to ensuring Mexico fulfills its obligations to our border communities.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-reintroduces-bill-to-reimpose-terrorism-sanctions-on-iran-controlled-houthis,Sen. Cruz Reintroduces Bill to Reimpose Terrorism Sanctions on Iran-Controlled Houthis,2023-11-29,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reintroduced his legislation to impose terrorism sanctions on the Iran-controlled Houthis, as acts of terrorism continue to escalate in the Middle East. On February 5, 2021 the Biden State Department announced it would lift terrorism-related sanctions on the Houthis and three of their leaders: Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim. Sen. Cruz repeatedly pushed language to reverse that decision, including filing this bill in 2022.

Upon re-introducing the bill, Senator Cruz said, “The Biden administration made a day one politically-driven decision to dismantle terrorism sanctions against the Houthis and their leaders. That decision was an obvious and catastrophic mistake from the very beginning, and it has only become more obvious and more catastrophic as time has gone on. Now the Houthis and other Iranian-controlled terrorists are openly and routinely attacking the United States and our allies, but the Biden administration still refuses to reverse its decision, because they believe doing so would be politically costly. Politics should not be a consideration when American lives and national security interests are at stake. President Biden needs to put an end to enabling the Houthis and other Iran-backed terrorist groups through sanctions relief and sanctions non-enforcement. If he won’t then Congress should mandate that he does so.”

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-november-17th,e-Newsletter: Week of November 17th,2023-11-17,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

Since Joe Biden took office, this administration has gifted nearly $100 billion dollars to the Ayatollah of Iran, who chants death and destruction to America and our allies. Iran has been deploying these funds to bolster Hamas’s savage terrorist attacks on the Jewish people in Israel. The solution here is easy – don’t give money to terrorists who want to kill us. Unfortunately, the Democrat Party could care less. This past weekend, I joined Real Time with Bill Maher and did a deep dive into why Joe Biden is responsible for fueling the war in Israel.

“Joe Biden is responsible for 100 billion dollars going to the Ayatollah – he made a decision to do that and Iran funds Hamas. The Wall Street Journal reported in September, [Iran] brought Hamas terrorists to Iran, and trained them in Iran to carry out the attack. … Don't give money to terrorists who want to kill us, and unfortunately the Democrat party is on the other side of that.”

This past Sunday, I joined Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News to discuss the elaborate money laundering scheme that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden appear to be involved in.

“We do have evidence on Ukraine, and in particular that Joe Biden demanded the firing of the prosecutor in Ukraine that was investigating the corrupt oligarch who owns Burisma. [Biden] threatened to and in fact did withhold over a billion dollars in American loan guarantees until they fired that prosecutor. When it comes to bribery, the essence of bribery is quid pro quo – this for that. We know that occurred.”

On Tuesday, it was deeply inspiring to stand alongside nearly 300,000 people, on the National Mall, expressing our unified and unshakeable support for our friend and ally Israel to utterly destroy Hamas, for as long as it takes.

“It is inspiring, seeing … people from every state in the Union coming together [to say] America stands … unequivocally with Israel. We stand against the monster and the horror that is Hamas. We support Israel's right to defend itself. … Our prayers are with the people of Israel.”

On Wednesday, I joined Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich on OutKick to discuss the explosion ofcrime in Washington, D.C. and across the nation due to the radical left’s policies.

“One of the things we've seen over the last three years is crime rates skyrocketing across the country. … The reason we're seeing this rise in crime is very simple, there are radical leftist … elected officials [that] are letting violent criminals go.”

Later on Wednesday, I spoke with members of the Texas Farm Credit Union about ways to promote the interest of our rural communities, our agricultural industry, and our farmers across the Lone Star State.

Rest assured, I won’t back down in my efforts to stand up for our friend and ally Israel. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Cruz and Ogles seek to block forced use of 'preferred pronouns' across federal agencies

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Statement on Continuing Resolution Vote

READ: Cruz Slams Corporate Media For Promoting Hamas Propaganda: ‘Lying On Behalf OfTerrorists’

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Statement on Senate Vote Over Support for Israel

State Spotlight

North Texas Commission

Senator Cruz’s 2023 Service Academy Nominations Board

Commerce Corner

TrueNorth CyberSecurity

Shell Deepwater Exploration",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-bill-blocking-the-federal-government-from-compelling-pronoun-use-that-contradicts-biology,Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill Blocking the Federal Government from Compelling Pronoun Use that Contradicts Biology,2023-11-17,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) have introduced bicameral legislation – the Safeguarding Free Speech Act. The legislation would prohibit federal agencies from forcing an employee or contractor to use personal pronouns that contradict with an individual’s biological sex.

About the bill, Sen. Cruz said, “I am proud to join Rep. Andy Ogles in introducing the Safeguarding Honest Speech Act. Forcing anyone to use pronouns that don’t accord with a person’s biological sex is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. As the Supreme Court held, ‘If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.’ The government has no business compelling anyone to use pronouns that contradict biological reality.”

Rep. Ogles stated, “Can you imagine getting reprimanded or fired from your job for not using an individual’s ‘preferred pronouns’? Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Biden regime has imposed in its latest guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services. The radical Left is actively coercing the speech of individuals – all in service of a delusional woke agenda. The American people shouldn’t be asked by their government to subsidize violations of the Constitution of the United States. I’m grateful for Senator Cruz’s efforts to lead the fight in the Senate, and look forward to considering this legislation in the 118th Congress.”

Background:

CatholicVote and Concerned Women for America support the Safeguarding Free Speech Act.

On October 11th, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a new “Gender Identity Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy for Employees and Applicants.” Among many other harmful changes, this policy compelled speech by requiring employees and contractors with HHS to call other employees by their “preferred pronouns,” even if those pronouns do not align with biological reality.

This speech mandate violates the First Amendment by compelling government employees and contracts to affirm the idea that a person’s “gender identity” can be separated from their biological sex. Aside from being a violation of the Free Speech Clause, it is also a violation of the Free Exercise Clause, as anybody who has religious convictions that differ from HHS’s view on human sexuality would be forced to publicly deny their faith.

The Safeguarding Free Speech Act protects the First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion by prohibiting federal agencies from forcing government employees or contractors to use another person’s preferred pronouns.

The full text of the Safeguarding Free Speech Act is available here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cornyn-send-letter-demanding-dhs-immediately-address-the-influx-of-special-interest-aliens,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Send Letter Demanding DHS Immediately Address the Influx of ‘Special Interest Aliens’",2023-11-17,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding that the Biden administration immediately address the influx of “special interest aliens” who have been arrested at the southern border. Considering the Israel-Hamas conflict overseas and the increasing number of encounters with Hamas-inspired terrorism suspects, our nation has become more vulnerable to terrorism which has prevented the enforcement of other priorities, most importantly enforcing expired visas. The Biden administration’s failure to secure the southern border has jeopardized our national security, as terrorists from war-torn countries in the Middle East continue breach our southern border.

In the letter, the senators said, “Despite the Israel-Hamas conflict taking place abroad, the unanticipated security breach of Israel’s border by a known terrorist organization raises important questions about the security of our own southern border. Specifically, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data indicates that thousands of “special interest aliens” from countries including those in the Middle East have been arrested at the southern border just over the past twenty-four months. … Furthermore, this data reveals that FY 2023 broke the record for encounters on the FBI terror watchlist with 169 individuals encountered between ports of entry at the southern border. Concerningly, this year’s figure alone is greater than the amount of FBI terror watchlist encounters over the previous six years combine. … And yet, our nation’s increasing vulnerability to terrorism is more than mere conjecture. It is a tangible reality that that can no longer be ignored.”

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

On October 19th of this year, Sohaib Abuayyash, a twenty-year-old Jordanian man unlawfully in the United States on an expired visa, was arrested in Houston, Texas for violating federal law by unlawfully possessing a firearm. Reports indicate that Mr. Abuayyash had been in direct contact with others who shared a radical mindset, and that he had trained with weapons in preparation for a possible attack. Further, a United States Magistrate Judge, in denying Mr. Abuayyash pretrial release, noted that Mr. Abuayyash “has viewed specific and detailed content posted by radical organizations on the internet including lessons on how to construct bombs or other explosive devices,” and that he supported the killing of individuals of particular religious faiths. The Magistrate Judge also described that “in his communications with another individual about martyrdom, Mr. Abuayyash referenced an event in Houston for members of a particular religious group.” While the specific target, time, and place for the gathering were not immediately clear in the court documents, a law enforcement source reported that this would-be offender was “plotting to attack a Jewish gathering,” after being inspired by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict which claimed the lives of at least thirty-one innocent Americans, and an additional twenty American hostages who remain in captivity.

Despite the Israel-Hamas conflict taking place abroad, the unanticipated security breach of Israel’s border by a known terrorist organization raises important questions about the security of our own southern border. Specifically, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data indicates that thousands of “special interest aliens” from countries including those in the Middle East have been arrested at the southern border just over the past twenty-four months. As you well know, “special interest aliens” are illegal aliens from countries identified by the Department of Homeland Security as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism or potentially pose some sort of national security threat to the U.S. Between October 2021 and October 2023, CBP encountered a total of 6,386 nationals from Afghanistan, 3,153 from Egypt, 659 from Iran, and 538 from Syria. Additionally, CBP encountered 13,624 individuals from Uzbekistan, 30,830 from Turkey, 1,613 from Pakistan, 164 from Lebanon, 185 from Jordan, 123 from Iraq, and 15,594 from Mauritania during the same period.

Furthermore, this data reveals that FY 2023 broke the record for encounters on the FBI terror watchlist with 169 individuals encountered between ports of entry at the southern border. Concerningly, this year’s figure alone is greater than the amount of FBI terror watchlist encounters over the previous six years combined. Your agency, the Department of Homeland Security, even acknowledged the reality of this risk in a recently published threat assessment, warning that “terrorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States.” The assessment even went as far as conceding that “[i]ndividuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in San Diego soon corroborated this assessment when they warned in an internal intelligence notice that militants associated with the Israel-Hamas war “may potentially be encountered at the southwest border… [and] individuals inspired by, or reacting to, the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border.” And yet, our nation’s increasing vulnerability to terrorism is more than mere conjecture. It is a tangible reality that that can no longer be ignored.

Consider, for instance, that in September, Texas Border Patrol agents discovered a backpack containing what appeared to be improvised explosive devices (IEDs). This alarming discovery was not an isolated incident. In May, another makeshift explosive device was uncovered in Arizona, further underscoring the persistent threat at our borders. Equally unsettling is the recent apprehension of a terrorism suspect who managed to evade ICE apprehension in New York City for two weeks after illegally crossing the border in Arizona and subsequently being released into the U.S. Regrettably, it was not until a week after his release that federal authorities discovered his former association with “terroristic activities” in Senegal.

Worse yet, 1.7 million “gotaways” have illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration. This figure demonstrates that cartels have learned that they can “flood” the

border with illegal aliens and, while those aliens are processed by Border Patrol agents, cross into our country uninhibited. Further, because your Department essentially turned our border security system into a public turnstile, the only persons who would seek to evade border law enforcement are those with serious criminal records, those actively engaged in criminal activity (such as smuggling fentanyl), or terror agents seeking to surreptitiously enter the United States. Importantly, these 1.7 million “gotaways” are only those that the Border Patrol knows to have

crossed our borders, and does not include the potentially millions more that have slipped into our country unnoticed while Border Patrol was occupied processing illegal aliens. As evidenced by the IEDs and the increasing frequency of encounters with special interest aliens at the border, the present situation is obviously untenable and represents a grave security risk to our nation.

FBI Director Wray admitted as much when he stated, “the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole other level.” In light of this unequivocal statement, IEDs found at the border, and increasing encounters with Hamas-inspired terrorism suspects, we ask that you reply to the following questions by December 7, 2023:

How many of the 172 illegal aliens encountered in FY2023, and confirmed to be on the FBI terror watchlist, are known to be affiliated with Hamas, Hezbollah, or ISIS?

How is DHS planning to address the concerning trend of “gotaways” at the southern border, and what measures are being put in place to enhance detection and apprehension of individuals who may have evaded Border Patrol agents?

How many of the 1.7 million “gotaways” that entered the United States since President Biden took office are estimated to be terrorists?

In light of the potential threat of terrorist “sleeper agents,” what measures are being taken to enhance the vetting process for illegal aliens seeking entry into the United States, especially those originating from regions of concern such as war-torn countries in the Middle East?

What specific efforts are DHS making to identify and dismantle any existing sleeper cells currently residing on U.S. soil, and what proactive measures are being taken to prevent their establishment in the first place?

What measures are DHS considering to enhance information-sharing and cooperation with foreign governments to obtain necessary background data and records for effective screening at the border?

What steps are DHS taking to develop a more robust screening process that accounts for potential gaps in data, ensuring that individuals from special interest countries are

thoroughly vetted before entering the United States?

Given the limitations in identifying individuals from these countries through traditional fingerprint checks, are there any plans to implement alternative biometric verification

methods to fingerprinting that could provide more accurate and reliable information about their identities and backgrounds?

Your failure to secure the southern border undoubtedly makes our nation less safe. It is imperative that you reverse this reckless course and ramp up interior enforcement of federal immigration law.

We urgently await your response.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/11/15/2023/sen-cruz-statement-on-continuing-resolution-vote,Sen. Cruz Statement on Continuing Resolution Vote,2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today voiced his support for legislation that would fund the government at current levels into 2024.

About the legislation, Sen. Cruz said, “For months, I have been calling on Senate Republicans to support the efforts of our House Republican colleagues, so we can work together and present a united front in our negotiations with President Biden and Democrats over federal spending.

“The House just recently selected Mike Johnson as Speaker, and when he looked at the looming government shutdown he made the responsible decision to move the deadline until after the holidays. While I hate funding the government through continuing resolutions, Congress is notorious for greenlighting serious spending increases and radical policy changes last-minute, right before Christmas, when Members of Congress simply want to leave town and will agree to nearly anything in order to do so. Speaker Johnson’s plan lowers the temperature, giving Republicans the opportunity to work together and agree on more responsible appropriations bills as they negotiate with the White House. I think it’s a sound proposal from our new Speaker, so I supported it.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-risch-colleagues-demand-biden-administration-enforce-sanctions-on-maduro-regime,"Sens. Cruz, Risch, Colleagues Demand Biden Administration Enforce Sanctions on Maduro Regime",2023-11-15,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter with six of their Senate Republican colleagues to President Joe Biden calling on his administration to reverse political concessions and increase pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela, after the administration eased economic pressure as part of a deal related to the Venezuelan elections in 2024.

In the letter, the Senators wrote, “We are concerned about your administration’s decision to ease pressure on the Maduro regime. This change in posture was based on promises made by an indicted international criminal who has a strong record of using delay tactics to remain in power illegitimately. We implore you to reverse course and recommit to a strong campaign of diplomatic and economic pressure to hasten a transition to a democratic government in Venezuela. Failure to do so only benefits the Maduro regime and its strategic partners, China, Russia, and Iran.”

Cosigners of the letter include U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).

Read the full text of the resolution here or below.

Dear President Biden,

We are concerned about your administrations’ decision to ease pressure on the Maduro regime. This change in posture was based on promises made by an indicted international criminal who has a strong record of using delay tactics to remain in power illegitimately. We implore you to reverse course and recommit to a strong campaign of diplomatic and economic pressure to hasten a transition to a democratic government in Venezuela. Failure to do so only benefits the Maduro regime and its strategic partners, China, Russia, and Iran.

In August 2021, your administration pledged support for dialogues in Mexico City between the Maduro regime and Venezuelan political groups. Throughout this time, your administration promised to calibrate sanctions based on progress or regress, while pledging, “Maduro is making a critical mistake if he thinks that our patience is infinite and dilatory tactics will serve him well.”

Your administration sought to advance this process by lifting anti-corruption sanctions on individuals in Maduro’s inner circle, granting clemency to his drug trafficking nephews, and easing financial sanctions on his regime’s oil sector while restricting U.S. energy production. Two years in, it is clear this approach has backfired. The Maduro regime has cracked down on Venezuelan civil society, forced leading opposition figures into exile, seized control over all institutions in Venezuela, banned leading presidential candidates, and deepened cooperation with China, Russia, and Iran.

Your administration’s announcement last week of broad sanctions relief to the Maduro regime’s petroleum, gas, and gold industries and sovereign debt and equity securities will only further enable this behavior. Additionally, Chinese, Russian, and Iranian state firms are all deeply invested in the petroleum and mining sectors in Venezuela and will profit from this sanctions relief.

The Maduro regime confirmed its contempt for your strategy last week by announcing an accord that fails to free any political prisoners, lift arbitrary bans on political candidates, restore the country’s democratic institutions, or commit to a free and fair electoral process. Your administration’s new standard seems to be merely “competitive elections,” which includes none of these conditions.

Concessions under these conditions will fail to deliver a democratic transition, jeopardize American lives, and strengthen the hand of malign external actors and global terrorist networks. Meanwhile, wrongfully detained Americans languish in Maduro’s prisons.

We urge you to immediately deem the accord offered by Maduro as inadequate and move to cancel these concessions. Your administration should also fully enforce U.S. sanctions on the regime, recommit to diplomatic efforts for our European allies to match U.S. and Canadian sanctions, pressure the regime to release all Americans detained in Venezuela, and conduct robust freedom-of-navigation and law enforcement operations. We must deny the Maduro regime’s ability to benefit from transnational organized crime and global terrorist networks in the Western Hemisphere and around the world.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-statement-on-senate-vote-over-support-for-israel,Sen. Cruz Statement on Senate Vote Over Support for Israel,2023-11-14,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned today’s vote by Democrats to block aid to Israel.

Sen. Cruz said, “Today was a disappointment, a missed opportunity, and a failure by Senate Democrats to protect American national security interests and to stand with our Israeli allies. After hundreds of thousands of Americans rallied on the Capitol Mall for unity, Senate Democrats voted party line to oppose aid to Israel. This legislation should have passed 100-0. The Senate should have voted with the House to ensure that Israel has everything it needs to utterly eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes. Instead Democrats caved to their radical antisemitic base and voted to block aid to Israel. I will continue to fight for Israel, and work with my colleagues to deliver much-needed aid and support to Israel.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-leads-senate-republicans-in-calling-on-fcc-to-halt-digital-equity-plan,Sen. Cruz Leads Senate Republicans in Calling on FCC to Halt ‘Digital Equity’ Plan,2023-11-13,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and 27 of his colleagues are calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rescind its draft order on “Digital Discrimination,” which would give the federal government control over nearly every aspect of the Internet while opening broadband providers to expansive, indeterminate, and crippling liability under a “disparate impact” standard. The FCC is set to vote on the final order on Wednesday.

In a letter to FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel, the Senators wrote:

“Your Draft Order, which largely follows a Biden administration diktat, will create crippling uncertainty for the U.S. broadband industry, chill broadband investment, and undermine Congress’s objective of promoting broadband access for all Americans. We urge you to adhere to the will of Congress and conform to the plain meaning of [the bipartisan infrastructure bill] to avoid causing serious damage to the competitive and innovative U.S. broadband industry.”

While the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) instructed the FCC to “prevent digital discrimination of broadband access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin,” the draft rules are untenably broad and inconsistent with the plain meaning of the statute. Moreover, the Biden administration itself has appeared to acknowledge that there’s little to no documented evidence of disparate treatment as it relates to broadband.

“Apparently displeased by that result, the Biden administration instructed the FCC to broaden its inquiry under section 60506,” the Senators wrote. “Your recently circulated Draft Order follows suit, perversely worrying that section 60506 would be ‘largely meaningless’ if interpreted by its plain language. The corresponding rules—buttressed by the theory that the lack of actual discrimination somehow authorizes the FCC to redefine digital discrimination to expand its authority—turn section 60506 on its head and constitute a major abuse of the agency’s power.”

If adopted, nearly every aspect of the broadband business—including a broadband provider’s deployment decisions, network reliability, network maintenance, the equipment it distributes to customers, pricing, promotional discounts, customer service, language options, credit checks, marketing and advertising, and more—will be subject to potential FCC enforcement actions, including multi-million dollar forfeitures and injunctive orders, under a disparate impact standard. As the lawmakers pointed out, such a standard of liability is unlawful.

“Absent effects-based language, agencies cannot expand the?scope of a?statute to impose disparate impact liability. This is for good reason: disparate impact liability must be limited so as not to punish ‘the practical business choices and profit-related decisions that sustain a vibrant and dynamic free enterprise system.’ The FCC has no authority to ignore the plain meaning of the IIJA.”

The Senators also argued that the draft order would ultimately hurt broadband deployment in the U.S.

“The idea these regulations will not impact rural deployment defies credulity: If practically every business decision is subject to potential liability, companies will inevitably shift resources that would have otherwise been spent on deployment and innovation to hiring more lawyers and asking the FCC ‘mother-may-I.’ Your Draft Order’s sweeping scope, ambiguous, open-ended guidance, extensive enforcement framework, and expansive claimed remedial authority, would prevent providers from making such decisions without risking endless complaints and potential liability untethered from the statute’s objectives.”

The lawmakers concluded by calling on the FCC to reverse course.

“As you approach the statutory deadline for issuing rules to implement this section, we strongly urge you to reconsider your Draft Order. Instead, do your job: Follow the statutory text, implement rules that will incentivize rather than deter private investment, and promote rather than undermine the goal of ubiquitous broadband.”

The full list of Senators joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter include: Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Katie Boyd Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.).

Read the full letter HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-november-10th,e-Newsletter: Week of November 10th,2023-11-10,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

Our country was built upon the principles of liberties from free speech to freedom of religion. This week, I delivered remarks to First Liberty, a group of lawyers who are at the front lines of the battle to defend religious liberty, and the founding principles that have made our country great.

On Monday, I joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss how the Biden administration has undermined our ally Israel by enabling and funding Hamas terrorists who are slaughtering, beheading, and raping Jewish women and children.

“This President and his administration have approached our enemies [with] weakness. … Appeasement doesn't work. … We're gonna send $100 million to Gaza – that'll go straight to Hamas. That is insanity. Stop sending money to people who are killing not only our allies, but killing Americans.”

On Tuesday, as the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee I attended the subcommittee on Travel, Tourism, and Export Promotion hearing on “Sustainable Tourism for a Thriving Economy.”

On Tuesday, I also joined Eric Bolling on The Balance on Newsmax to discuss the horrific manifesto of the deranged leftist Nashville school shooter, and the left’s toxic rhetoric on “white privilege” and the role it played in this tragedy.

“This manifesto demonstrates that this deranged shooter was a radical leftist who was lashing out at ‘white privilege.’ The toxic rhetoric from the left, the toxic rhetoric of critical race theory, is what drives this nonsense of ‘white privilege.’ Any time there is a crime that contradicts the narrative of the left, it quickly disappears from the headlines.""

Rest assured, I will continue to unequivocally defend your right to practice your faith freely. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Cruz Calls Out Smears Against Justice Thomas Ahead of Subpoenas: 'Utterly and Completely Hypocritical'

ICYMI: 'HELL. NO.': Cruz Reacts to Democrat Letter Urging Biden to Allow Palestinian Refugees into U.S.

READ: Senators demand improved military barracks, tell Pentagon to budget more money for upgrades

ICYMI: Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Introduce Resolution to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Texas Christian University

State Spotlight

Texas Tuesday

Commerce Corner

Firefly Aerospace",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-colleagues-call-out-dojs-campaign-to-spy-on-personal-communications-of-congressional-staff,"Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Call Out DOJ’s Campaign to Spy on Personal Communications of Congressional Staff",2023-11-10,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ranking member on the Subcommittee on The Constitution, along with Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland confronting the Department of Justice for surveilling the personal communications of attorneys advising congressional oversight committees.

In the letter, the senators said, “The decision by unelected government bureaucrats to investigate the elected congressional representatives and congressional staff trying to hold them accountable is a true attack on our democracy.”

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear Attorney General Garland,

We write to express deep concern regarding recent revelations that the Department of Justice engaged in a campaign of covert surveillance of the personal communications of attorneys advising congressional oversight committees. The decision by unelected government bureaucrats to investigate the elected congressional representatives and congressional staff trying to hold them accountable is a true attack on our democracy.

An October 24, 2023 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Empower Oversight revealed that the Department subpoenaed a Senate staffer’s private phone and email logs during the pendency of a bicameral congressional investigation of both the Department and the FBI for their involvement in the Russia-collusion hoax known as Crossfire Hurricane. In one instance, the Department subpoenaed Google for all telephone connection records and text message logs for the Chief Investigative Counsel to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the very time period that this staffer directed oversight into Department misconduct. Further records indicate that the personal records of a House staffer employed by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“HPSCI”) were additionally targeted as part of this vendetta campaign. Notably, in January 2018, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to subpoena HPSCI staff personal records during a confrontation over the Justice Department’s failure to comply with that committee’s compulsory process. But even so, the targets of the Department and the FBI were not limited to Republican staffers. Democrats in Congress have called for investigations into the targeting of their private communications as well, targeting which reportedly included subpoenas to Apple for information about HPSCI aides and their families, including even one account belonging to a child.

Empower Oversight has submitted a FOIA request for all relevant documents, including grand-jury subpoenas, communications between various offices, and correspondence with the press. While FOIA requests serve as a valuable tool for transparency, it is evident that in matters of such magnitude such as the one here, additional measures must be taken to ensure openness and accountability.

Notwithstanding the investigation by the Department’s Inspector General, Congress is entitled to conduct its own parallel review of this important matter. Accordingly, we ask that you respond to the following questions and requests by November 22, 2023:

Please provide the names of all officials at the Department of Justice that drafted, supervised, or approved the issuance of the grand jury subpoenas in question or otherwise related to the consolidated leaks cases.

Please provide the names of all persons employed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, including Members of Congress, for which subpoenas were issued in relation to the consolidated leaks cases.

Please provide the names of all persons employed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, including Members of Congress, for which subpoenas were sought, but not issued, in relation to the consolidated leaks cases.

Please provide the specific predicate, criteria, or evidence that justified the Department’s seeking of grand jury subpoenas to access personal communications of Members of Congress, congressional staffers, and their families, including the legal basis for such actions.

Please provide information regarding Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein’s involvement in the approval or issuance of the subpoenas described above, or as responsive to Questions 2 and 3, specifically whether Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein was briefed or otherwise made aware of, ordered, directed, or supervised any of these actions, or, rather whether they were executed without his knowledge or consent.

Please submit to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary all documents or communications referencing U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia grand jury subpoena number GJ2017091241939.

Please submit to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary all documents or communications referencing U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia grand jury subpoena number 2017R01896.

Please provide all other means by which the Department searched for information relating to Members of Congress, congressional staff, or their families, including specific databases searched and use of FISA authorities or data previously collected under FISA authorities.

Please indicate whether the Department is still in possession of the documents it received pursuant to the grand jury subpoenas. If not, please provide the date and method of disposal.

Please identify all indicators or identifiers, and types of indicators or identifiers, used to locate or obtain information on Members of Congress, congressional staff, or their families, specifying whether the indicators were personal or official Senate or House devices or phone numbers.

Please identify all companies or organizations subpoenaed, such as Google, Verizon, Apple, AT&T, and others, as part of the consolidated leak cases for information on Members, staffers, and their families.

This extensive and far-reaching effort to use grand jury subpoenas and perhaps other means to gather the personal communications records of congressional staffers and

their families with little or no legitimate predicate is absolutely unacceptable. The executive branch overreach and gross violation of separation of powers apparent in this case no doubt shocks the conscience and shakes public confidence in our justice system to its core. The public deserves answers.

In light of these very serious concerns, we await your detailed and speedy response.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-statement-on-murder-of-jewish-man-in-thousand-oaks-california,"Sen. Cruz Statement On Murder of Jewish Man in Thousand Oaks, California",2023-11-07,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responded to reports that a Jewish man was murdered in Thousand Oaks, California when a pro-Hamas activist hit him on the head with a megaphone.

Sen. Cruz said, “Enough is enough. The Biden administration must unequivocally condemn the violent antisemitism that is sweeping across the country. For the entire administration, at all levels, from Department of State staffers to his press secretary, Biden officials have proven incapable of simply condemning antisemitism without including other -isms and -phobias and downplaying the real threat to Jewish people from Hamas and its supporters all over the world. Democrats across the party including in Congress have been controlled by their antisemitic progressive base. The full force of the law and the administration has to be brought to bear against antisemitic violence.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cornyn-introduce-resolution-to-commemorate-the-150th-anniversary-of-texas-christian-university,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Introduce Resolution to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Texas Christian University",2023-11-07,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a resolution commemorating the 150thanniversary of Texas Christian University (TCU) in recognition of their legacy in Texas education and recent athletic success. TCU, a private, four-year university located in Fort Worth, Texas, is focused on building a powerful intellectual environment with a strong emphasis on faith, community, and service.

Upon introducing the resolution, Sen Cruz said, “For 150 years, Texas Christian University has produced the next generation of Texan and American leaders, dedicated to the principles of faith and service. I’m proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement with TCU, and look forward to decades of future achievement and excellence. I’m also proud to root for the Horned Frogs as they routinely excel in the athletic arena. They remarkably made it to the football national championship game this past year. Go Frogs!”

Sen. Cornyn said, “For 150 years, Texas Christian University has equipped students with the skills and experiences necessary to pursue limitless opportunities and achieve success. I applaud their commitment to excellence and look forward to seeing how future generations of Horned Frogs will benefit Texas in the years to come.”

Read the full text of the resolution here.

BACKGROUND:

Texas Christian University (TCU) was founded as AddRan University in 1873, until the name changed to Texas Christian University in 1902.

In recent years, TCU inaugurated the Anne Burnett School of Medicine and earned an R2 Doctoral Status of High Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation. Over the past five years, faculty and students have received over 80 Fulbright Awards, 42 awards from the National Science Foundation, NIH, and National Endowment for the Humanities, totaling more than $22 million.

This year, TCU enrolled over 12,000 students and offers 117 undergraduate, 61 masters, and 39 doctoral programs across nine schools and colleges.

A member of the Big 12 Conference, TCU has won 12 regular season titles and eight tournament titles. The all-female rifle team won three national championships, the men’s basketball team has made three NCAA tournament appearances in the last six seasons, and the baseball team has made six College World Series appearances in the past 14 seasons. In 2022, the TCU football team became the first team in the State of Texas to earn the opportunity to compete for the national championship in the College Football Playoff.

In celebration of its sesquicentennial, TCU has hosted several celebrations. The university kicked off the year by lighting downtown Fort Worth purple and hosted a drone display with over 200 drones over the TCU Campus Commons. The College of Fine Arts presented a Sesquicentennial Spectrum, which included performances in the Van Cliburn Concert Hall, a Special Exhibition in the Moudy Gallery, and a fashion exhibit by the Department of Fashion Merchandising. Though the official 150th anniversary celebrations concluded last month, TCU will continue to honor the sesquicentennial through the end of the year at other events, such as the widely attended TCU Christmas Tree Lighting later this month.

THE RESOLUTION:

Whereas, in 2023, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, is celebrating the sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of the founding of the University;

Whereas Texas Christian University was established by the brothers Addison and Randolph Clark with the opening of the AddRan Male and Female College in 1873, which opened with an enrollment of 13 undergraduate students and was one of the first co-educational institutions west of the Mississippi River;

Whereas, in 1902, the college was renamed Texas Christian University, and, in 1926, a division of graduate studies was added;

Whereas, in 1910, a major fire destroyed the main building of Texas Christian University, and in the wake of that disaster the college accepted the city of Fort Worth’s offer of 50 acres and $200,000 to relocate to the city where the institution flourished on its new campus;

Whereas the end of World War II marked the beginning of a long period of significant growth for Texas Christian University, evidenced by its purchase of a 106-acre golf course adjoining campus;

Whereas, by 1965, Texas Christian University had added more than 25 buildings, expanded advanced study offerings, and approved Ph.D. programs;

Whereas Texas Christian University has award-winning academic programs, including programs in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts, the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Science and Engineering, the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, the John V. Roach Honors College, and the Neely School of Business;

Whereas, in recent years, Texas Christian University inaugurated the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine, which serves the Fort Worth area, the State of Texas, and beyond;

Whereas Texas Christian University has distinguished itself by earning an R2 Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity designation by the Carnegie Foundation;

Whereas faculty members and students of Texas Christian University have received more than 80 Fulbright Awards and over the past 5 years have received 42 awards from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Humanities, totaling more than $22,000,000;

Whereas, in 2023, Texas Christian University serves more than 12,000 students and offers 117 undergraduate, 61 master’s, and 39 doctoral programs across 9 schools and colleges;

Whereas Texas Christian University’s over 100,000 alumni include multiple members of the United States Congress and State legislatures, stars of theater, cinema, and music, and leaders and captains of industry, science, engineering, agriculture, and more;

Whereas Texas Christian University takes great pride in the 22 varsity sports teams that represent the University and in the University’s membership in the Big 12 Conference;

Whereas, across all sports, the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have won 12 regular season Big 12 Conference titles and 8 Big 12 Conference Tournament titles;

Whereas alumni of Texas Christian University are counted among Olympians and Super Bowl champions;

Whereas, since 2010, the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs rifle team has won 3 national championships and is the only all-female team to win a national championship in this coed sport;

Whereas the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs men’s basketball team has made 3 NCAA tournament appearances in the last 6 seasons;

Whereas the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have excelled in baseball, making 6 College World Series appearances in the past 14 years;

Whereas the 2022 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs football team became the first team in the State of Texas to earn the opportunity to compete for the national championship in the College Football Playoff;

Whereas Texas Christian University has become a world-class university with a reputation for academic excellence, strong traditions, a vibrant student experience and campus culture, and support for student-athletes; and

Whereas, since the founding of the University 150 years ago, Texas Christian University has provided generations of Texans with a strong foundation for achievement, and in so doing, the University has contributed significantly to the prosperity and vitality of the Lone Star State and the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate commemorates the 150th anniversary of Texas Christian University and extends to all those associated with this noteworthy institution sincere best wishes for the future.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/texas-tuesday-11-7-23,Texas Tuesday 11-7-23,2023-11-07,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Newsroom
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Texas Tuesday 11-7-23
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Next",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cassidy-and-colleagues-introduce-resolution-opposing-a-carbon-tax,"Sens. Cruz, Cassidy and Colleagues Introduce Resolution Opposing a Carbon Tax",2023-11-03,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy (R-L.A.), along with thirteen of their Senate Republican colleagues introduced a resolution pushing back on the implementation of a carbon tax. The resolution addresses the negative impacts of instituting a carbon tax such as discouraging domestic manufacturing and energy productions, more jobs and businesses moving overseas, and lower economic growth.

Upon introduction, Sen Cruz said, “A carbon tax would seriously harm hardworking Texans and Americans. Such a tax would discourage domestic manufacturing and energy production, lead to job outsourcing, and hit working-class families particularly hard. It is imperative that Texans continue to have access to affordable energy, and that’s not possible if we implement a carbon tax alongside the radical climate agenda of the Biden administration.”

Sens. Cruz and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).

Read the full text of the resolution here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-sullivan-colleagues-fight-biden-administration-over-domestic-mining,"Sens. Cruz, Sullivan, Colleagues Fight Biden Administration Over Domestic Mining",2023-11-02,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) along with several of their Senate colleagues sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) about proposed changes to its regulations that classify “mining” projects eligible for coverage under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Trump Administration added the mining sector to the list of eligible FAST-41 sectors in order to boost the economy and bring supply chains home. Now the Biden Administration is trying to undo that change and add unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to the permitting process for domestic mining.

In the letter the senators wrote, “The federal permitting process must be coordinated and transparent in order for the United States to efficiently permit new energy and infrastructure projects without undermining the value of critical taxpayer and private sector investments. … The nation needs these investments to match the increasing mineral demand necessary to support budding technologies, bolster domestic supply chains, and strengthen our nation's national defense to reduce our reliance on minerals from our geopolitical adversaries”

Cosigners included Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Hoven (R-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

Read the full text of the letter here.

Mr. Beightel:

We write to express our concerns regarding the proposed rule, ""Revising Scope of the Mining Sector of Projects That Are Eligible for Coverage Under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act.” The mining of all minerals is essential to the development of domestic infrastructure, and accordingly, it is imperative the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) ensure that all mining projects – for all minerals – are equally considered “covered projects” for the purposes of Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41).

The federal permitting process must be coordinated and transparent in order for the United States to efficiently permit new energy and infrastructure projects without undermining the value of critical taxpayer and private sector investments. Consequently, Congress first established FPISC in 2015 for the purpose of coordinating agency actions between federal environmental reviews and large-scale, critical, and ""covered"" infrastructure projects in the United States. FAST-41 indeed defines “covered project” to include “any activity in the United States that requires authorization or environmental review by a Federal agency involving construction of infrastructure,” regardless of the mineral used in the construction of that infrastructure.

To that end, it still takes “anywhere from seven to ten years or more for a mining company to navigate through the federal application process and appeals process through litigative measures” before a domestic mining operation can come online. This is particularly problematic, given the pressing need for greater domestic sources of minerals to meet manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, and national security needs. Our nation’s duplicative and inefficient permitting process also puts the United States at a strategic disadvantage compared to other mining countries like Australia and Canada, which have permitting processes that consist of two to three years. FPISC, in an effort to address this issue, subsequently voted in January 2021 to add all mining as a “covered sector,” without bias to the type of mineral.

Permitting delays have been, and continue to be, one of the most significant risks to meeting domestic mineral production goals - a fact clearly recognized by FPISC in 2021. FPISC should be doing all it can to facilitate the addition of mining projects to the FPISC dashboard of covered projects, as significant investments are being made daily in such projects, regardless of the type of minerals being mined. Unfortunately, this misguided and shortsighted proposal disincentivizes such investment.

The nation needs these investments to match the increasing mineral demand necessary to support budding technologies, bolster domestic supply chains, and strengthen our nation's national defense to reduce our reliance on minerals from our geopolitical adversaries. While the global demand for critical minerals ""would require six times more mineral inputs in 2040 than today,"" it should not be lost on FPISC the amount of other mined materials that are needed for domestic infrastructure. The 17,050 miles of public roads in Alaska, for example, were built using 1,400 and 6,930 thousand metric tons of crushed stone and sand and gravel, respectively.

FPISC’s proposal sends the wrong message to investors, industry stakeholders, and our nation’s allies by that the United States should drastically limit the type of mining projects eligible under the improved permitting process to projects with primary or byproduct production of ""critical minerals,"" defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Not only does this subjective action contradict the FPISC's mission of delivering transparency and timeliness to the federal permitting process, but it also fails to consider the fact that different agencies have different definitions of “critical” or “strategic” minerals or materials. The lack of consideration of these varying differences in the proposal will undoubtedly limit the effectiveness of FPISC’s actions and increase our nation’s strategic vulnerabilities by making the United States more dependent on foreign sources of minerals. Ultimately, this proposal will hinder mining permitting predictability and efficiency while further empowering China with its near-monopoly on the global supply of critical minerals.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We urge FPISC to abandon this proposal and use its existing authority to actively support all mining infrastructure projects to unleash America's national supply chains and processing capabilities. We look forward to a response from you no later than November 30.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-responds-after-bipartisan-senate-vote-in-support-of-his-amendment-protecting-texas-water-rights,Sen. Cruz Responds After Bipartisan Senate Vote in Support of His Amendment Protecting Texas Water Rights,2023-11-01,2023,2023-11,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today after a bipartisan majority of senators voted to support his Texas water rights amendment, even though the vote fell short of overcoming a filibuster. His amendment would have directed the Secretary of State to support efforts by American officials at the International Boundary and Water Commission to ensure Mexico fully complies with its treaty obligations. Mexico has failed to fully comply with its obligations, and has failed to deliver as much water to the U.S. as the treaty requires.

About the amendment vote, Sen. Cruz said, “Texans are suffering from acute water shortages, and the U.S. has had a long-standing water-sharing treaty with Mexico to address this. Yet Mexico routinely fails to meet its obligations, and Texas ranchers and communities suffer because of it.

“I am proud to lead the fight to require American diplomats and officials, including at the International Boundary and Water Commission, to use every diplomatic tool at their disposal to bring Mexico into compliance. Today a substantial bipartisan majority of senators voted to support this common-sense legislation, and I will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion with my colleagues to address the crisis that Lone Star State farmers and ranchers face, which is driven in part by Mexico’s noncompliance.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T01:01:09Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/democrats-vote-to-keep-in-place-radical-senate-rejected-highway-safety-nominee,"Democrats Vote to Keep In Place Radical, Senate-Rejected Highway Safety Nominee",2023-10-31,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after the Senate voted to reject his amendment blocking the Senate-rejected nominee Ann Carlson from continuing to serve as the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Cruz amendment, which was cosponsored by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), was to the appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.

Following the vote, Sen. Cruz said:

“It’s disappointing but unsurprising Senate Democrats were keener on keeping in place an ethically-challenged, environmental zealot who wants to ban gas cars than protecting the Senate’s constitutional authority on presidential nominations. With this vote, the Biden administration will continue violating the Vacancies Act and crusading against traditional American energy.”

Background:

In March of 2023, the Biden administration submitted Ms. Carlson as the nominee for NHTSA administrator. Before the Senate could vote on her nomination, the administration chose to withdraw her in May once it was clear she would be defeated. After the Senate effectively rejected her nomination, the administration appointed her to that same role as an acting official anyway, in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.

Last month, Sen. Cruz led all Committee Republicans in sending a letter to President Biden, blasting the administration for violating the Vacancies Act by allowing Ann Carlson to serve as acting head of the agency. The Senators also asserted that the actions that Carlson has taken while illegally leading the agency, including the issuance of proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model years 2027-2032, a de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate, are invalid as a result.

Sens. Cruz and Lummis’ amendment, introduced in September, would not have “defunded” the position of NHTSA administrator as the administration could fill the vacancy on an acting basis with another person, nor would the amendment have forbidden Ms. Carlson from staying at the agency as chief counsel. During her nomination process, serious concerns were raised, highlighting numerous ethical issues involving Ms. Carlson—primarily her ties to Sher Edling—a for-profit, climate litigation firm that receives significant funding from dark money groups.

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) is leading a companion amendment in the House of Representatives.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-comprehensive-hamas-sanctions-act-to-deny-hamas-funds-and-safe-havens,Sen. Cruz Introduces Comprehensive “Hamas Sanctions Act” To Deny Hamas Funds and Safe Havens,2023-10-30,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced the Hamas Sanctions Act, the first piece of legislation to comprehensively target Hamas. The legislation would impose sanctions on Hamas, its members and affiliates, and countries that provide funding and territory for Hamas operations.

About the bill Sen. Cruz said, “The United States should use every resource at our disposal, including our diplomatic power and sanctions leverage, for as long as it takes, to ensure that our Israeli allies are able to utterly eradicate Hamas. Instead of countering Hamas and its enablers, however, the Biden administration has spent the last two and a half years indirectly and even directly funding them. The administration poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip, despite knowing this would benefit Hamas terrorists, and allowed roughly $100 billion to flow to the Iranian regime, which they knew the Ayatollah would pass along to Hamas. The administration also refuses to enforce sanctions against Hamas for terrorism, for the use of human shields, or against those who violate terrorism sanctions and provide Hamas with financial or material support. The Hamas Sanctions Act would end these catastrophic policies, prohibit the administration from allowing further funds from flowing to Hamas and Iran, and end the ability of provide Hamas leaders with safe haven in violation of sanctions.”

Read the bill here.

BACKGROUND: The Hamas Sanctions Act –

Sanctions every Hamas member and affiliate known to the U.S. within 15 days.

Blocks Hamas’ funding by –

Prohibiting U.S. taxpayer money from going into the Gaza Strip, including by rescinding the Biden administration’s ability to give itself exemptions from anti-terrorism laws.

Preventing Iran from accessing and raising revenue. First, prevents the Biden administration from unfreezing Iran’s sanctioned overseas accounts, including the known $6 billion and $10 billion accounts in Gulf banks. Second, the bill imposes sanctions on Iran’s “ghost fleet” of oil tankers, which it has used to raise $80 billion since President Biden took office. These sanctions also target tankers’ owners and operators. It then requires the Biden administration to work towards de-certify and de-flag those vessels.

Blocks Hamas’ ability to find safe havens abroad, including in Qatar or Turkey, by imposing sanctions on hotels, landlords, banks, and similar businesses in allied countries that provide services to Hamas leaders, and by requiring determinations whether such countries qualify as state sponsors of terrorism for hosting Hamas.

Strengthens and enforces sanctions law against the use of human shields that Sen. Cruz authored and passed into law in 2019. This legislation would renew the legislation that is set to expire, and also sanction Hamas affiliate Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ). It would also prevent the Biden administration from ignoring the 2019 law, as they have been doing.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-sends-letter-demanding-secretary-mayorkas-address-threats-of-violence-against-us-border-patrol-agents,Sen. Cruz Sends Letter Demanding Secretary Mayorkas Address Threats of Violence Against U.S. Border Patrol Agents,2023-10-30,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on The Constitution, sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas calling on the Biden administration to address a text message, discovered by El Paso Sector Intelligence, soliciting personal information of Border Patrol agents and their families. The message sickeningly relayed that this personal information would be used to find and torture Border Patrol agents, and post the torture online.

In the letter, Sen. Cruz wrote, “It is obvious that the cartels are emboldened by your failure of leadership at the border, and not without good reason. Cartels have increased their yearly human smuggling profits … from $500 million to $13 billion in a few short years. This crisis has had massive downstream effects. … And now, as this recent safety alert indicates, the violence against law enforcement and public officials that has long plagued Mexico now appear to be gaining a foothold in the United States.”

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

Since February 2, 2021, you have served as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. As you are no doubt aware, your primary mission as Secretary is to secure the United States from threats, a task that can only be accomplished through the efforts of dedicated officers and agents who put their safety at risk on a daily basis. While there are numerous threats to our national security, few compare to the danger posed by our open southern border.

On July 26, 2023, during testimony before the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, you discussed the challenges facing front-line agents and officers, noting that these heroes “perform bravely despite public attacks on their character and service; despite unfair and inadequate pay; and despite, as frontline agents repeatedly tell me, threats made against them and their families.”1 Just this month, Border Patrol issued a safety alert to agents after El Paso Sector Intelligence discovered a text message soliciting personal information of Border Patrol agents. Not only did this solicitation seek Border Patrol agent home location information, but information pertaining to their families as well. Further, the message sickeningly relayed that this information would be used to not only torture Border Patrol agents, but this torture would posted online.

It is obvious that the cartels are emboldened by your failure of leadership at the border, and not without good reason. Cartels have increased their yearly human smuggling profits twenty-six-fold since 2018, going from $500 million to $13 billion in a few short years.3 This crisis has had massive downstream effects. Fentanyl pours across the open border while agents are occupied processing the record number of illegal aliens being smuggled to our country. Millions of illegal

aliens are routinely released into the interior of the country with little or no vetting, and over 1.6 million “gotaways” have infiltrated America without any interception or inspection by Border Patrol. And now, as this recent safety alert indicates, the violence against law enforcement and public officials that has long plagued Mexico now appear to be gaining a foothold in the United States.

I ask that you respond to the following questions by November 15, 2023:

1. You stated in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee that agents routinely tell you that they frequently face threats. Please provide a list of all arrests DHS has made related to threats against agents for FY 2022 through FY 2023, as well as all referrals related to such threats that DHS has made to other federal law enforcement agencies or state and/or local agencies for this same period.

2. What resources are available to Border Patrol agents who believe either they or their family members are at risk of violence from criminals or cartels?

3. How does the Department of Homeland Security intend to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies, including international partners, to address the potential involvement of organized crime groups—such as international cartels—in the targeting of American law enforcement?

4. How do you plan to adjust your approach to border security in light of the reality that emboldened cartels have exploited our undefended border to send cartel members to America?

You led the Department of Homeland Security for the past thirty-two months, and this crisis and all that flows from it is your responsibility. If you cannot protect the Agents tasked with safeguarding the American people, you should resign.

I await your response.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-october-27th,e-Newsletter: Week of October 27th,2023-10-27,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Good Evening,

Under the Biden administration’s watch, our country is facing the worst illegal immigration crisis in our nation’s history. We’ve had 7.6 million illegal immigrants cross our southern border since Joe Biden took office. I have spent a lot of time at the southern border, and it is always shocking to see just how disastrous this crisis really is. Biden’s open border policies have invited the cartels to brutalize children, to assault women, to overrun our communities with illegal aliens, and to flood this country with narcotics and fentanyl that kill over 100,000 people per year. Today, my boots are back on the ground in the Rio Grande Valley with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) to meet with U.S. Border Patrol and witness first-hand just how rapidly the Biden Border Crisis has escalated in Texas over recent months.

Watch the press conference recapping Biden's Border Crisis here.

On Tuesday, I joined Sean Hannity on Fox News to discuss how the Biden administration continues to install officials that undermine Israel.

“The UN for a long time has been a vicious pit of anti-Israel [and] anti-Semitism. They have countries like Cuba, Libya, and Syria on the Human Rights Council. It’s a mockery. … And I got to say it’s striking, at the same time this is happening Joe Biden has nominated to be the United States Ambassador to Israel a man named Jack Lew. … Jack Lew was integral in the United Nation’s passing UN Resolution 2334. … The most viciously anti-Semitic resolution the UN has ever passed.”

On Tuesday, I also welcomed the President of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, to my office where we discussed the vital importance of the alliance between our two nations to advance interests abroad, especially with Taiwan and Israel.

On Thursday, I delivered remarks on the Senate floor where I stood in opposition to the Biden administration’s outrageous rule that would deny school lunches to children, most of whom come from low income families, unless parents and schools ram radical gender ideology down their throats.

“What is this issue about? It is Joe Biden and the Democrats who are taking food away from children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told schools, we will cut off your school lunch funding, [and] we will take the food off of your plates and out of your mouths unless the schools comply with the Biden administration’s radical transgender policies.”

Rest assured, I will continue to push back on the Democrat’s radical agenda to strip our freedom and jeopardize our national security. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Ted Cruz demands action from Mayorkas over threats to Border Patrol agents: 'Cartels are emboldened'

ICYMI: Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Use Funds Seized From Corrupt Venezuelan Individuals for the Venezuelan People

READ: Sens. Cruz, Crapo, Ricketts Introduce Legislation to Halt Biden Electric Vehicles Mandate

ICYMI: Over 100 Lawmakers Call for CHIPS Permitting Reform in Final Defense Bill

State Spotlight

Executive Committee of the South Texas Military Task Force

Texas Tech University System

Commerce Corner

Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner and Tony Petitti, BIG 10 Commissioner

Alex Wilcox, CEO, JSX",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/over-100-lawmakers-call-for-chips-permitting-reform-in-final-defense-bill,Over 100 Lawmakers Call for CHIPS Permitting Reform in Final Defense Bill,2023-10-27,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and over 100 other lawmakers are calling on Congressional leaders to include Sen. Cruz and Kelly’s amendment to streamline the CHIPS permitting reform process in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment, which passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July, will provide regulatory certainty and accelerate the construction of semiconductor manufacturing plants. In a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of preventing any interruption in the construction of semiconductor manufacturing projects. Such interruptions ultimately undermine the objectives of the CHIPS Act and increase risks to both our economic and national security.

Regarding the overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support for his amendment, Sen. Cruz said:

“The overwhelming and broad bipartisan support for the CHIPS permitting reform amendment shows that both Congress and the administration stand united: build these new semiconductor plants now. I hope defense bill negotiators will agree to the Kelly-Cruz language and remove the needless bureaucratic delays that are weakening national and economic security. Let’s get this new capacity built quickly so Texas, which is already one of the nation’s leading chip producers, can continue growing and more jobs are brought to the Lone Star State.”

The letter was sent to Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) with overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support.

The lawmakers write in the letter:

“Historically, NEPA reviews apply to projects that receive a significant portion of federal funding, giving the Federal government sufficient control over the project’s outcome. This is not the case for the CHIPS program…”

“The Commerce Department will require a NEPA review by considering CHIPS Act projects to be ‘major federal actions.’”

“This could include projects that have already received all environmental permits required under federal and state law, and have begun construction. This could halt or delay commencement of new projects, impacting the United States’ ability to bolster its national security interests, economic growth, competitiveness, and technological leadership.”

The lawmakers also stressed the importance of the amendment’s effort to level the playing field for construction of semiconductor facilities:

“To address this challenge, Section 1090G of the Senate-passed NDAA and the Building Chips in America Act would clarify the scope of NEPA reviews required under the CHIPS Act..”

“…Furthermore, Section 1090G of the Senate-passed version ensures all states are equally attractive for semiconductor investments.”

As the letter points out, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has endorsed Sens. Cruz and Kelly’s amendment:

“As Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently testified to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: ‘These are national security imperative projects. […]

“Environmental concerns matter. We are not in any way suggesting we should do anything that hurts the environment or is unsustainable. That being said, we do need to […] streamline the process, speed the process, make the process more efficient and user friendly. […] But without the [amendment] it’s very difficult.’”

The lawmakers conclude:

""Interruptions and delays to semiconductor manufacturing projects would undermine the goals of the CHIPS Act and exacerbate risks to our economic and national security, without providing additional benefits for environmental protection.""

Read full letter HERE.

In total the letter has 120 signatories including Sens. Ted Cruz, Mark Kelly, Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.)

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-use-funds-seized-from-corrupt-venezuelan-individuals-for-the-venezuelan-people,"Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Bill to use Funds Seized from Corrupt Venezuelan Individuals for the Venezuelan People",2023-10-27,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reintroduced the Preserving Accountability for National Assets Act (PANA Act). The bill would take assets seized from individuals connected to the Chavez and Maduro regimes who are convicted of corruption and place them in a “Venezuela Restoration Fund” to be used by the State Department for building up Venezuelan democracy and civil society. This legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Upon reintroduction of the PANA Act, Sen. Cruz said, “Corruption is rampant among the leading individuals connected to the Chavez and Maduro regimes in Venezuela. Venezuelans have seen billions of dollars stolen from them, leaving their country impoverished. . This bill will hold bad actors accountable and provide much-needed support to those Venezuelans who are working to restore freedom in their country.”

Sen. Rubio said, “Assets recovered from the criminal Maduro and Chavez regimes should be used to help the people of Venezuela who have paid the price of their misgovernment and incompetence. Rebuilding Venezuela's democracy, the rule of law, and a prosperous future requires strengthening the nation’s democratic governance and its institutions.”

Senator Hagerty said, “The illegitimate, leftist, anti-American Maduro regime has left a trail of devastation in its wake—billions stolen, democracy dismantled, and the world’s largest refugee crisis. I’m pleased to join my colleagues in this effort to ensure that frozen funds are directed to support a democratic restoration and economic revival in Venezuela.”

Senator Rick Scott said, “Maduro and his thugs are ruthless and corrupt. Any money or assets seized relating to their corrupt activities deserve to be returned to the people of Venezuela. I am grateful for Senators Cruz and Rubio for their support of this important issue to restore Democracy and civil society to the people of Venezuela that they so desperately deserve.”

Sen. Young said, “The regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro have stolen the futures of the Venezuelan people for decades through graft and kleptocracy. It is past time to ensure that the fruits of their illicit labors go towards helping the victims of their oppression. Our bill would help hold these corrupt governments accountable and push for a restoration of freedom and democracy in Venezuela.”

The U.S. has identified, prosecuted, and convicted corrupt individuals that have profited from the Venezuelan regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. The PANA Act would use the funds seized from these individuals to strengthen democratic governance and institutions, defend internationally recognized human rights for the people of Venezuela, support the efforts of independent media outlets, combat corruption, and improve the transparency and accountability of institutions that have been part of the Chavez or Maduro regimes.

Read the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-issues-statement-about-israeli-ground-offensive,Sen. Cruz Issues Statement About Israeli Ground Offensive,2023-10-27,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today on announcement of the Israeli ground offensive:

“The Israeli government has the right and indeed the obligation to ensure the security of its citizens. For decades, our Israeli allies have sought to counter Hamas's terrorism while the international community—including, and far too often, the United States—urged engagement and appeasement. Those approaches inevitably strengthened and emboldened Hamas, forcing Israel to deploy military force, which quickly and inevitably led to international pressure on Israel to accept inconclusive outcomes. Hamas's atrocities should put an end to any debates over the viability of such tactics and strategies.

“The success of Israel’s operation is vital to the national security of the United States. The weekend of October 7, Hamas also killed over two dozen Americans and took an unknown number hostage—itself one of the most significant terrorist attacks on American civilians in history. A terrorist attack on Americans anywhere in the world poses a threat to Americans everywhere in the world, unless deterrence is restored by holding those terrorists accountable.

“There is now only one acceptable policy for the United States: We must ensure that our Israeli allies have all the weapons and all the time they need to utterly eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-rep-graves-lead-coalition-calling-on-biden-admin-to-allow-lng-by-rail,"Sen. Cruz, Rep. Graves Lead Coalition Calling on Biden Admin to Allow LNG By Rail",2023-10-26,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) led a bicameral coalition of federal lawmakers calling on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to reverse its suspension of rules allowing liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail. In a letter to PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown, the lawmakers raise concerns about PHMSA advancing the administration's green agenda, intentionally discouraging investment in American energy, and prioritizing radical policies at the expense of PHMSA's safety mission.

The coalition led by Sen. Cruz and Rep. Graves wrote,

“… This suspension, which is the latest attack in the Biden administration’s war on American energy, calls into question PHMSA’s commitment to its safety mission, PHMSA’s role in promoting the administration’s extreme green policies, and whether PHMSA will ever reasonably allow for the movement of LNG by rail. We ask you to reverse this misstep or, at a minimum, act more rationally going forward.”

The lawmakers argued that PHMSA must focus on safety, including evidence that LNG can move more safely by rail than by highway:

“PHMSA is a safety agency, not an environmental agency, and is responsible for regulating the safe transportation of hazardous materials. Given its safety mission, the question PHMSA must consider is not whether LNG can be moved safely in tank cars by rail, but rather what restrictions are reasonable and justified? After all, Transport Canada authorizes LNG transportation by rail tank car, and LNG has ‘been transported by marine vessel and truck for decades.’

“When issuing the LNG by rail rule in 2020, PHMSA leveraged the experience of safely moving many flammable commodities by rail and moving LNG by other modes. Shippers have safely offered, and carriers have safely transported, other flammable cryogenic liquids in similar tank cars for years without fatalities or serious injuries…

“… From a safety perspective, it is absurd to remove these rail tank cars as an approved alternative to shipments of LNG by truck. As PHMSA’s own data shows, movement of hazardous materials by highway is inherently less safe for the public…”

As they point out in the letter, the U.S. has led the world in reducing carbon emissions, in large part because of clean natural gas. LNG by rail would only boost efforts to provide affordable and environmentally responsible energy.

“PHMSA’s suspension of the LNG by rail rule is part of a larger attack on domestic fossil fuel production that willfully ignores the attendant harms to consumers and national security. This effort comes from the highest level of the administration, as President Biden specifically targeted PHMSA’s LNG by rail rule through an alarmist, anti-fossil fuel executive order purporting ‘to Tackle the Climate Crisis.’

“After President Biden explicitly targeted the LNG by rail rule, PHMSA issued a proposal to suspend the LNG by rail rule later that year.

“Under this cloud of regulatory uncertainty, no one has committed to moving LNG by rail, which would include the major capital expense of a fleet of robust LNG tank cars. PHMSA ignores this context, noting only the ‘considerable uncertainty regarding whether any would occur in the time it takes for PHMSA to consider potential modifications to the existing, pertinent HMR requirements,’ failing to recognize that this ‘considerable uncertainty’ was created by the agency itself. Having suspended the LNG by rail rule and taken other actions targeting LNG, the Biden administration cannot now claim a lack of interest in transporting LNG by rail to justify its actions…

“…PHMSA uses the lack of recent LNG by rail investment to justify the suspension without recognizing that this lull has given PHMSA ample opportunity to evaluate the relevant safety requirements. And yet, PHMSA has made no progress on the companion safety rulemaking…”

“…PHMSA declares that the suspension ‘avoid[s] potential risks to public health and safety or environmental consequences (to include direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions).’In reality, the United States has led the world in reducing carbon emissions since peaking in 2007, largely because of America’s development and use of affordable and clean natural gas. Greater transportation of LNG by rail would give Americans an affordable and environmentally responsible option to meet their energy needs. Suspension of the LNG by rail rule is mere virtue signaling, not progress in reducing emissions.

The letter concludes,

“The safe movement of LNG by rail would benefit the economy and national security. Given the importance of access to energy, PHMSA must reconsider its extremism towards LNG by rail. We look forward to your response committing to reverse the suspension of the LNG by rail rule.”

Joining Sen. Cruz and Rep. Graves in sending this letter were Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports, and Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Signers also include Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and eighteen other members of the House of Representatives.

Read the full text of the letter HERE.

Background:

In July 2020, PHMSA issued a final rule authorizing the movement of LNG by rail tank car. The regulation requires the use of the safest rail tank car available to transport cryogenic material together with certain operational controls to ensure safety.

President Biden has targeted this rule since day one of his presidency, placing it on a list of regulatory actions for review accompanying his executive order on “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” In November 2021, PHMSA proposed to suspend the rule.

On September 1, 2023, PHMSA announced the complete suspension of the LNG by rail rule through June 2025. Sen. Cruz issued a statement blasting the administration for “essentially prohibiting the movement of LNG by rail.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/fort-worth-star-telegram-sen-cruzs-effort-to-curb-social-media-use-a-smart-bill-addressing-a-growing-problem-for-kids,Fort Worth Star Telegram: Sen. Cruz’s Effort to Curb Social Media Use a “Smart Bill Addressing a Growing Problem for Kids”,2023-10-25,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Nicole Russell of the Fort Worth Star Telegram is out with a new column in support of U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) recently introduced legislation to curb social media use in elementary and secondary schools. In the editorial, Russell called Sen. Cruz’s Eyes on the Board Act a “smart bill” and a “good inroad into a growing problem that few don’t take seriously enough.”

Read the full editorial HERE or below.

Sen. Ted Cruz doesn’t think kids should have unfettered access to social media apps while in school. He’s proposed legislation, “The Eyes on the Board Act,” which would limit children’s access to the sites by requiring schools that receive federal broadband funding to cut off access on networks and devices they subsidize. This is a good start, but schools really shouldn’t be waiting for a guy like Cruz to force them to ban kids’ social media use or else.

The bill would also require the districts to set screen time policies and guidelines in place for students limiting how much students are assigned to use electronics as part of their schoolwork.

The Texas Republican’s legislation is a good inroad into a growing problem that few don’t take seriously enough, least of all the kids. More studies show that kids use social media at an alarmingly high pace and that spending several hours on social media a day fails to provide a net gain. In fact, almost everything we learn suggests kids are easily addicted to social media, distracted by it in school when they should be learning and, at home, when they should be doing homework or connecting with family and friends. They’re too online to see that social media makes them depressed, lonely, and anxious.

Experts say over three hours of social media use is the threshold for negative effects, but a Gallup survey suggests the average teen spends up to almost 5 hours per day on social media apps and even more time on screens in general. The National Institutes of Health said that when adolescents use social media a lot, it’s “associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.”

Cruz’s attempt to leverage internet connectivity subsidies with social media use is smart, but honestly, it’s sad this piece of legislation even exists. Presumably school districts — places of learning — can read all the surveys, research and studies for themselves. They can see, firsthand, the effects of prolonged social media use for adolescents.

All school administrators would have to do to curb rampant social media use among kids is institute a schoolwide policy that demands kids have limited to no access to their phones during school hours or can only use them during class for assignments. Emergencies are the only exceptions. After school hours, when kids need to get in touch with parents, is fine, too.

Many Texas schools already have such a policy, and it’s a win-win for all involved: Teachers no longer have to spend precious class time telling kids to pay attention or put their phones away, putting them at an unfair advantage with a highly addictive device. Students come to school knowing the expectations, do better in classes and spend valuable time being social and learning in-person skills. These have been dwindling with the rise of social media use among kids.

Social media, like online porn, has become ubiquitous and almost as addictive. YouTube, kids’ No. 1 choice for social media apps, has almost 2.6 billion active users a month in 100 countries. Then, there’s Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and more.

Sometimes, when something is this powerful, it feels like parents, school administrators — and even kids — are powerless. But school administrators, teachers and parents can implement steps and guidelines to help kids learn to make better decision for themselves about their own social media use.

Kudos to Cruz and his co-authors for a smart bill addressing a growing problem for kids. It’s too bad school administrators may finally take this seriously when it’s used as leverage against internet funding. There’s nothing stopping schools from implementing social media bans and screen time limits right now.

Background:

Last week, Sens. Cruz, Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the Eyes on the Board Act to limit children's access to social media at school by requiring schools receiving federal broadband funding to prohibit access on subsidized services, devices, and networks. The senators’ new legislation comes as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted last week to expand the E-Rate program to fund Wi-Fi on school buses. The proposed expansion of funding is not only unlawful (the Commission has no authority to extend support to school buses without congressional direction) but would make the federal government complicit in enabling unsupervised access to distracting and addictive social media apps like TikTok and Instagram on kids’ bus rides to and from school.

In a recent editorial, the Dallas Morning News endorsed Sen. Cruz’s Eyes on the Board Act as “the right policy at the right time,” highlighting the growing evidence linking social media use and screen addiction with declining mental health in teens.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-crapo-ricketts-introduce-legislation-to-halt-biden-electric-vehicles-mandate,"Sens. Cruz, Crapo, Ricketts Introduce Legislation to Halt Biden Electric Vehicles Mandate",2023-10-25,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) along with some of their colleagues in the Senate introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the Biden administration’s executive overreach banning gasoline powered vehicles and establishing an electric vehicle mandate. The bill prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its rule that would limit what cars and trucks Texans can buy under the pretext of emissions reductions.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden administration has continuously abused the executive rule-making process to push their radical climate agenda. Now, the EPA’s extreme electric vehicle mandate is holding American consumers hostage by restricting consumer choice, driving up prices, and killing American manufacturing jobs while also increasing our dependence on foreign adversaries like China. It is imperative that we put American energy production, economic opportunity, and national security above the Democrats’ woke climate agenda.”

Sens. Cruz, Crapo, and Ricketts were joined by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) in introducing the legislation.

Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in July of 2023.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Sen. Cruz has previously criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to use the regulatory process to mandate electric vehicles, calling out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for model years 2027-2032, and opposing President Biden’s violation of the Vacancies Act to keep radical nominee Ann Carlson as the acting head of NHTSA even after the Senate rejected her nomination.

BACKGROUND:

On April 12, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft rule titled “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” which sets stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for certain vehicles. This rule is the most aggressive tailpipe emissions proposal ever crafted and a de facto mandate for mass production of electric vehicles (EVs). The EPA has projected that, if finalized, over two-thirds of all new vehicles could be electric by 2032.

The average price of an EV is over $17,000 more than the average price of a gas-powered vehicle, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. The Biden administration’s continued push for EVs threatens everyday Americans with higher costs and reduces jobs for auto workers while simultaneously helping China, given their dominance of the EV supply chain.

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act:

Would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing or enforcing its proposed emissions rule;

Would prohibit the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type. This includes any regulation prescribed on or after January 1, 2021;

Would require the EPA to update any regulations since January 1, 2021, that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine within two years; and

Would end the EPA’s radical agenda, which is driving up costs and handing the keys of America’s auto industry to China.

The bill is supported by the American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Propane Gas Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, Idaho Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, Energy Marketers of America, American Exploration and Production Council, American Energy Alliance, Western Energy Alliance, National Taxpayers Union, National Association of Small Trucking Companies, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Idaho Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, Idaho Automobile Dealers Association, Texas Automobile Dealers Association, Montana Automobile Dealers Association, Specialty Equipment Market Association, Heritage Action, and Americans for Prosperity.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cornyn-send-letter-confronting-the-biden-administrations-weaponization-of-the-endangered-species-act-in-texas,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Send Letter Confronting The Biden Administration’s Weaponization of the Endangered Species Act in Texas",2023-10-24,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service to express their strong concerns with the agency’s recently proposed rule that lists the toothless and widemouth blindcats, two underground species of blind, translucent catfish, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The rule directly impacts the Edwards Aquifer in Bexar County, Texas, where these two catfish species reside, which provides over 1.7 million Texans with drinking water. The Biden administration has prioritized the well-being of blind catfish over the needs of people in San Antonio and south-central Texas for clean drinking water. If the Department of the Interior deems a species endangered, then it grants unelected federal bureaucrats power over Texans’ land even though scientists have never directly observed either species in their natural subterranean habitat.

Upon sending the letter, Sen. Cruz said, “This administration has weaponized its political agenda by sending bureaucrats on scouting missions to find obscure species that are not on the endangered species list. Their goal is to regulate private lands and strip landowners of their ability to control their own property. Now, they have proposed an ESA rule that protects two species of fish while threatening the drinking water supply of 1.7 million people living in San Antonio. This rule would shut down two major pumps that feed and refill the primary underground water storage facility. The lack of fundamental research to support this unfounded regulation is astonishing. The Biden administration should stop imposing oppressive regulations that elevate two obscure species of catfish over the needs of millions of working families.”

President and CEO of San Antonio Water System Robert R. Puente said, “The proposed listing of two blindcat fish species lacks appropriate science and fundamentally misunderstands how groundwater pumping works in San Antonio. The listing may put at jeopardy well-established and nationally-recognized programs that currently protect the aquifer and which have been agreed on by stakeholders across the Edwards Aquifer region.”

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Haaland and Director Williams,

We write to express our strong concerns with the recent Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) rule (88 FR 57046) proposing the listing of the toothless and widemouth blindcats, two cavefish species found in the Edwards Aquifer, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205).

The FWS explicitly states that neither species of blindcat has “ever been directly observed in its natural subterranean habitat, but [that the FWS can] infer the species’ needs from their location and from the life-history of other cavefish species.” Astonishingly, your agency also claims that “longevity and reproduction of the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat is not known but can be inferred from other cavefish species.” We find it deeply concerning that your agency is attempting to list these two species without any recorded observation of them in their natural habitat. The excessive use of assumptions and extrapolations from other species only further highlights that the proposed listing was made without the best science and commercial information available.

The Edwards Aquifer in central Texas, which covers over 4,300 mi2, is a crucial source of water for several agricultural, municipal, and industrial actors. It is also the primary source of drinking water for over 1.7 million Texans. Your agency’s proposed rule claims that these species of blindcat have “adapted to and require groundwater of a certain quality from the Edwards Aquifer that is relatively free of anthropogenic contaminants.” The Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) of 1974 (P.L. 93-523) established federal regulations, necessary steps, and protections for the quality of drinking water in the United States, including from underground sources such as the Edwards Aquifer. The State of Texas began implementing federal standards for this aquifer after the passage of the SDWA and ongoing water quality testing has been occurring routinely for decades. Unfortunately, we fear that your agency and department has not considered the environmental steps that the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which oversees the aquifer, has taken to remain in strict compliance with federal and state law.

Additionally, this proposed rule is largely based off documentation that the toothless blindcat was found expelled from eight wells across Texas and the widemouth blindcat from five wells, with overlapping expulsions at two wells in the state. Looking at the wells in question, fewer than 100 specimens have been found discharged over the last 100 years. Most of the wells are no longer in production, and ceased production so long ago that their exact location and depth is unknown. Further, most of the information cited by FWS was available in 1998 when the FWS determined that there wasn’t enough information available to warrant listing these two species. We find it concerning that FWS has failed to meet the standard of data available, especially for an aquifer larger than the state of Rhode Island, to justify the listing of these two species as endangered.

This proposed rule falls far short at justifying protections for the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat under the Endangered Species Act. We urge you to immediately withdraw this proposed rule, and ask that FWS respond to the following questions by November 13, 2023.

What effort, if any, was made to obtain data on these two species from the area the proposed rule seeks to regulate, Bexar County? None of the data cited in the proposed rule came from the area subject to additional regulation under the proposed rule.

How does FWS justify listing both species as endangered rather than vulnerable?

The Edwards Aquifer is unique in that a regulatory entity exists, dedicated to the protection of the aquifer. Please detail the outreach FWS has conducted with the Edwards Aquifer Authority on the matter of the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat in general, and this listing in particular, since 2015.

Has FWS evaluated the impact of potential mitigations on the 13 other listed species in the Comal and San Marcos Springs, if the toothless and widemouth blindcats are listed as endangered? If so, please describe how the impact of potential mitigations will not negatively impact the 13 other listed species in the Comal and San Marcos Springs.

Since 2013, stakeholders in the San Antonio region have had an agreement in place known as the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) which represents an agreement among many disparate equities in the region to protect the 13 species already listed under the ESA. Please detail the outreach FWS has conducted with the signatories of the EAHCP in general, and this listing in particular, since 2015.

We look forward to your prompt response.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-october-21st,e-Newsletter: Week of October 21st,2023-10-21,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"What we’ve seen unfold in Israel is utterly horrific. In the early hours of Saturday, October 7th Iran-backed terrorists launched a deadly attack killing 1,400 innocent Israelis and 30 Americans. This malicious, vicious, and unspeakable evil, was the worst attack on Israel in fifty years and the largest mass murder of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. Entire Israeli families were murdered in door-to-door horrors. Israeli babies were brutally slaughtered, burned, and decapitated. Women and girls systematically raped. In some homes, children were shot in front of their parents. In other homes, the parents were shot in front of the children, and the children then kidnapped. Husbands and wives murdered in front of each other. Holocaust survivors massacred. America must unequivocally stand with Israel. This week, I delivered a speech on the Senate floor condemning Hamas for their grotesque act of war against the Jewish people. I also called upon our country to unequivocally stand with our Israeli allies by providing military and diplomatic support to utterly eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes.

“This is a battle between good and evil, and anyone who draws a moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel is lying. This is an existential fight for Israel. As Golda Meir once said, quote: ‘If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons, there would be no more Israel.’ … Hamas uses human shields as standard practice. Israel does everything it can to minimize civilian casualties.”

On Tuesday, I attended the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the legislative proposals regarding name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for collegiate athletes. At the hearing, I addressed the discussion draft I released to codify NIL rights for college athletes by providing legal certainty for the roles of universities, conferences, and athletic associations to ensure nationwide legal uniformity while preserving the self-governance model. Read more here.

“My legislation protects NIL rights, front and center. I think it’s important that athletes … if their skills are generating millions of dollars and are a massive economic powerhouse that these young men and young women should enjoy significant fruits from their hard work and their performance.”

On Wednesday, as the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, I attended a hearing led by the Subcommittee on Space and Science. Innovation in the space industry is absolutely critical to keeping America on top and the federal government has no place limiting innovation as it continues to establish a regulatory framework over this critical industry.

“Since I was first elected to the Senate eleven years ago, I have been proud to help lead nearly every major piece of space legislation that has been signed into law. … I am especially proud that Texas is at the forefront of American leadership in space. … But we can’t rest on our laurels. As the pace of commercial space activity is picked up a regulatory system has started to strain and is now showing serious cracks. … The government relies on a vibrant commercial space sector for access to space whether that is transporting our astronauts to the ISS, sending rovers to Mars, launching national security missions or any of the other myriad of space missions. … My philosophy is quite clear—get government out of the way to the greatest extent possible and let the private sector roar.”

On Wednesday afternoon, I attended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where I questioned the Biden administration’s nominee to be the Ambassador of Israel, Jack Lew. When asked, he refused to say whether the billions of dollars that flowed into Iran by the Biden administration funded Hamas’s war on Israel.

“Mr. Secretary … You said at the time, nobody could have imagined what happened in Israel with this terror attack. I have to say I disagree. … You were a critical player in the Obama administration's campaign of appeasement with Iran. You played a pivotal role in flooding over $100 billion to the Iranian regime. The Biden administration has continued that policy flooding nearly an additional $100 billion to the Iranian regime. That policy of appeasement, sending hundreds of billions of dollars to a theocratic, homicidal, genocidal maniac, who leads chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ has proven catastrophic.”

Later, on Wednesday evening, I joined Sean Hannity on Fox News where I further addressed what’s unfolding in Israel and hit back on the disgustingly false narrative equating Israel and Hamas.

“We have seen Palestinian terrorists committing horrific acts of murder. … It is evil. There is no moral equivalence. Everyone in the media, every Democrat who is saying Hamas and Israel are the same—they are not remotely the same.”

Rest assured, I will continue to stand up for the Jewish people and stand with our ally Israel. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Ted Cruz Blasts Black Lives Matter For Its ‘Embrace’ Of Terror Group Hamas: ‘Black Lives Matter Is Hamas’

ICYMI: Cruz demands answers from Mayorkas on denial of Secret Service protection for RFK Jr

READ: Ted Cruz claims risk of terror attack in US 'higher today' due to border policies

ICYMI: Ted Cruz, top Dem senator team up to press Biden admin on oil drilling restrictions

State Spotlight

Temple Emanu-El Dallas Community Gathering in Solidarity with Israel

Houston Jewish Federation Community Gathering in Solidarity with Israel

East Texas Regional Director, Jason Wright at the Texas Forestry Association Annual Conference Nacogdoches

East Texas Regional Director, Jason Wright at the Opening of the New Walmart Fulfillment Center in Lancaster

Commerce Corner

USTelecom Board Meeting

Commissioner Wayne Christian, Railroad Commission of Texas

Albert Ko, CEO, Auctane",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/10/20/2023/sens-cruz-cornyn-urge-biden-administration-to-approve-maverick-countys-request-to-build-key-texas-mexico-bridge,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Urge Biden Administration to Approve Maverick County’s Request to Build Key Texas-Mexico Bridge",2023-10-19,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have urged the Biden administration to approve Maverick County, Texas’s request to build a key cross-border bridge between Eagle Pass, Texas and Mexico. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn lent their support for the county’s application, which was submitted yesterday, for a presidential permit to construct the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB).

This letter is the latest step in Senator Cruz’s ongoing bipartisan, bicameral effort to see that four key Texas-Mexico bridge projects—that will help create jobs, increase trade, and improve the environment in south Texas—are permitted and ultimately built.

Sens. Cruz and Cornyn wrote in their letter:

“We write in support of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB) Presidential permit application to be filed by Maverick County, Texas. The project, which would permit the construction of a cross-border rail and truck freight bridge between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, will support international trade, help address supply chain challenges, and support economic development and security for this critical region of Texas.

“As you know, Mexico is one of the United States’ most important trading partners, with billions of dollars exchanged in exports and imports each year. This region contributes 42 percent of all trade between the United States and Mexico, so it is crucial to have a strong and stable transportation connection between our countries. We expect that the PVGTB will close a critical infrastructure gap to support trade growth. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) projects that without additional investments in border trade capacity, such as the PVGTB, delays to the movement of goods in parts of this region could exceed nine and a half hours. Such a processing delay would inevitably slow supply chains and burden cross-border trade activity. Additionally, the PVGTB project is uniquely positioned to support TxDOT’s plans to expand Highway 57, as well as support the Ports-to-Plains Corridor’s third segment in Texas (U.S.-277).

“In 2019, Maverick County commissioned a feasibility study that found community support for an additional border crossing. Many communities along the border region of Texas are among the lowest-income in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in July 2022, 20 percent of Maverick County’s population was below the poverty threshold. This project will help attract significant investment to the City of Eagle Pass and greater Maverick County region, supporting a chronically underinvested area of Texas.

“The security of the southern border is paramount to our national security and safety of the region. With hundreds of millions of dollars of goods and thousands of people crossing through land-ports-of-entry (LPOE) every day, it is critically important that a crossing have adequate infrastructure and workforce to process goods and people. Maverick County has worked diligently to secure support from the community for this project and for the required infrastructure to build a state-of-the-art LPOE, which will enhance border security and increase inspection rates.

“We respectfully request that you expedite the processing of Maverick County’s application for a Presidential permit for the PVGTB, and that you submit a favorable foreign policy recommendation to the President.”

BACKGROUND:

In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted Sen. Cruz’s amendment to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande. The amendment, which was included in a bill authorizing funding for the State Department, was ultimately passed by the entire Senate as part of the annual defense policy, or National Defense Authorization Act, on July 27, 2023. Sen. Cruz has vowed to keep working to see that his amendment is part of the final defense bill that is signed into law.

Sen. Cruz’s amendment, which received bipartisan support, gives the State Department sixty days to make a recommendation to the president on whether to grant permits to four international Texas bridge projects. The president would then have sixty days to make a decision. The amendment adheres to the practice used by the prior administration where presidential permits could be issued contingent on successful completion of environmental reviews.

In June 2023, Sen. Cruz also led the entire south Texas congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, in sending a letter to Secretary Blinken urging the Biden administration to resolve delays in providing permits for the four international Texas bridge projects. Joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter were Sen. Cornyn, and U.S. Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Read the full text of the letter here.

Earlier this month, Sen. Cruz again led another letter, this time to President Biden, expressing frustration, “over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico,” and urging the president to “swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.” Joining Sen. Cruz in sending this letter were Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Cruz’s bipartisan effort to streamline the presidential permitting process for Texas-Mexico bridge projects are supported by a diverse group of stakeholders, including:

Texas Association of Business

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Laredo Motor Carriers Association

Border Trade Alliance

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cornyn-urge-biden-administration-to-approve-maverick-countys-request-to-build-key-texas-mexico-bridge,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Urge Biden Administration to Approve Maverick County’s Request to Build Key Texas-Mexico Bridge",2023-10-19,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have urged the Biden administration to approve Maverick County, Texas’s request to build a key cross-border bridge between Eagle Pass, Texas and Mexico. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn lent their support for the county’s application, which was submitted yesterday, for a presidential permit to construct the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB).

This letter is the latest step in Senator Cruz’s ongoing bipartisan, bicameral effort to see that four key Texas-Mexico bridge projects—that will help create jobs, increase trade, and improve the environment in south Texas—are permitted and ultimately built.

Sens. Cruz and Cornyn wrote in their letter:

“We write in support of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge (PVGTB) Presidential permit application to be filed by Maverick County, Texas. The project, which would permit the construction of a cross-border rail and truck freight bridge between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, will support international trade, help address supply chain challenges, and support economic development and security for this critical region of Texas.

“As you know, Mexico is one of the United States’ most important trading partners, with billions of dollars exchanged in exports and imports each year. This region contributes 42 percent of all trade between the United States and Mexico, so it is crucial to have a strong and stable transportation connection between our countries. We expect that the PVGTB will close a critical infrastructure gap to support trade growth. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) projects that without additional investments in border trade capacity, such as the PVGTB, delays to the movement of goods in parts of this region could exceed nine and a half hours. Such a processing delay would inevitably slow supply chains and burden cross-border trade activity. Additionally, the PVGTB project is uniquely positioned to support TxDOT’s plans to expand Highway 57, as well as support the Ports-to-Plains Corridor’s third segment in Texas (U.S.-277).

“In 2019, Maverick County commissioned a feasibility study that found community support for an additional border crossing. Many communities along the border region of Texas are among the lowest-income in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in July 2022, 20 percent of Maverick County’s population was below the poverty threshold. This project will help attract significant investment to the City of Eagle Pass and greater Maverick County region, supporting a chronically underinvested area of Texas.

“The security of the southern border is paramount to our national security and safety of the region. With hundreds of millions of dollars of goods and thousands of people crossing through land-ports-of-entry (LPOE) every day, it is critically important that a crossing have adequate infrastructure and workforce to process goods and people. Maverick County has worked diligently to secure support from the community for this project and for the required infrastructure to build a state-of-the-art LPOE, which will enhance border security and increase inspection rates.

“We respectfully request that you expedite the processing of Maverick County’s application for a Presidential permit for the PVGTB, and that you submit a favorable foreign policy recommendation to the President.”

BACKGROUND:

In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted Sen. Cruz’s amendment to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande. The amendment, which was included in a bill authorizing funding for the State Department, was ultimately passed by the entire Senate as part of the annual defense policy, or National Defense Authorization Act, on July 27, 2023. Sen. Cruz has vowed to keep working to see that his amendment is part of the final defense bill that is signed into law.

Sen. Cruz’s amendment, which received bipartisan support, gives the State Department sixty days to make a recommendation to the president on whether to grant permits to four international Texas bridge projects. The president would then have sixty days to make a decision. The amendment adheres to the practice used by the prior administration where presidential permits could be issued contingent on successful completion of environmental reviews.

In June 2023, Sen. Cruz also led the entire south Texas congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, in sending a letter to Secretary Blinken urging the Biden administration to resolve delays in providing permits for the four international Texas bridge projects. Joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter were Sen. Cornyn, and U.S. Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Read the full text of the letter here.

Earlier this month, Sen. Cruz again led another letter, this time to President Biden, expressing frustration, “over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico,” and urging the president to “swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.” Joining Sen. Cruz in sending this letter were Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Cruz’s bipartisan effort to streamline the presidential permitting process for Texas-Mexico bridge projects are supported by a diverse group of stakeholders, including:

Texas Association of Business

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Laredo Motor Carriers Association

Border Trade Alliance

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-delivers-address-on-war-in-israel,Sen. Cruz Delivers Address on War in Israel,2023-10-18,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivered a major foreign policy speech on the Senate floor today calling for the U.S. to provide Israel with full military and diplomatic support in their campaign to eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes. Sen. Cruz’s remarks follow the horrific attack led by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists on October 7, which resulted in the killing of more than 1,400 innocent Israelis and 30 Americans. The attack on Israel was the largest mass murder of the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. In his speech, Sen. Cruz called for the United States to unequivocally support our Israeli allies as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip.

During his speech Sen. Cruz said, “This fight is barbarism against civilization, good versus evil. The differences between the two sides are as stark as darkness and light. The light and goodness will prevail if we stand with Israel.”

Watch the speech here.

See excerpts from Sen. Cruz’s floor speech below:

“In the face of this evil, Israel must and Israel will defend herself. America’s policy should be absolutely unequivocal: to ensure Israel has the military and diplomatic support to utterly eradicate Hamas, for as long as it takes.

“I want to repeat that last part: For. As. Long. As. It. Takes.

“I will do everything in my power and use every resource at my disposal to ensure that is indeed America’s policy.

…

“This is a battle between good and evil, and anyone who draws a moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel is lying.

“This is an existential fight for Israel. As Golda Meir once said, quote: ‘If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons, there would be no more Israel.’

“Hamas uses human shields as standard practice. Israel does everything it can to minimize civilian casualties.

…

“The Biden administration’s ideological, partisan reaction day after day to all of this is tragic.. They see these terrorist attacks and their immediate reaction is ‘I hope Israel doesn’t respond by killing the terrorists too much.’

“Why? Well, because I think at least some in the Biden administration feel a need to appeal to the radical left-wing base, which includes BLM, which includes the Democratic Socialists of America, which includes the antisemitic Squad in the House, as well as woke university students at Harvard, who, in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack, blamed Israel. These organizations, these elite universities, sadly, had become venomous pits of antisemitism and hatred for Israel.

…

“But it wasn’t just money to Iran that went to Hamas. The Biden administration also poured money into Hamas areas directly. As soon as they came into office, the Biden administration began flooding money into the Gaza Strip.

“At the same time that [I] urged the administration don’t fund Gaza because it’ll fund Hamas terrorism, 145 House Democrats sent a letter to the Biden administration saying do fund Gaza, even though it will fund Hamas terrorism.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-demands-answers-from-homeland-security-department-after-secret-service-denied-protection-to-presidential-candidate-robert-f-kennedy-jr,"Sen. Cruz Demands Answers from Homeland Security Department After Secret Service Denied Protection to Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.",2023-10-18,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on The Constitution, wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding answers after the Secret Service denied protection to presidential candidate Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. The Secret Service did this even after Kennedy’s campaign provided a 67-page report from a leading private security firm detailing serious threats and risks to his safety. In its final report, the Secret Service denied protection despite admitting that Kennedy is likely at risk for assassination.

In the letter, Sen. Cruz wrote, “Since your decision to refuse Mr. Kennedy protection and determining ‘it [was] not warranted,’ an armed man was arrested at one of his campaign events in Los Angeles and subsequently charged with carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and impersonating a Deputy United States Marshal.”

Sen. Cruz demanded answers to about why it took 88 days instead of the standard 14 days for the Secret Service to determine that Kennedy did not require protection, and demanded justification considering the security lapse when an armed man impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal showed up at a Kennedy event.

Sen. Cruz demanded answers by October 31.

Read the full text of the letter here and below.

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

On July 21, 2023, you made the executive decision to deny Secret Service protection to Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. after eighty-eight days of failing to respond to his either formal request for protection, or follow-ups by his campaign. This delay represents a stark departure from the standard fourteen day turnaround for this type of request. Since your decision to refuse Mr. Kennedy protection and determining “it [was] not warranted,” an armed man was arrested at one of his campaign events in Los Angeles and subsequently charged with carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and impersonating a Deputy United States Marshal. This near assassination attempt hardly came as a surprise given that Mr. Kennedy’s original request for Secret Service protection included a sixty-seven page report from a leading private security firm detailing a myriad of unique and well-established safety risks.

Two weeks after this incident, on September 29, 2023, Judicial Watch, a government accountability nonprofit organization, received eleven pages of Secret Service records detailing Mr. Kennedy’s protection request denial. Notably, the report indicated that Mr. Kennedy received numerous credible threats from “known subjects” and further determined that he is at an elevated “risk for adverse attention.” Additionally, the records included a Secret Service “Protective Intelligence Assessment.” This assessment revealed numerous “behaviors of interest” such as a letter sent to the hotel where Mr. Kennedy announced his presidential campaign. In this concerning letter, a person of interest expressed a desire to “discuss [their] sins” with Mr. Kennedy and mentioned that a “madman” may commit a “serious terrorist act.” The assessment further revealed that another known subject regularly sends Mr. Kennedy threatening emails, stating he will “bury” Kennedy, “everyone will die,” and that he will make Mr. Kennedy “suffer.” Further complicating matters, the assessment also revealed the Secret Service’s own concession that Mr. Kennedy is likely at risk of assassination “for no other reason than [the mere fact] that he is a Kennedy.”

The records also indicated that the Secret Service is aware that Mr. Kennedy has received increased media attention after accusing the Central Intelligence Agency of involvement in the assassination of his uncle, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and advocating for the release of the individual currently imprisoned for assassinating his father, Robert F. Kennedy, and speaking out against COVID-19 vaccines.”

In light of your exceptionally delayed action and inexplicable refusal to provide security for this presidential candidate despite the extraordinary threats he is receiving, I demand answers to the following questions by October 31, 2023:

Why did it take eighty-eight days to respond to Mr. Kennedy’s formal request for Secret Service protection, especially when the typical turnaround time is fourteen days?

How do you justify denying Secret Service protection when an armed man was subsequently arrested at one of Mr. Kennedy’s campaign events and charged with serious offenses shortly after your decision?

What role, if any, did the sixty-seven-page report from a leading private security firm play in determining that Secret Service protection was “not warranted” in Mr. Kennedy’s case?

Given the eleven pages of Secret Service records released to Judicial Watch, which highlight numerous credible threats and assessments of an elevated risk to Mr. Kennedy, what additional evidence or information would be required to warrant Secret Service protection in this case?

Can you explain the rationale behind the Secret Service’s acknowledgment that Mr. Kennedy is “at risk of assassination” solely because of his Kennedy family lineage?

How do you address the fact that previous major presidential candidates, such as Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, then-Senator Barack Obama, and Senator Ted Kennedy, received Secret Service protection well over 120 days before the general election, setting a clear precedent for exceptions to the general rule as provided by law? Was then-Senator Obama under more threat during his campaign than Mr. Kennedy is today?

I ask that you act swiftly to provide this major presidential candidate the protection that his exceptional circumstances so clearly warrant.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-cruz-stefanik-confront-alma-mater-in-letter-demanding-harvard-condemn-antisemitism,"ICYMI: Cruz, Stefanik Confront Alma Mater in Letter Demanding Harvard Condemn Antisemitism",2023-10-17,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik led Harvard alumni in Congress in sending a letter to Harvard University President Claudine Gay demanding that their alma mater condemn the antisemitic statements made by student organizations at Harvard University.

The letter was sent to the university following the war Iran-controlled Hamas terrorists launched against Israel on October 7, 2023 when over thirty Harvard students organizations released a statement blaming Israel for the Hamas terrorist attacks carried out against Israeli civilians. For two days, Harvard University leadership failed to release a statement denouncing the abhorrent atrocities being carried out against Israel. When the university’s leadership finally released their statement two days later, they did not condemn Hamas for their brutal attacks, much less address the statement of the student organizations. Following public outrage, President Gay condemned the attacks three days after they occurred.

Upon sending the letter, Sen. Cruz said, “Sadly, there are few places on earth with more vicious antisemitism and hatred of Israel than American ‘elite’ universities. It’s disgusting, and it's dangerous. I’m particularly ashamed that student groups from my alma mater, Harvard, blamed Israel for the genocidal war that Hamas terrorists are brutally waging. It is past time for universities to stand up and squarely address the antisemitism that they have been breeding and unleashing, including on their own Jewish students. Harvard must decide whether it wants to be a true institution of higher learning or an incubator of bigotry and antisemitism whose students try to rationalize and justify child rape and mass murder.”

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear President Claudine Gay:

As Harvard University alumni, we write today to express our outrage and disgust over the statement made by over thirty Harvard student organizations that blames Israel for the Hamas terrorist attacks brutally carried out against Israeli civilians. This statement is abhorrent, and we demand that you immediately condemn it publicly and clarify that Harvard University strongly opposes this dangerous antisemitism.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and began indiscriminately murdering, torturing, abducting, and raping innocent Israeli civilians. The Iran-backed terrorist organization slaughtered over 700 people on the first day of their attack, the greatest loss of life for the Jewish community in a single day since the Holocaust. There is no justification for Hamas’ barbaric behavior.

Following the indiscriminate Hamas terrorist attacks, over thirty student organizations at Harvard University released a letter stating that Israel was “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” This should have warranted an immediate unequivocal condemnation from yourself and Harvard University leadership. Instead, you waited two days to release an initial statement that failed to even condemn the terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, much less address the antisemitism on your campus. Your original statement claims that Harvard is committed to fostering an environment of open dialogue and empathy. However, your delayed response makes it clear you are only committed to intentionally fostering an environment that allows rampant and dangerous antisemitism on Harvard’s campus. Your failure to immediately repudiate the letter from the student organizations makes you and the entire Harvard University leadership complicit in creating an environment that enables antisemitism. After receiving significant public backlash for this weak statement, you released an updated statement three days later finally condemning Hamas, this is too little too late.

It is sickening that students at Harvard University are so steeped in their hatred for Israel that they have chosen to ignore reality, cheer on ruthless terrorists, and blame innocent civilians. This heinous statement and the support it received from over thirty student organizations across Harvard University should raise immediate concerns into Harvard’s curriculum regarding the State of Israel. This type of unified hate and ignorance cannot be allowed at Harvard University, and you must investigate its origins.

Any voice that excuses the slaughter of innocent women, children, and babies has chosen the side of evil and terrorism. Harvard University must publicly condemn this statement and make it clear that it opposes violence against Israeli citizens. As Harvard University alumni and Members of the United States Congress, we are deeply disappointed in our alma mater and demand immediate action to address this blatant antisemitism.

Sen. Cruz and Rep. Stefanik were joined by fellow Harvard alumni including Representatives Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/texas-tuesday-10-17-23,Texas Tuesday 10-17-23,2023-10-17,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Newsroom
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Texas Tuesday 10-17-23
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Next",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-calls-out-fema-for-delaying-the-repair-of-the-corpus-christi-packery-channel-after-hurricane-harvey,Sen. Cruz Calls Out FEMA for Delaying the Repair of the Corpus Christi Packery Channel After Hurricane Harvey,2023-10-13,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) to send a letter to the Regional Administrator of FEMA Region 6 – responsible for coordinating emergency management and disaster response efforts in the southwestern states – to express their strong support for the City of Corpus Christi’s appeal of FEMA’s rejection of additional funding for the Packery Channel Restoration Project.

The Packery Channel is a man-made tidal inlet that serves as a waterway connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Corpus Christi Bay. The purpose of the channel is to improve water circulation, manage tides, and enhance navigation for boats in the area. The channel plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the local coastal environment and supporting economic activities such as fishing, tourism, and recreational boating. It required significant repair to ensure proper functioning after the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

FEMA took nearly four years to review and ultimately approve the original restoration plan for the Packery Channel. In that time, the channel suffered additional corrosion and damage not accounted for in the original restoration plan and, due to red tape, the City was unable to initiate restoration work until FEMA officially approved the plan.

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear Administrator Robinson:

We write in strong support for the City of Corpus Christi, and their first appeal of FEMA’s Public Assistance eligibility determination for the Packery Channel Restoration Project, under the Hurricane Harvey disaster.

We have been keenly aware of the efforts the City of Corpus Christi has made over the last four years to work closely with FEMA in developing a Packery Channel Restoration Project that carefully abides by FEMA’s policies. Our offices have been in the very meetings with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the question of eligibility went back and forth from one Federal agency to another.

The City of Corpus Christi has adhered strictly to FEMA policy which requires Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation review, particularly for permanent repair work in waterways, must be complete before construction begins; otherwise, the Applicant will jeopardize Public Assistance funding for the project.

The delay to the city’s ability to conduct restoration work was a result of FEMA’s failure from the very beginning to properly identify project eligibility coupled with the project’s protracted Public Assistance review time. Due to this, it became necessary for the City to submit a project scope amendment to address further damages. Awaiting final approval by FEMA before initiating restoration work was prudent for the City to protect project funding. For this, the City should not be held responsible for further damages caused due to FEMA’s delay.

Federal funds already obligated for this project should not be withdrawn to ensure this vital channel can be fully restored. We urge you to give the City of Corpus Christi your full and fair consideration of their first appeal.

Please know that to ensure this correspondence is not construed as ex parte communication, our offices consulted our respective Committee on Ethics, which advised a consultation with FEMA Congressional Affairs, whereby FEMA stated that letters of support for a first or second appeal and addressing the letter to the Regional Administrator is acceptable.

BACKGROUND

In 2021, Sen. Cruz secured $10 million in federal funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that was allocated to the Packery Channel Restoration Project in Corpus Christi, Texas to repair the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation in 2017, Sen. Cruz visited with victims, volunteers, first responders, and local officials in every region affected by the storm.

Sen. Cruz worked with Sen. Cornyn to bring $89 billion in federal aid to Texas, established a bilingual Hurricane Harvey recovery working group to address Texans’ needs, worked with colleagues on legislation to help Texans applying for disaster assistance, and co-authored the federal law that provided crucial and immediate tax relief to storm survivors along the Gulf Coast.

Another law authored by Sens. Cruz and Cornyn expedited distribution of $4.3 billion in disaster recovery funding for community development block grants.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/sens-cruz-booker-introduce-bipartisan-bill-targeting-online-sales-of-drugs-laced-with-illicit-fentanyl,"Sens. Cruz, Booker Introduce Bipartisan Bill Targeting Online Sales of Drugs Laced with Illicit Fentanyl",2023-10-12,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced bipartisan legislation to address the online sale of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. The Targeting Online Sales of Fentanyl Act would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation into the methods used to facilitate the online sale of fentanyl in coordination with assessing the effectiveness of federal law enforcement and online providers to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Upon introducing Sen. Cruz said, “Our nation’s drug overdose crisis—fueled by fentanyl—claims upwards of 70,000 American lives each year. Chinese fentanyl continues to pour across our southern border thanks to the failures of the Biden administration. Fentanyl is often marketed and sold online. I am proud to work with Sen. Booker to introduce bipartisan legislation that scrutinizes exact numbers underlying this crisis and allow us to work towards comprehensive solutions to the fentanyl pandemic.”

Sen. Booker said, “The online sale of illicit drugs laced with fentanyl has had a devastating effect: drug overdoses now surpass suicide, traffic accidents, and gun violence as one of the leading causes of preventable death among people aged 18 to 45. This legislation will provide answers of how best to disrupt online drug distribution channels, helping lawmakers craft evidence-based solutions that effectively address the issue.”

The Targeting Online Sales of Fentanyl Act would require the GAO to provide a report within one year on the following areas:

the business models and techniques employed by online fentanyl traffickers;

the utilization of social media platforms in facilitating fentanyl transactions involving youth;

the scope and effectiveness of federal initiatives aimed at countering online fentanyl sales, including intergovernmental and interagency collaborations;

the enforcement mechanisms and processes employed by online providers to detect and report transactions; and

an analysis of the outcomes of referrals to law enforcement agencies regarding online fentanyl sales, along with areas requiring improvement.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

BACKGROUND

The legislation comes as more Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022 than any year prior, and an alarming number of those fatalities stemmed from the online sale of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

During just a two-month period in 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified 76 cases where traffickers advertised drugs on social media.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) recently discovered that nearly 95% of the 35,000 online pharmacies operated illegally and experts detect over 10,000 new drug-related accounts on social media every month.

Earlier this year, Senator Cruz introduced and the Senate passed the Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take steps to enhance understanding of tranq, a new street drug, and other novel synthetic drugs, develop new tests for detection, and establish partnerships with front-line entities that are often the first points of contact with new street drugs.

Read the full text of the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-leads-bicameral-bipartisan-coalition-of-texas-lawmakers-urging-biden-to-permit-key-cross-border-bridges,"Sen. Cruz Leads Bicameral, Bipartisan Coalition of Texas Lawmakers Urging Biden to Permit Key Cross-Border Bridges",2023-10-12,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led a bicameral, bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers representing Texas border communities in sending a letter to President Joe Biden expressing frustration “over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico,” and urging the president to, “swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.” Joining Sen. Cruz in sending this letter are Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas).

As the lawmakers wrote:

“As members of Congress who represent Texas border communities, we write to express our frustration over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico. Bureaucratic barriers are preventing Texas communities from receiving the presidential permits required to construct four crucial bridges in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass (“Texas-Mexico bridge projects”). These bridges are vital for facilitating trade, travel, and tourism, improving supply chain resiliency, and promoting economic growth throughout the United States, especially in the Texas border region that includes some of our state’s lowest-income areas. The Senate and the House of Representatives have separately advanced bipartisan legislation that would remove these unnecessary barriers for applicants. Instead of waiting for Congress to resolve differences and enact final legislation, we urge you to use your existing authority to remove these barriers now and to swiftly approve these economically-critical cross-border bridge projects.

“As you may be aware, under Executive Order 13867, the State Department must provide a recommendation to you about whether granting a permit for a cross-border bridge is in the foreign policy interests of the United States. These Texas-Mexico bridge projects clearly meet that criteria because they will expand job-creating trade with Mexico, one of the United States’ most important trading partners, and foster stronger cross-cultural relations. Unfortunately, during the past two years, permits for the Texas-Mexico bridge projects have been needlessly delayed because the State Department, apparently at the direction of White House staff at the National Security Council and the Council on Environmental Quality, has told project sponsors they must first complete a lengthy and costly National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment before the State Department may make a recommendation to you.

“Requiring a completed environmental assessment is unnecessary for the State Department to make its recommendation to you and contradicts sensible past precedent. First, the sole question for the State Department to consider as part of the presidential permit process is whether a bridge is in the foreign policy interests of our country. This question is separate from whether the construction of a bridge complies with NEPA, which agencies other than the State Department will review. Further, these projects are nearby or adjacent to existing crossings, undermining the argument in favor of first conducting a laborious environmental review. Second, you have the authority as president to issue permits conditioned on bridge project sponsors completing NEPA assessments before they begin construction, which was the practice of the previous administration. That administration issued presidential permits for cross-border bridges in Pharr and Laredo, Texas before NEPA assessments were completed. Importantly, no environmental shortcuts are taken with this conditional approach as federal agencies with relevant jurisdiction will still review NEPA documents before a bridge project can commence.

“The administration’s current practice of withholding a State Department recommendation to you until a lengthy environmental assessment is completed makes project planning and financing difficult for these cross-border bridge projects. Unlike land crossings that may be owned or operated by the federal government, these bridges will be financed largely privately or locally. Bureaucratic delays create significant project uncertainty, hinder economic opportunities, and forestall a higher standard of living not only for our Texas border communities but for all Americans.

“We urge you to remove the unnecessary requirement that bridge project sponsors complete a NEPA assessment before the State Department will give you a recommendation. In addition, we ask that you swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth. Following recent past precedent, your approvals could be conditioned on the project sponsors completing NEPA assessments prior to construction.

“We stand ready to work with you to make these projects a reality. In fact, we have already been working on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to advance legislation that would remove unnecessary barriers to applicants for bridge projects. The Senate National Defense Authorization Act bill includes language that would remove the requirement for applicants to complete a NEPA assessment before the State Department can make a recommendation to you. The House has included language in its fiscal year 2024 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill that would also remove the requirement for an applicant to complete NEPA prior to a determination on the applicant’s presidential permit. You can make these changes to the presidential permit process immediately, and we strongly encourage you to do so.

“We thank you for your attention to this matter and stand ready to work with you. Our state and our country will greatly benefit from having these cross-border bridge projects move forward expeditiously.”

BACKGROUND:

In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted Sen. Cruz’s amendment to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande. The amendment, which was included in a bill to reauthorize State Department programs, was ultimately passed by the entire Senate as part of the annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act, on July 27, 2023. Sen. Cruz has vowed to keep his amendment in the final defense bill that is signed into law.

Sen. Cruz’s amendment, which received bipartisan support, gives the State Department sixty days to make a recommendation to the president on whether to grant permits to international bridge projects in Texas. The president would then have sixty days to approve or deny the permit. The amendment adheres to the practice used by the prior administration where presidential permits could be issued contingent on successful completion of environmental reviews.

In June 2023, Sen. Cruz also led the entire south Texas congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to resolve delays in providing permits for the international Texas bridge projects. Joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter were Sen. Cornyn, and U.S. Representatives Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez , Monica De La Cruz, and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Read the full text of the letter here.

Sen. Cruz’s bipartisan effort to streamline the presidential permitting process for the Texas-Mexico bridge projects are supported by a diverse group of stakeholders, including:

Texas Association of Business

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Laredo Motor Carriers Association

Border Trade Alliance

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-issues-statement-after-israel-announces-start-of-offensive,Sen. Cruz Issues Statement After Israel Announces Start of Offensive,2023-10-09,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after Israel’s military announced the beginning of a counteroffensive against Hamas and other Iran-controlled terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Sen. Cruz said, “On Saturday the world witnessed the largest mass murder of Jews on any day since the Holocaust. Iran-controlled Hamas terrorists used Nazi tactics in pursuit of Nazi ends: house-to-house murders of entire families, systematic rape and torture, murdering babies in front of their parents or killing parents and kidnapping babies, mass kidnappings, marching victims through streets for mob humiliation, and countless other atrocities.

“Thousands of Israelis and a still-unknown number of citizens from other countries are dead, wounded, or kidnapped. Dozens of Americans are reportedly among them.

“Our Israeli allies announced overnight that they are shifting from retaking their territory to an offensive. The United States must ensure that Israel has all the weapons and all the time that it needs to utterly eradicate Hamas, and we must be unambiguous about that commitment.

“Instead, this weekend the State Department repeatedly posted statements and summaries calling for premature ceasefires and for Israel to stand down, while other times Biden administration officials said they were not pressuring Israel. This ambiguity badly undermines our ally’s campaign against the Iran-controlled terrorists in the Gaza Strip, endangering the safety and security of Israelis and Americans.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-releases-statement-on-hamas-war-against-israel,Sen. Cruz Releases Statement on Hamas War Against Israel,2023-10-07,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement this morning:

“Iran-controlled Hamas terrorists launched a literal war against Israel last night. Our Israeli allies will now do what they must to defend themselves and I stand with them as they confront this violence and these atrocities. The United States must continue to support Israel’s absolute right to self-defense and ensure it has the military resources and diplomatic support it needs to confront the genocidal Iran-controlled terrorists who seek Israel’s destruction.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-october-6th,e-Newsletter: Week of October 6th,2023-10-06,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Time and time again, Joe Biden has consistently ignored the crisis unfolding at our southern border. Now that blue states are finally experiencing the disastrous consequences of the Biden administration’s broken border policies, they care. The hypocrisy is palpable. The Biden administration recently admitted that they must build twenty miles of border wall despite efforts to halt all construction immediately after he was sworn into office. Enough is enough. Texas deserves better and I will continue to fight to secure our border.

On Tuesday, I joined Sean Hannity on Fox News to discuss the importance of unifying against the left-wing radicals that are destroying our country.

“I'm feeling many of the sentiments that Republicans and conservatives across this country are feeling. On the one hand, the House of Representatives is the one bright spot we've got. … I don't like seeing chaos. I do hope we can come together and say, these crazy Marxist radical leftists that are destroying our country—we are unified against. I don’t know who the next Speaker of the House will be, but I hope they focus on something I called for nearly a year ago … impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas.”

On Wednesday, I attended the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing where I questioned the radical Marxist views of Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai, a nominee for the federal bench.

“I think your fellow nominees owe you a debt of gratitude. Many Biden nominees have been extreme, but your record is so far out of the mainstream that you have attracted virtually all of the questions. I was particularly intrigued by your statement … you said you are not in fact, a Marxist. And then you said, and I wrote down, ‘I have not praised Marxist ideas.’ Now you know, in law there is the fact of evidence. … [You wrote] an article that is entitled centralized property theory … on the front page of your law school newspaper. … In 2020, you gave a speech entitled reflections on equity and privilege. … Now that’s Marxism in 2020.”

On Wednesday, as the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I questioned the nominee for FAA administrator, Michael Whitaker. This is a crucially important role as three million passengers board commercial flights every day going in and out of U.S. airports with confidence that they will arrive safely to their destinations.

“When it comes to aviation safety, the buck stops with the FAA. This is a crucially important role. The next administrator will face serious challenges in rebuilding the FAA after 18 months without a Senate-confirmed leader. They must address the challenges facing the FAA: staffing critical air traffic control facilities, modernizing antiquated air traffic systems, and bringing employees back in person after three years of telework.”

Later Wednesday evening, I joined Mike Warren of Fox 7 News Austin to discuss my bill the Agent Raul Gonzales Officer Safety Act. The bill would protect the brave men and women in law enforcement by criminalizing fleeing from agents or officers in a high-speed chase.

“[The Agent Raul Gonzales Officer Safety Act is] named after Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzales, who was killed in December of last year. … An illegal immigrant was fleeing from him and his ATV ended up flipping over, and killing him. This bill provides very significant jail time for failing to yield to a border patrol agent because that is endangering not just border patrol agents and law enforcement, but it’s endangering the citizens of South Texas and citizens across our state.”

On Thursday morning, I joined Lawrence Jones of Fox & Friends at a diner in North Dallas to discuss the Biden administration’s false sympathy towards the threat of illegal immigration facing Texas and other southern border states.

“Blue states are finally seeing the consequences of [illegal immigration]. … What do they think 7.6 million has done to Texas and the other border states? They are experiencing now what we’ve been seeing for a long time, … a crisis that is out of control. I do not believe for a minute that Joe Biden wants to fix it.”

Rest assured, I won’t let up in this fight to keep Texas safe and secure our nation. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-sen-cruz-exposes-hypocrisy-of-biden-administration-on-fox-and-friends,ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Exposes Hypocrisy of Biden Administration on Fox & Friends,2023-10-05,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"DALLAS, Texas – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the Biden administration’s admission that they must build 20 miles of border wall despite halting construction immediately after being sworn in.

About Biden’s broken border policies, Sen. Cruz said:

“I think the policy is collapsing, and it's a disaster. I don't believe a word of it. I think [the Democrats] are trying to pretend they give a damn, because look blue states are finally seeing the consequences of this. You've got blue mayors, Eric Adams in New York, saying that illegal immigration is destroying New York City. They've had about 110,000 illegal immigrants, and that's destroying New York City. What the heck do you think 7.6 million has done to Texas and other border states? They're experiencing now what we've been saying for a long time, which is this is a crisis. It's out of control. But I do not believe for a minute Joe Biden wants to fix it. I think this is all window dressing to pretend he cares. His objective is he wants even more illegal immigrants.”

Click here or above to view.

Read a transcript below:

Steve Doocy 0:00

So, let's head back down to North Dallas where Lawrence Jones is joined by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Morning, guys.

Lawrence Jones 0:10

Good morning. Happy to welcome the senator from the great state of Texas Ted Cruz.

Senator, we just played a clip of Joe Biden saying that he wasn't gonna build any more wall. Now the administration says they're gonna do 20 miles, and it works I guess great for Texas—20 miles of border. What do you think about this flip flop and the overall policy of the Biden administration?

Sen. Cruz 0:34

Well, I think the policy is collapsing, and it's a disaster. And I don't believe a word of it. I think they're pretending. I think they're trying to pretend they give a damn, because look blue states are finally seeing the consequences of this. You've got blue mayors, you've got Eric Adams in New York, saying that illegal immigration is destroying New York City. They've had about 110,000 illegal immigrants and that's destroying New York City. What the heck do you think 7.6 million has done to Texas and the other border states? And so they're experiencing now what we've been saying for a long time, which is this is a crisis. It's out of control. But I do not believe for a minute Joe Biden wants to fix it. I think this is all window dressing to pretend he cares. His objective is he wants even more illegal immigrants.

Lawrence Jones 1:21

What is the end goal here for bringing the illegals to the country? I already see this visa thing which seems to be a magnet.

Sen. Cruz 1:28

Yeah, so, I think the end goal is two things. Number one, there's a dynamic in the Democrat Party, which is they've gone crazy, and in particular they've handed their policy agenda over to the radical fringe on every issue. So, you know, you look on something on law enforcement they're listening to the abolish the police and the defund the police nutcases in their party. You look on things like gender issues, they're listening to the people that want to sterilize and mutilate children. I mean, those are the crazies. That's not a mainstream view. And on immigration, they're listening to the open borders radicals—the people in their party that believe we should not have borders, that's part of it. And the other part of it is, I think, there's some very cynical Democrat politicians and they look at 7.6 million people, and they see them all as future Democrat voters. And so, their view is they're willing to look the other way, they're willing to tolerate people being killed, they’re willing to tolerate children being brutalized, they're willing to tolerate thousands of women being sexually assaulted, and 100,000 people dying of drug overdoses because all of those issues they say are less important to them than bringing in a bunch of Democrats and flipping the entire country blue. It's cynical as all get out. And I see no indication that this administration wants change.

Lawrence Jones 2:48

Well, now they're taking the air marshals who have a job already.

Sen. Cruz 2:48

Yeah.

Lawrence Jones 2:48

They say they don't want to use the border agents. They're doing process and now they want to send them to the border.

Sen. Cruz 2:58

Well, and they are sending them. I'm trying to get answers from the administration. How many air marshals have they pulled out of the sky? And look, it's worth remembering why we have air marshals. You know, we stood up that program in large part following 9/11. And their job is to stop terrorism in the sky. And Joe Biden and this administration, they're pulling hundreds of air marshals off the planes. That makes us more vulnerable to terrorism—more vulnerable to some other horrific act of terrorism—and then they're sending them, and the reports we're getting is they're sending them involuntarily. They're ordering them to go down to the border. And here's the most maddening thing, they're not doing law enforcement on the border. What they're doing is paperwork—they're doing processing. The thing to understand, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, he is not trying to stop this. He doesn't want to stop this. He views his job is to speed up illegal immigration. When you listen to his testimony before the Senate. What he says is, look, I want to process illegal immigrants faster. You know, one of the last times I was there, the Border Patrol agent showed me, every one of them had an app on their phones, where they can now process an illegal immigrant in two minutes. And you got to understand the dynamic. And I know you've been down to the border, but for folks who haven't been there I bring senators down to the border all the time and we go out, we'll go out on a midnight patrol. And you don't have to go look for illegal immigrants. Literally, within minutes. they'll find you just driving through, they'll come right up to you, and they'll turn themselves into you. I mean, they're not—most of them are not—running. They're looking for you. They show up, and they typically have a plastic baggie that they carry with them. And in that baggie, they've got a cell phone, they've got usually some form of ID, a passport or birth certificate or driver's license, and then they've got a piece of paper with a name, number, and address of the United States. They go find a Border Patrol agent, and with the app they can scan say their passport and it auto populates all the fields. And it takes them two minutes and they say, ‘Lawrence, where do you want to go?’ You say, ‘New York City, Big Apple.’ They say, ‘Great, go sit over there.’ And all they're doing from that point on is processing to put you on a plane or a bus to send you to wherever you want to go, and every city in America is now a border city. Joe Biden is the last mile of the human trafficking network.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-scott-demand-transparency-on-schumers-plan-to-fund-government-and-avoid-omnibus,"Sens. Cruz, Scott Demand Transparency on Schumer’s Plan to Fund Government and Avoid Omnibus",2023-10-05,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) along with some of their Senate Republican colleagues sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer demanding that the Republican Conference be made aware of how the Senate will take up and pass the twelve appropriations bills that have been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a manner that respects an open amendment process and avoids a December omnibus spending package. They sent the letter with just 44 days of government funding remaining following the passage of a Continuing Resolution earlier this month.

In the letter, the senators wrote, “There is no more important work for the Senate during this time than debating, amending and passing appropriations bills without resorting to a giant package dumped on the conference right before the December holiday. If you commit to this process, including an open amendment process, we believe there will be consent in the Senate to expeditiously consider these bills.”

Senators who signed onto the letter include Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Read the full text of the letter here.

Dear Leader Schumer:

The core constitutional responsibility of the United States Congress is the power of the purse, to set and authorize appropriations which fund the operations of the United States Government. Since 1977, Congress has only successfully completed its appropriations work of taking up, debating, amending if necessary, and passing all appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year on September 30th four times. This is unacceptable. The American people deserve better.

Today, despite being past the September 30th deadline, with the Senate Appropriations Committee having already passed each of the 12 bills for our chamber, we have the best opportunity in decades to complete our work. We urge you to present a plan to the Republican Conference for how you intend to pass the remaining appropriations bills and conference them with the House in a manner that respects an open amendment process and which does not end in a December omnibus spending package.

This is a matter of the utmost importance. Nothing can stand in the way of this work. For this reason, we the undersigned senators pledge to withhold our support for any vote to proceed to items unrelated to appropriations bills.

Just 44 days remain until government funding once again expires on November 17th. There is no more important work for the Senate during this time than debating, amending and passing appropriations bills without resorting to a giant package dumped on the conference right before the December holiday. If you commit to this process, including an open amendment process, we believe there will be consent in the Senate to expeditiously consider these bills.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-lummis-introduce-resolution-to-recognize-us-energy-producers,"Sens. Cruz, Lummis Introduce Resolution to Recognize U.S. Energy Producers",2023-10-04,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), joined Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) to introduce a resolution to designate October 4, 2023, as National Energy Appreciation Day to celebrate the men and women who work to power the United States.

Upon introducing the resolution Sen. Cruz said, “Millions of men and women across the Lone Star State and nation work tirelessly every day to provide our country with abundant and reliable energy. I am proud to join Sen. Lummis and my colleagues in introducing legislation to provide the U.S. energy sector with the recognition it deserves, especially as we battle the Biden administration’s radical climate agenda.”

Cosponsors include Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Ind.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)

Read the full text of the resolution here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-braun-ossoff-send-bipartisan-letter-to-help-veterans-access-essential-military-records,"Sens. Cruz, Braun, Ossoff, Send Bipartisan Letter to Help Veterans Access Essential Military Records",2023-10-03,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and seventeen additional Senate colleagues, sent a bipartisan letter to the United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) seeking answers on the backlog of veterans’ service record requests. Veterans often require their military service records to access critical government benefits and services, so ensuring requests are completed expeditiously is crucial for veterans to receive their hard-earned benefits.

In the letter, the senators called on NARA to address its use of funds provided by Congress to address the backlog, writing, “We write to express our concern regarding reports of ongoing delays in constituents receiving their military service records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). As part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-263), Congress passed the Access for Veterans to Records Act. This authorized $60 million for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to address the records backlog and improve response times for requests from Veterans for their military service records.”

Cosigners include Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Ray Lujan (R-N.M.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Boozman (R-Wyo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).

Read the full text of the letter here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-accepts-legislator-of-the-year-award-from-the-international-association-of-drilling-contractors-iadc,Sen. Cruz Accepts Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC),2023-10-02,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accepted the Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Cruz has been a dedicated champion of policies supporting the upstream oil and gas industry by advocating and leading legislative efforts to promote U.S. energy and strip harmful mandates that undermine American job opportunities and threaten our national security.

Upon accepting the award, Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden administration’s hostility toward the oil and gas industry raises costs for American families and destroys U.S. jobs. Right here in America, we produce the world’s cleanest energy and have the resources and ability to do so without relying on Russia, Iran, or Venezuela. I am honored to receive this award, and I will continue to defend the merits of drilling on American soil and in American waters.”

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Cruz worked with industry, EPA and OMB to expedite and finally approve these new regulations allowing for new NPDES permits, effective for a period of five years from May 11, 2023. These permits are essential to maintain domestic energy production, to restrain gas prices from rising even higher, and to allow hard-working Texans to continue going to work for their families and the nation.

In July, Sen. Cruz secured the passage of an amendment to the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act prohibiting the sale of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) crude oil to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Sen. Cruz previously introduced similar legislation as the No Emergency Crude Oil for Foreign Adversaries Act in2022 and earlier this year.

In April and December of 2022, Sen. Cruz successfully negotiated with the administration to approve four major licenses for companies to export liquified natural gas (LNG) abroad in exchange for releasing holds on nominees, altogether allowing for 40 million metric tons of LNG per year to be exported to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S.

Sen. Cruz has introduced legislation to streamline permitting for all energy development on federal lands and waters, expedite natural gas exports, and partnered with Sen. Manchin to halt the Biden administration’s ban on gas stoves.

In 2020, Sen. Cruz led the fight to protect America and Texas’s energy producers from Russia and Saudi Arabia who were exploiting the pandemic to flood the global oil market.

Related Issues

Energy and Environment",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-lee-colleagues-fight-for-transparency-in-national-monuments-designation-process,"Sens. Cruz, Lee, Colleagues Fight for Transparency in National Monuments Designation Process",2023-10-02,2023,2023-10,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently introduced the Congressional Oversight of the Antiquities Act with Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) to reform the Antiquities Act of 1906 and ensure accountability over more transparent designations of national monuments. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-Iowa) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Upon introducing the bill, Sen. Cruz said, “The broad language of the Antiquities Act of 1906 has been severely distorted by several administrations to seize rural land without any consequences. Accountability is necessary. Our bill requires the President to receive congressional approval for the designation of a national monument, limiting his ability to make reckless decisions involving public lands.”

BACKGROUND:

Since its inception, the Antiquities Act has been a tool to protect archaeological resources on public lands. Over the years, however, there have been instances where the Act’s broad language has been used to unilaterally designate vast amounts of public land as national monuments without sufficient public input or Congressional oversight.

The bill highlights instances like the designation of the Grand-Staircase-Escalante National Monument under President Clinton and the Bears Ears National Monument under President Obama. Both monuments cover millions of acres. Most recently, President Biden’s establishment of a 917,600-acre monument in northern Arizona further underscores the necessity for reform.

The bill has received endorsements by the American Farm Bureau Foundation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Public Lands Council, American Forest Resource Council, and Federal Forest Resource Coalition.

###

Related Issues

Energy and Environment",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:49:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter-week-of-september-30th,e-Newsletter: Week of September 30th,2023-09-30,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Under Joe Biden’s watch, we have experienced the highest rate of illegal immigration ever recorded in our nation’s history, and Texas is paying the highest price. The broken border policies of the Biden administration are utterly indefensible. In Texas, we are at the front line as our communities continue to suffer from the rampant influx of drugs and illegal immigration that has overrun our state. Last weekend, I was interviewed by Patrick Svitek in Austin, Texas at The Texas Tribune Festival, where I addressed the chaos occurring at our southern border.

“One of the talking points that you see from the White House is, ‘well, the border is just not solvable.’ The problem with that is that is objectively false. When Joe Biden came into office he inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in forty-five years and this crisis was cause by three specific decisions. Number one, … Biden immediately halted construction of the border wall. Number two, he reinstated the failed policy of catch and release. … Number three, he pulled out of the incredibly successful ‘Remain in Mexico’ agreement.”

On Monday, I joined Sean Hannity on Fox News to discuss how the Biden administration’s failed economic policies are putting an unbearable weight on the backs of American families as inflation continues to soar.

“Bidenomics has made life harder for working men and women. … The cost of everything has gone up. It’s harder and harder to make ends meet. Young people coming out of school are discovering they can’t pay their rent, they can’t pay their car payment, and God forbid you try to buy a house.”

On Wednesday, I joined Harris Faulkner of the Faulkner Focus on Fox News to address the fact that now more than 7.6 million illegal immigrants have crossed our southern border since Joe Biden took office.

“It’s the worst illegal immigration in our nation’s history and it is reaching crisis proportions everywhere, but especially in Texas. Texas is bearing the brunt. And it’s striking, we are now seeing Democrat mayors and Democrat governors all over the country declaring emergencies. … If 110,000 is destroying New York City and is a crisis, what the heck does he think 7.6 million is doing to Texas and the other southern border states.”

On Wednesday afternoon, I addressed the Senate floor in support of the Pay Our Military Act. Senate Democrats are refusing to fund our military as the government barrels towards a shutdown, while they continue to put politics over our nation’s security.

“Let’s not hurt brave men and women who are protecting this country. … When your paycheck goes away next week, understand [our servicemen and women] would have been paid except for the fact that Democrat leadership decided it's in their political interest.”

On Wednesday, I also joined some of my Republican colleagues in the Senate at a press conference where we addressed the Biden border crisis.

“You cannot see what is happening [at our southern border] and defend it.”

Rest assured, I will not stop fighting to fix our broken immigration system, to secure our border, and to protect our communities. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Cruz: Bank Admitted to Pressuring Software Company to Stop Processing Payroll for Gun Sellers

ICYMI: Cruz introduces bill to cut federal funding to schools used to house illegal immigrants

READ: Sen. Cruz, Chairman Comer Demand Answers From Law Firm Regarding Acting NHTSA Administrator’s Role In Frivolous Lawsuits Aimed at Bankrupting Oil Companies

ICYMI: Ted Cruz urges passage of a school choice measure in Texas

State Spotlight

Texas Cryptocurrency Groups

Texas Women’s University Chancellor Carine Feyten

Texas Farm Bureau Leadership

Commerce Corner

Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-statement-on-continuing-resolution-vote,Sen. Cruz Statement on Continuing Resolution Vote,2023-09-30,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after casting a vote against a short-term continuing resolution.

Sen. Cruz said, “No one wants a government shutdown, and I have proudly championed the End Government Shutdowns Act, which would send the government into an automatic continuing resolution with a one percent reduction in spending if Congress could not get its act together to fund the government.

“However, Democrats are opposed to spending cuts, or spending limits of any kind, even their own spending limit that they agreed to less than four months ago. This continuing resolution does nothing to address the acute crisis at the Texas-Mexico border, itself created by deliberate Democrat policies. I voted no.”

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Cruz joined Sen. Dan. Sullivan (R-Alaska) twice on the Senate floor to try and pass the Pay Our Military Act of 2023 by unanimous consent, but Democrats blocked both efforts. The bill would have ensured that the Army, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Space Force, and the Coast Guard would be paid in the event of a government shutdown. He also fought for his own legislation ensuring the Coast Guard was treated like other branches of the military in the event of a shutdown, but Democrats defeated that effort as well. Sen. Cruz published an op-ed in Stars and Stripes in support of his legislation, the “Pay Our Coast Guard Act.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-condemns-biden-administration-for-proposing-only-three-new-lease-sales-in-gulf-of-mexico,Cruz Condemns Biden Administration for Proposing Only Three New Lease Sales in Gulf of Mexico,2023-09-29,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz today condemned the Biden administration for announcing it would hold only three new lease sales to oil and gas companies for exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico over the next five years.

Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden administration continues their illogical attack on U.S. energy production. The latest announcement that the administration will only hold three new lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico will simply force consumers to use foreign sources, which produce more methane and take more energy to transport. America produces the cleanest oil and gas, and if President Biden is really concerned about greenhouse gas emissions, he should be encouraging more domestic American energy production. Instead, his radical policies are going to raise gasoline prices, hurt families and businesses, and weaken American energy security by emboldening Russia and Iran.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-delivers-floor-speech-urging-support-for-military-including-coast-guard-during-government-shutdown,"Sen. Cruz Delivers Floor Speech Urging Support for Military, Including Coast Guard, During Government Shutdown",2023-09-29,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivered remarks again urging his colleagues to support the Pay Our Military Act of 2023 introduced by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The bill ensures that the Army, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Space Force, and, the Coast Guard would be paid in the event of a government shutdown. In addition to his efforts to ensure our military members are paid in the event of a shutdown, Sen. Cruz published an op-ed in Stars and Stripes in support of his legislation, the “Pay Our Coast Guard Act.”

Sen. Cruz has also requested that his pay be withheld during the shutdown. Read his letter requesting this here.

During his speech, Sen. Cruz said, “I have in writing instructed the Senate that I will not accept the paycheck so long as our active duty military is not being paid. It is wrong. Senators are paid $174,000 a year by law. The Democrat leadership who stands up and says, ‘I object,’ is telling a 19-year-old woman on a nuclear sub right now, defending our nation, that her paycheck doesn't matter anymore. …And so, I'm going to suggest to the reporters who aren't here and aren't covering this, that so long as Democrat leadership keeps blocking what has been bipartisan unanimous legislation previously that every Democrat Senator ought to be asked, ‘Are you taking a paycheck?’ Come 12:01am on Sunday.”

Watch the speech here.

See the full transcript below:

“Mr. President, at the opening of her remarks, the Senator from Washington said, ‘I agree with the objective of this bill. I agree with what Senator Sullivan and Senator Cruz are trying to accomplish.’ Then she talked for a while and then she blocked the entirety of the bill. Everything. And in between saying, ‘I agree with this bill,’ and the two magic words at the end of her remarks, ‘I object,’ I have to admit brought me back to Saturday morning cartoons and watching peanuts and the teacher going want want want want? Because they were words, but that didn't mean anything. This is a binary choice. At 12:01am on Sunday, are Soldiers gonna get paid, yes or no? Are Sailors gonna get paid, yes or no? Are Airmen gonna get paid, yes or no? Are Marines gonna get paid, yes or no? Are members of the Space Force gonna get paid, yes or no? Or Coast Guardsmen going to get paid, yes or no? A decade ago, every member of this body voted to pay them. Since this debate began, the presiding officer had been Senator Kelly has now been replaced by Senator Murphy from Connecticut. I would point out Senator Murphy voted yes, to pay our active duty military in 2013. And yet, now, the Democrats are blocking those paychecks. Senator from Washington said, ‘Well, gosh, the Democrats have a CR that you could have voted for.’ The Senator from Washington knows fully well, that the bill drafted by Democrat leadership is not going to pass the House of Representatives. She knows that the result is going to be a shutdown. And what's changed from 2013 to now? From 2013 to now the Democrat leadership is perfectly willing to hold a young man or woman in the military to hold their paychecks hostage. Well, something interesting is going to happen at 12:01 am, 35 hours from now. Paychecks of every federal employee will stop. The paychecks of the stenographer who's recording my words will stop. The paychecks of the clerk sitting down front will stop. But you know what, Mr. President, there are 535 people whose paychecks will not stop. Under the Constitution. Members of this body senators and members of the House, their paychecks can't stop even during a shutdown. Which means at 12:01am on Sunday, every Democrat Senator will keep drawing their paycheck, while the people risking their lives to defend us will not. Well, I'll tell you, Mr. President, I have in writing instructed the Senate that I will not accept the paycheck so long as our active duty military is not being paid. It is wrong. Senators are paid $174,000 a year by law. The Democrat leadership who stands up and says, ‘I object,’ is telling a 19-year-old woman on a nuclear sub right now, defending our nation, that her paycheck doesn't matter anymore. There's right now a mom in tennis shoes serving in the military who's discovering that her mortgage payment - she doesn't know how to pay. And so, I'm going to suggest to the reporters who aren't here and aren't covering this, that so long as Democrat leadership keeps blocking what has been bipartisan unanimous legislation previously that every Democrat Senator ought to be asked, ‘Are you taking a paycheck?’ Come 12:01am on Sunday. They're the ones objecting, they're the ones stopping. And every soldier needs to understand why are you not being paid? Because the Democrats objected every sailor needs to understand because the Democrats objected. Every Airman, every Marine, every Coast Guardsmen, every member of the Space Force when your paycheck goes away 35 hours from now, it is because of two magic words. The Democrat leadership has said. Let's be clear it's not just the Senator from Washington she's doing it on instruction from the Democrat leadership. They could change it like that. And I can tell you this, Senator Sullivan and I are going to keep coming back over, and over, and over again, because there's not a member of this body that wants to go home to your state. Even a state like Connecticut. You don't want to be at home looking at active duty military and saying yep my party took away your paycheck. That's too cynical even for this body. So, I pray that common sense comes back. I yield the floor.”

Read the Pay Our Coast Guard Act op-ed here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-amendment-to-add-border-security-policies-to-the-continuing-resolution,Sen. Cruz Introduces Amendment to Add Border Security Policies to the Continuing Resolution,2023-09-29,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced an amendment with 11 co-sponsors to add the Secure the Border Act to the continuing resolution. Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) are co-sponsoring the amendment.

Sen. Cruz stated, “It is imperative that any government funding bill include real border security measures. The Secure the Border Act would stop the Biden Border Crisis dead in its tracks and halt the invasion at our southern border. I am proud to be the Senate lead of the most comprehensive border security bill in decades, and it should be added to the continuing resolution to ensure that our government is enforcing the law.”

Sen. Tuberville said, “The crisis at our southern border gets worse with each passing day under Joe Biden’s watch. Americans are tired of sending taxpayer dollars to help other countries secure their borders, while leaving the floodgates open at ours. We are losing people every day to fentanyl and other deadly drugs that are pouring across the border. This madness must stop. I’m proud to join my Senate colleagues with this amendment, and I hope those on the other side of the aisle will help us address this severe national security issue.”

Sen. Barrasso said, “President Biden and the Democrats have surrendered our Southern Border to criminals, gang members, and drug dealers. Cartels are running a billion-dollar criminal enterprise that is flooding our country with illegal immigrants and deadly fentanyl in every state. Wyoming is no exception. This amendment is a critical step in successfully tackling this Democrat-made crisis. We must do everything in our power to provide security and safety to our communities and actually secure our Southern Border once again.”

Sen. Cotton said, “The Biden Border Crisis has invited cartels and terrorists to bring drugs and crime into America’s communities. Worse, his administration has no plan to do anything about the crisis. This amendment will require the continued construction of a border wall and give the Border Patrol officers the resources they need to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.”

Sen. Cruz said, “President Biden’s shocking dereliction of duty on the southern border is killing Americans across our country, including my constituents thousands of miles away, a result of the unfettered flow of fentanyl and other deadly drugs entering the nation daily. President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, and their enablers in Congress, are responsible. This unprecedented humanitarian, health and national security crisis needs to be addressed now. If my Democratic colleagues block our comprehensive amendment to finally secure the border, they will continue to be complicit in the harm and loss of life being inflicted on American families as a result of this preventable catastrophe.”

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Cruz introduced the Senate companion to the Secure the Border Act, which has the support of 30 co-sponsors. The Secure the Border Act passed the House as H.R. 2 earlier this year. The Secure the Border Act enacts effective border security solutions, including:

1. Requiring the Department of Homeland Security to resume border wall construction.

2. Increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents.

3. Tightening asylum standards by restricting asylum to only aliens who present at ports of entry and by requiring aliens to prove they are “more likely than not” to qualify for their asylum claim.

4. Narrowing DHS’s power to unilaterally grant parole to illegal aliens.

5. Criminalizing visa overstays by making the first offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and the second offense a felony punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to two years imprisonment.

6. Stopping NGOs from using tax dollars to transport or lodge illegal aliens and provide illegal aliens with lawyers.

7. Restricting DHS from using its CBP One app to welcome illegal aliens into the country.

8. Requiring employers to use E-Verify.

9. Ensuring CBP has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin and transit so that CBP is aware of the criminal history of illegal aliens encountered at the southern border.

The full text of the Secure the Border Act is available here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-statement-honoring-dianne-feinstein,Sen. Cruz Statement Honoring Dianne Feinstein,2023-09-29,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after the passing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). They served together for 11 years on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she chaired the Subcommittee on The Constitution, and where Sen. Cruz served as the ranking member.

Sen. Cruz said, “I had the privilege of serving with Dianne Feinstein for eleven years on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I was always grateful for her commitment to the Committee and to the Senate. She was a trailblazer for women, and our institution is the lesser for losing her. We disagreed on many things, but that never stopped her from being collegial and courteous. Dianne was an old-school statesman, who embodied class and who fought to solve real problems for California. She will be missed. Heidi and I are praying for her daughter Katherine and her entire family.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-introduces-legislation-to-protect-students-and-prohibit-schools-from-being-turned-into-shelters-for-illegal-aliens,Cruz Introduces Legislation to Protect Students and Prohibit Schools from Being Turned into Shelters for Illegal Aliens,2023-09-28,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Senate companion to the Schools Not Shelters Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support. This legislation would protect and prioritize students by prohibiting K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that receive federal funding from being used as shelters to house illegal aliens.

Sen. Cruz stated, “The invasion at our southern border is straining local services, overwhelming hospitals, and overcrowding schools. To make matters worse, leftist sanctuary cities are even using K-12 schools and college campuses as housing for illegal aliens. Instead of addressing the learning loss caused by Democrat COVID lockdowns, sanctuary cities are focused on diverting resources from students to house illegal aliens. Students are losing access to gyms, dorms, and other school facilities in order to accommodate illegal aliens. Housing unvetted, potentially dangerous illegal aliens in schools is a recipe for disaster. Students should feel safe and be prioritized while at school, and my bill reverses these terrible Democrat policies that have put illegal aliens ahead of students. I call on Senator Schumer to listen to New York parents and bring this bill to the Floor for a vote.”

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.-19) said, “I’m glad to see my bipartisan bill gaining momentum. As the parent of four children, I agree and share the concerns of mothers and fathers who have spoken out against housing migrants in schools. The bill affirms that schools are places for academics, athletics, community services, and places where children like mine receive vital therapy. They are not migrant shelters.”

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) stated, “The Biden border crisis is straining our country’s resources to a historic degree. Schoolchildren should not bear the brunt Joe Biden’s open border policies. That’s why I’m proud to support Senator Cruz’s bill to stop our schools from turning into shelters for illegal immigrants.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said, “Illegal immigrants don’t belong in the United States at all—much less in our public schools. Our legislation will ensure federally-funded schools and universities remain centers of learning for American children, not overflow housing facilities for illegal immigrants.”

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the Senate companion to Congressman Marc Molinaro’s Schools Not Shelters Act which passed the House 222-201 with bipartisan support. Senator Ted Budd, Senator Tom Cotton, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) cosponsored Senator Cruz’s Schools Not Shelters Act.

Instead of demanding that Joe Biden secure the border, Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams have used public schools to house illegal aliens.

Using schools to house illegal aliens poses a significant safety risk to schoolchildren, compromises schools’ ability to secure their own campuses, and takes away resources from students. Border Patrol has encountered over 12,000 illegal aliens with criminal convictions since October 1, 2022. Given the Biden administration’s penchant for catch-and-release, it is likely that many of these criminal aliens have been released into the United States. Housing criminal aliens in schools poses an obvious risk to students.

The Schools Not Shelters Act would prohibit federally funded K-12 schools, colleges, and universities from housing illegal aliens. This prohibition does not apply when the housing is a short-term measure in response to specified disasters including fires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-cornyn-introduce-range-of-measures-to-boost-texas-water-supply-and-secure-compliance-by-mexico-of-water-treaty,"Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Introduce Range of Measures to Boost Texas Water Supply and Secure Compliance By Mexico of Water Treaty",2023-09-28,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced several legislative measures to ensure that U.S. diplomats and officials of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary Commission have the backing and necessary resources to establish predictable and reliable water supplies, which are especially crucial to Texas farmers, including compliance by Mexico with the 1944 Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado, Tijuana, and Rio Grande Rivers.. The first measure introduced by the Texas Senators is an amendment to the government funding resolution that would direct the Secretary of State to use the voice, vote, diplomatic capital, and resources of the United States to ensure Mexico’s compliance with the existing Treaty. In addition, the Senators also introduced two other measures, including a separate bill containing the same language as their amendment and a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that these resources must be utilized to secure Mexican compliance.

“Americans across the Southwest, and especially Texans and Texas farmers, are suffering from acute water shortages. This crisis is driven in part by non-compliance by Mexico with its obligations under the 1944 Treaty of Utilization of Waters. American diplomats and officials, including at the International Boundary and Water Commission, are working on these issues and engaged in ongoing negotiations, but to date they have not had only limited success. We are in the third year of our five year cycle, but the U.S. has only received about 39% of what Mexico is obligated to deliver. These measures begin to put the Senate on record and to mobilize the resources of the United States to address this crisis and secure Mexican compliance. I am proud to fight for farmers in Texas and beyond to make sure they are provided with the regular and predictable water supplies they need to survive and thrive,” said Sen. Cruz.

“South Texas farmers and producers have faced below-average rainfall and severe crop losses this year, and our border communities rely on consistent releases of water to the Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs to help fill that gap. I am committed to ensuring Mexico fulfills its obligations and promptly releases the water owed to our farmers and ranchers.” said Sen. Cornyn.

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Cruz recently completed a statewide ag tour, meeting with agricultural leaders in Harlingen, Amarillo, Lubbock, and the Coastal Bend area.

One of the primary ways that the U.S. seeks to ensure predictable and reliable water is through the Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande (“the Treaty”), signed between the U.S. and Mexico in 1944.

The Treaty envisions and commits the parties to delivering a certain amount of water over five-year cycles, measured in annual averages: the U.S. must annually deliver a minimum of 1.5 million acre-feet of water and Mexico must deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water, i.e. 1.75 million over the five-year cycle.

The Treaty is administered by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).

Mexico routinely misses both the annual and five-year deadlines, preventing American farmers from access to predictable and reliable water. According to the U.S. Section of the IBWC, Mexico currently owes the U.S. nearly 600,000 acre-feet of water. It is year 3 of the 5 year cycle, and the U.S. has only received about 39% of the water delivery.

U.S. diplomats and officials in the U.S. section of the IBWC have been pushing Mexico to fulfill its commitments and agree to rules that regularize deliveries. They have been unsuccessful thus far, while water shortages across the Southwest are becoming acute.

The bill and amendment direct the Secretary of State to fully support the IBWC’s efforts and use voice, vote, diplomatic capital, and resources necessary to bring Mexico into compliance.

The Senate Resolution expresses the position of the Senate that Mexico needs to comply with its treaty obligations under the 1944 Treaty, and for the need to engage in further diplomatic actions to ensure compliance in order to ensure reliable quantities of water are available for Texas farmers and ranchers.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-delivers-floor-speech-to-maintain-funding-for-the-military-including-coast-guard,"Sen. Cruz Delivers Floor Speech to Maintain Funding for the Military, Including Coast Guard",2023-09-27,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) delivered remarks on the Senate floor today in support of the Pay Our Military Act of 2023 introduced by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The bill ensures that the Army, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Space Force, and, Coast Guard would be paid in the event of a government shutdown. In addition to his efforts to ensure our military members are paid in the event of a shutdown, Sen. Cruz published an op-ed in Stars and Stripes in support of his legislation, the 'Pay Our Coast Guard Act'.

During his speech, Sen. Cruz said, “Our military will still show up even with a shutdown. The military has to do its job and keep this nation safe, but what will happen is their paychecks will go away. … Never mind that you can't pay for groceries for your wife and kid that week. Never mind that you can't pay your rent, you can't pay your bills. Never mind, a Marine who's stationed in harm's way. Your paycheck is going to go away. Why? Because partisanship is so rife in this town that the Democrat leadership believed they could hold these young fighting men and women hostage and pay no political price.”

Watch the speech here

See the full transcript below:

Mr. President, I rise today in support of my friend from Alaska, in a plea to sanity and common sense in this body. We are three days away from an impending government shutdown. Now, I believe a shutdown is likely, because I believe President Biden and Senator Schumer want a shutdown. I think they believe it benefits them politically, to force a shutdown. Whether I'm right or wrong in that, everyone acknowledges there is a very significant risk of a shutdown 72 hours from now. As it stands right now, if we have that government shutdown 72 hours from now our servicemen and women will still go to work. Our military will still show up even with a shutdown. The military has to do its job and keep this nation safe, but what will happen is their paychecks will go away. Now, last week, Senator Sullivan and I both came to the Senate floor seeking to pass my legislation – the Pay Our Coast Guards Act. That legislation is bipartisan. I'm the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, it was authored by me and co-sponsored by Maria Cantwell, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. It was also co-sponsored by Senator Sullivan and Senator Tammy Baldwin, the chairman and ranking member of the Coast Guard Subcommittee. The reason my legislation last week was introduced is the last time we had a shutdown in 2019, ‘The Schumer Shutdown,’ the government was shut down for 34 days, and soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines were paid because the Department of Defense appropriations had been passed. But coast guardsmen were not because they're not under DOD. They're under the Department of Homeland Security. So, for 34 days, heroic Coast Guardsmen guarded our coast, saved people off the coast of Texas, were there when people needed them in times of disaster, and yet they didn't get a paycheck. That was wrong, and in 2019, Senator Sullivan and I came to the Senate floor then and tried to pass a bill to pay our coast guardsmen in the middle of ‘The Schumer Shutdown,’ and the Democrats objected. Democrat leadership said no, ‘we will not pay our Coast Guardsmen.’ Well, last week, I tried to say we got bipartisan legislation. Let's do it right. Let's not hurt brave young men and women who are protecting this country. Unfortunately, Democrat leadership stood up and utter two words ‘I object.’ And in fact, the senator from Washington had an argument that I found thoroughly curious. She said, Well, this bill that Cruz and Sullivan are trying to pass it wouldn't technically mandate that Coast Guardsmen be paid because what the bill provided is they should be paid if soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are paid. So, it argued we should treat the military evenly and fairly and not discriminate against the Coast Guard. She said, ‘that's the reason I'm objecting, because it doesn't mandate that it happens.’ Well, you know what the Senator from Washington asked for is what we are right here now doing. This bill does what she said last week was the reason she was objecting. That's what this bill does. 10 years ago, this bill passed the Senate 100 to nothing. You and I were both in the Senate. That means you voted for it and I voted for it. That means the senator from Washington voted for it. It means the House passed it unanimously, but in the decade that has passed, I guess common sense has gone out the window. So, I want to say something right now. Every Soldier, every Sailor, every Airman every Marine, every Coast Guardsmen, every member of the Space Force. If you're a 19-year-old, private or corporal stationed at Fort Bliss right now next week there's a very good chance your paycheck is going away. We're gonna find out in just a few moments, whether or not your paycheck is going away. And just listen very carefully for two words. If we hear two words from the Senator from Washington, the words ‘I object,’ those two words uttered on behalf of Democrat leadership. We'll kill this bill, and when your paycheck goes away next week understand you would have been paid except for the fact that Democrat leadership decided it's in their political interest to hold that 19-year-old private hostage. Never mind that you can't pay for groceries for your wife and kid that week. Never mind that you can't pay your rent, you can't pay your bills. Never mind, a Marine who's stationed in harm's way. Your paycheck is going to go away. Why? Because partisanship is so rife in this town that the Democrat leadership believed they could hold these young fighting men and women hostage and pay no political price. I hope that Senator from Washington listens to what I've said and what the Senator from Alaska has said and decides, you know, it's not right. To hold these brave men and women hostage. We're not going to do it. I hope Democrat leadership puts principle above partisan politics, but we're about to find out.

Read the Pay Our Coast Guard Act op-ed here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-praises-the-selection-of-dallas-as-an-arpa-h-hub,Sen. Cruz Praises the Selection of Dallas as an ARPA-H Hub,2023-09-27,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) praised the decision to bring The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to Dallas. Dallas was chosen as one of the three selected hubs to launch ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network that will advance ARPA-H’s mission to accelerate better health outcomes for everyone.

Sen. Cruz said, “I have vigorously fought to bring the next innovative healthcare center home to Texas, and am excited that Dallas will now be home to one of three ARPA-H hubs. Texas is home to a number of world class medical centers, but Dallas—the ninth largest city in the U.S.—is uniquely qualified to accommodate this major hub due to the city’s strong commitment to furthering biotechnology demonstrated by their burgeoning healthcare research sector. This makes Dallas, and Texas overall, an ideal environment for healthcare-related innovation to thrive. This investment will be a critical—and transformational—asset for years to come and will ensure that Texas will continue to be at the forefront of medical research. I am proud to have championed this win for the Lone Star State from the very beginning, and I’m excited to welcome ARPA-H to Dallas with open arms.”

Dallas will be the physical site of the Customer Experience Hub, which will help ARPA-H develop a variety of health solutions.

Sen. Cruz has led the effort to designate Texas home to an ARPA-H hub:

In October of 2022, Sen. Cruz signed on to a bipartisan Texas delegation letter to have ARPA-H come to Texas.

In March of 2023, Sen. Cruz signed on to a bipartisan Texas delegation letter to advocate for ARPA-H to come to Texas.

Also in March of 2023, Sen. Cruz led a letter with support from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to advocate for Texas as ARPA-H made its location decisions.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-rep-mcmorris-rodgers-urge-fcc-commissioner-to-reject-rosenworcel-plan-to-subsidize-tiktok-on-school-buses,"Sen. Cruz, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Urge FCC Commissioner to Reject Rosenworcel Plan to Subsidize TikTok on School Buses",2023-09-27,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash) sent a letter to the newly sworn-in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, Anna Gomez, urging her to oppose FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s plan to expand the E-rate program beyond school classrooms and libraries. The proposed expansion of funding, including to fund Wi-Fi hotspots on school buses, is not only unlawful (the statute only allows for connectivity spending for classrooms and libraries) but raises concerns about subsidizing children’s unsupervised internet access to social media sites like TikTok and Instagram on their bus rides to and from school.The letter, emphasizing multiple concerns, argues that the E-rate expansion could potentially lead to duplicative federal government programs and wasteful subsidized overbuilding in communities.

In the letter Ranking Member Ted Cruz and E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers wrote,

“We write to express our strong opposition to a plan circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to expand the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC or the Commission) E-Rate program. This plan would not only violate federal law but also duplicate programs across the federal government, directly contradicting FCC commissioners’ repeated commitments to streamlining federal broadband funding. Indeed, Commissioner Nathan Simington says this plan ‘would eviscerate Congress’ restrictions on E-Rate and make a mockery of the law.’ ?Instead of expanding the FCC’s authority beyond current statutory and budgetary constraints, the FCC should address the E-Rate program’s existing problems and follow the law as written…

“… Expanding E-Rate to fund equipment like Wi-Fi hotspots would break with the statute and longstanding precedent that Universal Service Fund (USF) dollars, which fund the E-Rate program, may only be used to fund services and not consumer devices…

“... Perhaps even more concerning, expanding E-Rate spending beyond school classrooms and libraries into the broader community creates new potential for wasteful, subsidized overbuilding. The E-Rate program already subsidizes broadband deployment to schools and libraries, which has resulted in multiple examples of subsidized overbuilding. By expanding E-Rate support to off-campus connectivity, the plan appears to open the door to funding broadband buildout to homes, even in cases where the community is already served by an existing broadband provider. This use of taxpayer dollars to compete with private businesses is inappropriate and inefficient, and could duplicate existing federal programs, such as the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program (BEAD)…

“Worse, this expansion neglects E-Rate’s deep-seated problems. There is little evidence the program has helped improve learning outcomes or that schools would not be connected without the subsidy. E-Rate primarily benefits large, wealthy school districts, rather than poor rural schools. It is full of waste, fraud, and abuse. It is notorious for overbuilding existing networks. According to the former FCC Inspector General, there is a cottage industry of ‘consultants who extract a significant amount of money from applicants’ by taking advantage of the program’s complexity. Additionally, the FCC has an extensive backlog of E-Rate applications and appeals, including some pending cases from two decades ago. The FCC should get E-Rate’s house in order before seeking new ways to spend consumers’ hard-earned money.??

The letter concludes, “Chairwoman Rosenworcel calls her plan “Learn without Limits,” but it really should be called “Spend without Limits.” We ask that you reject this unlawful plan to vastly expand the E-Rate program. Instead, the FCC should work with Congress, not ignore the text of section 254, to advance its policy goals.”??

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

On July 31st 2023, Sen. Cruz and Rep. McMorris Rodgers sent a letter to Chairwoman Rosenworcel expressing their opposition to her proposal to vastly expand the E-Rate program. Read full letter HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-awarded-the-club-for-growth-foundations-2022-defender-of-economic-freedom-award,Sen. Cruz Awarded the Club for Growth Foundation’s 2022 Defender of Economic Freedom Award,2023-09-26,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accepted the 2022 Club for Growth Defender of Economic Freedom Award for his dedication to promoting economic growth and championing issues related to limited government. Sen. Cruz has proudly proposed and supported common-sense pro-jobs and pro-growth legislation to get the government off the backs of hardworking taxpayers, and rein in the Biden administration’s out-of-control spending.

The Club for Growth is the largest free market advocacy organization in the United States, and the foundation’s 2022 Congressional Economic Scorecard is considered the gold-standard in measuring the voting behavior of Members of Congress. The Defender of Economic Freedom Award is given to Representatives and Senators who not only score 90% or better on votes cast in a year, but also maintain a lifetime rating of at least 90% to receive the award.

Upon accepting the Defender of Economic Freedom Award, Sen. Cruz said, “Texans have had enough of Democrats’ spending binge and burdensome taxation, which are smothering growth and opportunity. It’s time to put a stop to the reckless spending habits of the Biden administration that are driving up inflation and outpacing economic growth. I am committed to putting American jobs first, fighting oppressive taxation policies, and championing pro-growth policies that restore our economy and keep Americans’ hard-earned dollars in their pockets.”

Club for Growth’s President David McIntosh said, “We congratulate Sen. Cruz for earning Club for Growth’s Defender of Economic Freedom Award for fighting for policies that advance limited government and prosperity. Meanwhile Democrats have become more socialist than ever despite many of them claiming to be ‘moderate.’”

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Cruz helped enact historic tax reform in 2017, which gave a tax cut to virtually every taxpayer in America. It reduced taxes on small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and job producers, which has helped bring jobs to Texas and drive innovation.

He has also fought to make permanent its historic tax cuts for individuals.

He has repeatedly introduced legislation to repeal the Biden administration’s misguided infrastructure package that included a provision expanding the IRS to cover the cryptocurrency space.

He introduced an amendment to strike the $80 billion increase in IRS funding.

He sent letters to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to request an investigation into the political weaponization of IRS data.

He introduced legislation called the Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act alongside his Republican colleagues to prohibit the IRS from being granted access to virtually every single American’s bank account.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-blasts-fcc-chairwomans-net-neutrality-plan-to-move-our-country-backwards-and-reinstate-failed-obama-era-net-neutrality-rules,Sen. Cruz Blasts FCC Chairwoman’s Net Neutrality Plan to “Move Our Country Backwards and Reinstate Failed Obama-era Net Neutrality Rules”,2023-09-26,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today released the following statement after Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced her plan to reverse the “net neutrality” rules for the broadband industry:

“America is leading the world with faster and more competitively-priced Internet service. This was made clear during the pandemic, when U.S. networks thrived and heavily-regulated European counterparts couldn’t keep up. Instead of allowing broadband investment to flourish, the Biden FCC wants to move backwards and reinstate failed Obama-era net neutrality rules that treat the Internet as a public utility controlled by the federal government.

FCC Democrats are laughably plowing ahead even though their histrionic predictions of doom and gloom after the repeal of Obama-era rules in 2017 turned out to be completely bogus. Rather than give legitimate reasons for another policy reversal, it’s clear FCC Democrats simply want control. They desperately want to micromanage providers’ pricing and terms of service, and collect billions in new USF taxes at the expense of investment, economic growth, and consumer choice.

To top it off, reinstating this failed policy is a colossal waste of time and resources. The FCC does not have authority to regulate the Internet like a public utility, and even President Obama’s former solicitors general warn that any attempt to do so would be struck down by the courts under the major questions doctrine. Instead of imposing this oppressive regulatory regime and choking off billions of dollars in private sector investment, the FCC should spend its time and resources helping to promote broadband growth, including by eliminating barriers to deployment and cleaning up the massive waste in broadband subsidy programs as highlighted in my recent ‘Red Light’ report.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-calls-for-halt-in-secret-iran-negotiations-after-leaked-emails-show-top-biden-officials-were-part-of-iran-regime-operation,Sen. Cruz Calls for Halt in Secret Iran Negotiations After Leaked Emails Show Top Biden Officials Were Part of Iran Regime Operation,2023-09-26,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after reports in Semafor and Iran International revealed the existence of an extensive Iranian regime influence operation that involved current administration officials, including those linked to Robert Malley, the administration’s long-time Special Envoy to Iran:

“These reports and the emails they expose are indescribably troubling. When Joe Biden was elected, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program was in a box, their economy was on the brink of collapse, and their oil exports had cratered. President Biden and Biden officials have allowed the regime to get within reach of a nuclear arsenal, restore their economy, and export millions of barrels per day of oil worth hundreds of billions of dollars. They have agreed to secret nuclear side deals that are being kept from Congress, including ransom deals worth additional billions of dollars. They have implemented these policies while regime officials, including the Ayatollah’s hand-picked President, continue to openly brag about trying to murder former American officials.

“Americans have rightly been asking why the Biden administration is so friendly with the Iranian regime, and why Biden administration officials have so single-mindedly enabled Iranian nuclear progress and terrorism. These reports and emails suggest a vast Iranian influence operation that goes to the very top of the administration.

“The Biden administration should immediately cease its secret diplomacy with Iran and its dismantling of sanctions, and any officials linked to these emails should immediately have their security clearances pulled until these allegations are fully resolved and accountability is imposed.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-fights-epa-overreach,Sen. Cruz Fights EPA Overreach,2023-09-25,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) cosigned a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led by the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) urging the EPA to rescind its proposed particulate matter national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Earlier this year, the EPA took a discretionary action to propose making the NAAQS for particulate matter more stringent. Historically, the EPA has consistently missed statutory deadlines for both reviewing standards and for providing implementation guidance to states.

Upon signing on to the letter, Sen. Cruz said, “The EPA’s disastrous proposal to increase permitting beyond the scope of the Clear Air Act’s regulatory authorities would place a heavy burden on the backs of manufactures, energy producers and other key industries in Texas. A more stringent standard would lead to: offshoring our domestic manufacturing, lost jobs, electric reliability and adequacy concerns, energy insecurity, declining economic growth and increased reliance on China. We need to be promoting jobs at home instead of destroying them to promote reliance on foreign adversaries.”

Cosigners include, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Read the full letter here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/blogs/e-newsletter_-week-of-september-22nd,e-Newsletter - Week of September 22nd,2023-09-22,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Throughout my tenure in the U.S. Senate, I have stood firm in my commitment to represent the voices of 30 million Texans across the Lone Star State. In Texas, we embody the best of American values. There is a grit that we have here in the Lone Star State to unapologetically stand up for what we believe in, and passionately defend the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This week, my staff and I welcomed Texans to Washington D.C. to discuss the issues impacting our great state. It is a privilege to serve the state of Texas in Congress and it’s a job I don’t take lightly. I will continue to fight in the Senate to create jobs, secure our border, and put Texas first always.

On Tuesday, I spoke at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) Public Policy and Advocacy Summit where I addressed my commitment to protecting religious freedom and school choice. School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, and every child deserves access to an excellent education. For over a decade, I’ve been the leading advocate of school choice in the Senate, and I’m proud to have authored multiple pieces of school choice legislation. I’m committed to continue to lead this fight for every child in Texas and across the country.

“School choice is the single most protested issue in this country and it was a major reason why I ran for office to begin with. … School choice is about ensuring that every single child in America has access to an excellent education regardless of their race, ethnicity, wealth, or zip code. School choice is something that has existed from the dawn of time. The rich and middle class have always had school choice. ... They’d either pack up and move to another neighborhood that has better public schools, or they would pay for tuition and send their kids to a private school. School choice is all about giving low income parents and kids the same options.”

On Tuesday, I appeared on Spectrum News with Reuben Jones where I discussed my recent legislative efforts to codify name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for student-athletes, provide legal certainty for the roles of universities, conferences, and athletic associations, and ensure nationwide legal uniformity.

“You end up having a situation that I think ends up having the potential to undermine competitiveness in college sports.”

On Tuesday afternoon, I was honored to accept the Legislator of the Year Award from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) for my commitment to supporting the upstream oil and gas industry. The Biden administration has dangerously jeopardized American energy independence by making our country reliant on foreign adversaries when we can make clean energy right here at home. It’s time to unleash American energy and I won’t back down in this fight to create American jobs and keep our country secure.

Later on Tuesday, I joined The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News to discuss the unprecedent numbers of illegal aliens crossing at our southern border that are rapidly approaching the highest numbers ever recorded in our nation’s history.

“I was at the border and a reporter asked me, ‘Aren’t the policies of the Democrats more humane more compassionate on immigration?’ I got to tell you I just started laughing. You know who doesn’t believe that anymore—the Democrats. Where is Joe Biden? Where is Kamala Harris? Where is even a single Democrat senator? The reason they don’t come is you cannot see the death, suffering, misery, and the women and children being sexually assaulted, you can’t defend it. So their only strategy is to ignore it.”

On Wednesday, I attended the Senate Commerce Committee hearing where I questioned the nominees to fill the current vacancies at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As the most senior Republican and ranking member on the committee, I am determined to ensure that this independent and nonpartisan agency ceases to be used as a political weapon by the Biden administration.

“I previously worked at the FTC as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning, where I helped develop the long term strategy and policy goals for the agency. … But today's FTC is sadly unrecognizable from the FTC that I knew. Over the past two years, Chairwoman Lina Kahn has taken the FTC wildly off course, and pursued a blatantly partisan agenda. … The FTC has weaponized its enforcement authority against the Biden administration's political opponents.”

Later on Wednesday, I joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the Biden administration’s egregious energy policies that are driving inflation even higher.

“We’ve seen for two and a half years the Biden administration wage a relentless war against U.S. oil and gas production. Joe Biden … has implemented over twenty different regulatory steps designed to do exactly that, and I’ll tell you the most pernicious he’s gone after capital. … If a business can’t get debt and can’t get equity how the heck does it get capital to engage in new exploration and new drilling? The simple answer is that it doesn’t.”

Rest assured, I won’t let up in the fight to unleash American energy and put Texas first. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

MORE FROM SEN. CRUZ:

READ: Cruz proposes life sentences for illegal aliens if Border Patrol agent is killed in pursuit

ICYMI: Cruz blasts Biden admin for closing bridges near site of Texas migrant surge: ‘An outrage’

READ: Cruz Blasts DOJ Over Charges Against Hunter Biden: They Are ‘Protecting Joe Biden’

ICYMI: Ted Cruz Says Federal Oversight Will Stifle American Dominance on AI

State Spotlight

Mayor of San Antonio, Ron Nirenberg

Wounded Warriors Project

President of Abilene Christian University, Dr. Phil Schubert

Commerce Corner

Wabtec’s CEO, Rafael Santana

American Bureau of Shipping",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-condemns-biden-administration-closing-eagle-pass-bridge,Cruz Condemns Biden Administration Closing Eagle Pass Bridge,2023-09-21,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after the Biden administration’s Customs and Border patrol Office of Field Operations closed vehicle processing at Bridge 1 and the international railway crossing bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas in order to accommodate illegal aliens illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border.

Sen. Cruz said, “By shutting down legal border crossings to accommodate the surge of illegal aliens flooding the border at Eagle Pass, Joe Biden is sending a clear message: lawbreakers will be rewarded while law-abiding travelers and commerce will be suspended. U.S. citizens trying to get home are stuck in Mexico because Joe Biden is diverting Border Patrol’s resources to welcoming in illegal aliens. While U.S. citizens are stranded in Mexico, Joe Biden’s leadership in Border Patrol stated that their priority is to ‘expeditiously and safely process migrants.’ Additionally, the impact this closure will have on international trade will harm our supply chain and regional economy. This is an outrage and a total breakdown of law-and-order. Joe Biden has ceded operational control of our southern border to criminal cartels that are ferrying terrorists, drugs, and dangerous criminals, and he has turned Border Patrol into a travel agency. This is a national security threat of the highest degree.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-resolution-supporting-the-alliance-for-development-in-democracy-by-american-allies-in-latin-america,Sen. Cruz Introduces Resolution Supporting the Alliance for Development in Democracy by American Allies in Latin America,2023-09-21,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced a resolution in support The Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD), a multilateral initiative by American allies in Latin America. The ADD includes Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Ecuador.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “In the last few years, countries across Latin America who were once among America’s closest democratic allies have pivoted away from the United States towards Russia and the Chinese Communist Party. Meanwhile the countries in the Alliance for Development in Democracy have coalesced to promote a freer and more prosperous Western Hemisphere, and to not just maintain but bolster their ties to the United States. The ADD is a promising and exciting initiative, and it is deeply in America’s national security interests for it to succeed.”

Sen. Kaine said, “The Alliance for Development in Democracy represents a collaborative effort by like-minded partners in Latin America to address our shared regional challenges. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution with my colleagues to recommit to the advancement of democratic institutions and development in the region.”

Sen. Rubio said, “At a time when America’s enemies continue to make inroads in our region, it’s crucial the U.S. support initiatives such as the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD) which is taking a stand against human rights abuses in the hemisphere and shining a light on Beijing’s growing influence throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Sen. Cardin said, “Panama, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and now, Ecuador’s partnership in the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD) constitute important contributions to bolstering democracy in the Western Hemisphere. As we work to expand democracy further, in the Americas and across the globe, the United States must remain committed to securing deep economic ties and strengthening our strategic relationships with the members of the Alliance.”

Sen. Risch said, “The United States has an enduring interest in a prosperous and stable Western Hemisphere. I am proud to join this resolution highlighting cooperation with democratic countries in Latin American to advance our strategic national interests.”

Sen. Shaheen said, “When I visited Latin America earlier this year, I saw first-hand the aggressive and coercive economic practices the Chinese Communist Party attempts to deploy in the region. As a proud partner of Panama, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, the United States should applaud the efforts of the Alliance for Development in Democracy and seek a stronger relationship with the ADD. I’m glad this resolution does that, and look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure this resolution passes the Senate and sends a resounding message that strong democracies promote strong economies.”

BACKGROUND:

This legislation:

1. Congratulates the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Costa Rica for forming the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD), and Ecuador for ascending to its membership.

2. Affirms that the ADD provides a counterweight to the growing influence of autocratic and anti-American forces in the Western Hemisphere.

3. Calls on the President to

1. pursue and prioritize engagement with the ADD regarding the full spectrum of American national security and economic interests in the Western Hemisphere;

2. deepen regional integration on economic issues including trade, market access, and investment through engagement with the ADD.

4. Calls on the President to use the diplomatic capital of the United States to support integration by ADD members in promoting policies that will strengthen the relationship and ties between the U.S. and these nations.

This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

Read the text of the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-cosponsors-bill-to-block-biden-administration-from-expanding-the-scope-of-the-endangered-species-act,Sen. Cruz Cosponsors Bill to Block Biden Administration From Expanding the Scope of the Endangered Species Act,2023-09-20,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after cosponsoring a bill to retain the existing regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), regulations first put in place by the Trump administration, and to halt the finalization of three new rule proposals from the Departments of the Interior and Commerce. The bill will ensure that the federal government remains capable of effective wildfire management while providing legal clarity to landowners and business owners.

“Trump-era reforms to the Endangered Species Act ensured that we could effectively fight wildfires without unnecessarily interfering with the private property rights of the American people and businesses. This bill keeps those reforms in place, benefiting Texans and Americans across the west, and I’m proud to support this commonsense legislation,” said Sen. Cruz.

Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Congressional Western Caucus Chair Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the legislation. The legislation in the Senate is cosponsored by Sen. Cruz and Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah). The house bill is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Jerry Carl (R-Ala.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

Click here to read the bill text.

BACKGROUND:

In 2019, The Trump administration finalized key changes to the Endangered Species Act that added more flexibility for affected stakeholders while also ensuring species’ recovery plans take a tailored and targeted approach. Last month, the Biden administration moved to repeal and replace these changes:

Blanket Rule Elimination

The 2019 revisions eliminated the “blanket rule” under Section 4(d) that automatically provides endangered level protections to species listed only as threatened.

Now, Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are required to manage threatened species with specifically tailored plans.

The Biden proposal would reinstate the blanket rule, essentially treating all threatened species as endangered once again.

Critical Habitat Changes

The 2019 revisions allow FWS and NOAA to research and share the economic impacts of a listing determination under the ESA.

It also provides flexibility in defining critical habitat, allowing the agencies leeway to only designate unoccupied areas as critical habitat if necessary.

Under the Biden proposal, the agencies are no longer able to share or disseminate information on the economic impact of a listing.

More alarmingly, the proposal mandates the agencies must again designate unoccupied areas as critical habitat.

Section 7 Changes

Among the numerous changes to Section 7 in the 2019 revisions, the rule established standards to ensure effects analysis for proposed actions is limited to only “activities that are reasonably certain to occur.”

This takes away the leeway for agencies to assume worst case scenarios for a species without “clear and substantial information” and is intended to provide a more realistic and flexible approach to benefitting a listed species.

The Biden rule would eliminate this clarification.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-the-agent-raul-gonzalez-officer-safety-act-to-protect-border-patrol-agents-local-law-enforcement-and-border-communities,"Sen. Cruz Introduces the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act to Protect Border Patrol Agents, Local Law Enforcement, and Border Communities",2023-09-20,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. This bill protects our brave men and women of law enforcement by criminalizing fleeing from agents or officers in a high-speed chase. This bill is named in honor of Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who died in the line of duty while pursuing a group of illegal aliens near Mission, Texas.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz stated, “One of the worst consequences of this border crisis is the threat to public safety. Traffickers are killing people by loading up a car or truck stacked with illegal immigrants and then engaging in high-speed chases with Border Patrol or local police. These high-speed chases often end in tragedy, with people being killed regularly after the traffickers crash and passengers are thrown across the highway. Equally tragic are those innocent Americans who are struck by an illegal alien fleeing police or Border Patrol. My bill is fittingly named in honor of Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who was killed in the line of duty on December 7, 2022, as he was pursuing a group of illegal aliens who were evading capture. My legislation will make traffickers think twice before engaging in a high-speed chase, since it includes serious jail time and prohibits anyone who runs from Border Patrol from ever obtaining legal status in the United States. My bill offers much-needed support to Border Patrol agents who are risking their lives daily serving an administration where the political leadership undermines them.”

Sen. John Cornyn said, “The crisis at our southern border is devastating Texas communities and overwhelming U.S. Border Patrol agents, who courageously put their lives on the line every day. This legislation will honor Agent Raul Gonzalez’s sacrifice, uphold the rule of law, and protect law enforcement officers, and I urge my colleagues to pass it without delay.”

Congressman Juan Ciscomani stated, “My district sees high-speed car chases coming through our communities every day, putting both the lives of Arizonans and Border Patrol agents in jeopardy. Officer Raul Gonzalez and too many others — including men and women in my own district — paid the ultimate price, and we cannot let their sacrifices be in vain. We must send a signal to any bad actors illegally coming through the southern border that their actions have dire consequences.”

Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz said, “Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzales gave his life in pursuit of criminals on our southern border. This legislation honors the sacrifice of my district’s hero and stiffens penalties for individuals involved in a high-speed pursuit near our border. Cartels must know that crime doesn’t pay and the United States will hold responsible those who break our laws and hurt our citizens.”

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd stated, “We would like to thank Senator Ted Cruz for introducing the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. Agent Gonzalez died in the line of duty last year and this legislation is both direly needed and a fitting tribute to his sacrifice. This legislation makes it a crime to flee from Border Patrol Agents and local law enforcement that often assist us in vehicle pursuits. The penalties range from up to two years for fleeing to life imprisonment if the pursuit results in a death. The bottom line is that we need to change the calculus for those who endanger all of us who live along the border when failing to yield to law enforcement. This legislation does just that and the National Border Patrol Council is pleased to support it.”

BACKGROUND:

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) co-sponsored the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.-6) introduced the House version of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act. Reps. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas-15), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas-23), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.-19), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.-28), and Clay Higgins (R-La.-03) cosponsored the House version of the bill.

The National Border Patrol Council, which represents the men and women of Border Patrol, has endorsed the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act.

On December 7, 2022, Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr. died in the line of duty after his ATV crashed while he pursued illegal aliens who were fleeing capture. Senator Cruz, Senator John Cornyn, and Congresswoman De La Cruz introduced legislation to honor Agent Gonzalez by naming a post office after him in McAllen, Texas. Agent Gonzalez honorably served his country for over a decade.

The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act would permanently prohibit any illegal alien who runs from Border Patrol from ever receiving any legal immigration status in the United States. Additionally, any person who engages in a high-speed chase with Border Patrol, or law enforcement assisting Border Patrol, would face up to two years in prison. If someone is injured during the chase, the sentencing range would increase to 5 to 20 years. Finally, if death results from the chase, the defendant would face up to life in prison.

To ensure that the Biden administration enforces the law, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act would require the Department of Justice to report to Congress about how often they are prosecuting illegal aliens for violating the proposed Act.

Read the text of the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/texas-tuesday-9-19-23,Texas Tuesday 9-19-23,2023-09-19,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Newsroom
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https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-on-introducing-bill-to-rename-laredo-post-office-in-honor-of-fallen-military-heroes,Sen. Cruz on Introducing Bill to Rename Laredo Post Office in Honor of Fallen Military Heroes,2023-09-15,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after he and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bill to rename a United States Postal Service office in Laredo, Texas to honor military service members who died in the line of duty:

“There is no greater sacrifice than giving your life to protect your country. Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez, and Sergeant Roberto Arizola, Jr., proudly represented their country and their sacrifice will forever be memorialized with the renaming of the Del Mar Post Office in Laredo. The renamed post office will serve as a reminder to their community of their heroic lives and will cement their legacy for years to come,” said Sen. Cruz.

Similar legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas-28).

BACKGROUND:

This bill would rename the post office at 2395 East Del Mar Boulevard in Laredo, Texas, in honor of fallen military heroes Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez, and Sergeant Roberto Arizola, Jr.

Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza lived in nearby Rio Bravo, Texas all his life. Shortly after graduating from high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps. On August 26, 2021, during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, LCpl Espinoza was one of 13 service members killed by a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was 20 years old.

Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez lived in El Cenizo, a town near Laredo, where he was involved in Junior ROTC during high school, leading his unit to a Junior ROTC national championship in 1998. After graduating high school in 2000, he joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves. On January 13, 2005, LCpl Rodriguez died in action while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. He was 23 years old.

Sergeant Roberto Arizola, Jr. was born in Laredo, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1992 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1996. Sgt. Arizola had been a Border Patrol agent in Laredo before being deployed to Iraq in May 2004. On June 8, 2005, a day before he was scheduled to return from Iraq, Sgt. Arizola was killed in an explosion near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was 31 years old.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sens-cruz-introduces-legislation-to-block-biden-administration-from-allowing-iranian-president-into-us,Sens. Cruz Introduces Legislation to Block Biden Administration From Allowing Iranian President into U.S.,2023-09-15,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reintroduced the Strengthening Entry Visa Enforcement and Restrictions Act, or SEVER Act, to block the Biden administration from allowing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other sanctioned individuals linked to the Iranian regime to enter the United States.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “President Biden has agreed to a secret nuclear deal with the Iranian regime, complete with side deals that include ransom payments and promises not to enforce sanctions. He is also again allowing the Ayatollah’s hand-picked President to come to New York and propagandize on behalf of the regime across New York City. These acts are as reckless as they are outrageous. Raisi is a monster who has called for the assassination of President Trump and other U.S. officials and committed horrific abuses against the people of Iran. He is sanctioned and supposed to be ineligible to enter the United States. The SEVER Act is targeted legislation that would do what President Biden is unwilling to do—deny Raisi and other Iranian individuals who pose threats to American national security visas into the United States.”

Rep. Tenney said, “As we approach the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, it is imperative we stop Raisi and his associates from setting foot on American soil. Raisi, whose nickname is ‘the Butcher of Tehran,’ has a record of grave human rights abuses and orchestrating terrorist activities worldwide. Today, I reintroduced the SEVER Act to protect our nation from the threat posed by President Raisi and others connected to the Iranian regime, as well as show the international community that terrorists are not welcome in the U.S.”

BACKGROUND:

This legislation has been introduced ahead of President Raisi’s upcoming attendance at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly. The SEVER Act would impose visa restrictions on Raisi because he is sanctioned for widespread human rights atrocities and his orchestration of terrorist activities worldwide. Raisi has openly called for the assassination of several American officials, including former President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). cosponsors the legislation in the House of Representatives.

Read the text of the bill here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/commerce-committee-leadership-introduce-bill-to-ensure-coast-guard-personnel-paid-in-event-of-govt-shutdown,Commerce Committee Leadership Introduce Bill to Ensure Coast Guard Personnel Paid In Event of Gov’t Shutdown,2023-09-14,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Subcommittee Ranking Member Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Subcommittee Chair Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today introduced the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, bicameral, bipartisan legislation that would ensure Coast Guard personnel receive pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown if the members of the Armed Forces receive pay and allowances. The legislation would ensure that the Coast Guard gets the same treatment as the other branches of the armed services if there is a lapse in appropriations. Because the Coast Guard is funded under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), it was left off a previous funding stopgap that covered the Department of Defense (DoD).

Upon introduction of the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, Sen. Cruz said:

“Ensuring the hard-working men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard are paid during government shutdowns is a matter I have long supported. Texans depend on Coast Guard personnel to safeguard our ports, patrol our waterways, and stop human and drug smuggling. With over 2,000 Coast Guard personnel stationed in Texas, from Corpus Christi to Galveston, to South Padre Island, and elsewhere, Coast Guard service members are Semper Paratus — always ready — to stand watch and protect our nation. Their critical efforts cannot cease in the event of a funding lapse, and they should be paid—without question and without delay.”

Chair Cantwell said:

“This legislation guarantees that Coast Guard members and their families stationed in the State of Washington and across the country will be treated like other members of the armed forces if there is a lapse in federal funding. This isn’t just a matter of fairness, but recognition of the vital role Coasties and their families play in search and rescue, emergency response, oil spill prevention, facilitating maritime commerce, and protecting national security.”

Sen. Sullivan said:

“Just like America’s other military service members, our Coast Guard personnel face serious, life-threatening risks and challenges as they defend our country and collaborate closely in joint operations. However, because the Coast Guard is the one branch of the military that does not operate under the DOD, its members have more often been caught up in congressional spending battles, like we saw in the 2019 partial government shutdown. The men and women who tirelessly protect our shores and risk their lives for all of us should never go without a paycheck. The Pay Our Coast Guard Act would ensure America’s Coast Guardsmen continue to get paid in these unique circumstances—just like our Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines—and hold Congress to its sacred obligation to these courageous public servants and their families.”

Sen. Baldwin said:

“Coast Guard members and their families make sacrifices every day to serve our country, and it is our duty to make sure they always get their paychecks and can put food on the table, regardless of any political fights in Washington. I will always work to avoid unnecessary government shutdowns, but should political brinksmanship ever take us to one, our bipartisan bill will make sure our brave Coast Guard members and their families are not bearing the brunt of it.”

Companion legislation to the Pay Our Coast Guard Act, the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act (H.R. 2693), was introduced by Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) in April of this year.

In the event of a government funding gap in which DOD is funded but DHS is not, this bill would provide, without interruption, pay and allowances to Coast Guard active duty personnel, including reservists who perform active service during the funding gap.

This bill would also provide pay and allowances for Coast Guard civilian personnel and contractors that are providing support to the Coast Guard. Finally, it would provide benefits for Coast Guard active duty personnel and dependents including: death gratuity, reimbursement of authorized funeral travel, dignified transfer of remains, unit memorial services, and temporary continuation of housing allowance for dependents of Coast Guard members who lost their lives on active duty.

BACKGROUND:

The most recent government shutdown started in Dec. 2018, lasting 34 days. During that partial shutdown, DoD had already been funded under supplemental appropriations, but DHS was not. As a result, DoD military personnel were paid during the shutdown, but Coast Guard personnel, who continued to work, did not receive pay. Despite lack of pay and allowances, Coast Guard members continued to serve the nation at home and abroad, in some cases Coast Guard personnel were even working alongside DoD members on shared missions in conflict zones without pay.

While these brave men and women protected our coasts, facilitated maritime trade and transportation, conducted search and rescue, protected fisheries and living marine resources, and patrolled our maritime borders to conduct migrant and drug interdiction; their families were forced to resort to food pantries and struggled to pay for housing.

In January of 2019, Sen. Cruz joined a number of his colleagues on the Senate floor, including Sen. Sullivan, in calling for paying Coast Guard members during the shutdown. Sens. Cantwell, Wicker, and Baldwin incorporated similar legislation as part of the Coast Guard Authorization Act last Congress.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-senate-companion-to-house-passed-secure-the-border-act,Sen. Cruz Introduces Senate Companion to House-Passed Secure the Border Act,2023-09-14,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Secure the Border Act of 2023 in the Senate. This bill passed the House of Representatives as H.R. 2, and it is the most comprehensive border security legislation in decades. The Secure the Border Act will resume construction on the wall, tighten asylum standards, criminalize visa overstays, increase the number of Border Patrol Agents, defund NGOs receiving tax dollars to help traffic illegal aliens throughout the heartland, prohibit DHS from using its app to assist illegal aliens, and more.

About the bill, Sen. Cruz said, “Under Joe Biden, we have a wide-open southern border. The Biden Border Crisis has created the largest illegal immigration crisis in our nation’s history. Biden’s open borders are an invitation for the cartels to brutalize children, to assault women, to overrun our communities with illegal aliens, and to flood this country with narcotics and fentanyl that kill over 100,000 people per year. This bill would stop the Biden Border Crisis dead in its tracks by building the wall, ratcheting up asylum standards, increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents, and implementing effective border security policies.”

Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) co-sponsored Senator Cruz’s Secure the Border Act. Numbers USA and FAIR endorsed Senator Cruz’s Secure the Border Act.

Sen. Cotton stated, “The Biden Border Crisis has invited cartels and terrorists to bring drugs and crime into America’s communities. Worse, his administration has no plan to do anything about the crisis. This bill will require the continued construction of a border wall and give the Border Patrol officers the resources they need to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.”

Sen. Fischer said, “I’ve been to the southern border and seen the chaos there. It is nothing short of a humanitarian and national security crisis. Our legislation will force this administration to finally take steps to secure the border — like resuming construction of the border wall, ending catch-and-release, and reinstating President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy. If President Biden won’t act to fix the crisis he has created, Congress must.”

Sen. Marshall stated, “President Biden's dereliction of duty and failure to secure our southern border has put every American in danger. Since day one, Joe Biden has allowed the cartels to have operational control of our nation's border, exploiting every weakness and pushing illicit fentanyl into our communities - killing over 300 Americans a day. This is an invasion, and the president has no plan to address it. Without secure borders, we cannot ensure our country's safety. I am proud to support this legislation that would restore law and order by adding additional Border Patrol agents, end catch and release, provide better technology at entry sites to detect drugs and stop the flow of illegal immigration.”

Sen. Budd said, “President Biden has created the worst border crisis in American history. Instead of taking steps to solve this crisis, the Biden administration has doubled down on his dangerous open-border policies. Senator Cruz’s Secure Our Border Act provides a comprehensive set of solutions to protect our country and enforce the law.”

NumbersUSA CEO James Massa stated, “NumbersUSA strongly supports the efforts of Senator Cruz to end the border surge through the introduction of the Senate companion to HR 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which passed the House of Representatives on May 11. If enacted, this bill would bring an end to the border crisis that has overwhelmed the Border Patrol—and American communities from Eagle Pass to New York to Los Angeles —for more than two and a half years. The Biden Administration has not only refused to use the enforcement authority and barrier expansion given to it by Congress to gain operational control of the border, but has added to the crisis by processing into the interior of the United States millions of aliens without legitimate claims to enter or stay. The Secure the Border Act of 2023 would rein in the breathtaking and illegal abuse of parole that this administration has been using to unlawfully create its own immigration system outside of the confines of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would block the administration from continuing its policies of catch-and-release, thus deterring future waves of illegal migrants. It would put a stop to the encouragement of family units and unaccompanied alien children surging our borders, protecting them from victimization by the cartels and traffickers, as well as exploitation in illegally obtained jobs without protection of official status. It would put teeth into efforts to deter visa overstays, and it would plug the loopholes in our asylum system to restore its integrity and protect it for legitimate asylum seekers. Most importantly, it would shut off the “jobs magnet” for illegal immigration while protecting jobs for American workers by making nationwide and mandatory the already proven-effective use of E-Verify. NumbersUSA encourages every Senator to stand with Senator Cruz and support these sensible reforms.”

Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) President Dan Stein said, “Since his first day in office, President Biden has signaled to illegal aliens and open-border advocates that his administration will not enforce our immigration laws and that our southern border will be open. The Secure the Border Act will immediately restart construction of the border wall, provide border enforcement agencies the manpower, technology and infrastructure they need to do their jobs, and end the exploitation of unaccompanied alien children at the hands of criminal cartels. Unlike the Biden Administration’s preferred approach of abusing current law and quickly processing illegal aliens into the country, the Secure the Border Act will enact meaningful policy changes that are needed. It is a critical piece of legislation that will secure our borders and end the humanitarian crisis that this administration has willfully created.”

Background:

The Secure the Border Act enacts effective border security solutions, including:

1. Requiring the Department of Homeland Security to resume border wall construction.

2. Increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents.

3. Tightening asylum standards by restricting asylum to only aliens who present at ports of entry and by requiring aliens to prove they are “more likely than not” to qualify for their asylum claim.

4. Narrowing DHS’s power to unilaterally grant parole to illegal aliens.

5. Criminalizing visa overstays by making the first offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and the second offense a felony punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to two years imprisonment.

6. Stopping NGOs from using tax dollars to transport or lodge illegal aliens and provide illegal aliens with lawyers.

7. Restricting DHS from using its CBP One app to welcome illegal aliens into the country.

8. Requiring employers to use E-Verify.

9. Ensuring CBP has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin and transit so that CBP is aware of the criminal history of illegal aliens encountered at the southern border.

The full text of the Secure the Border Act is available here.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-seeks-answers-on-ftcs-lawless-attempt-at-regulating-ai,Sen. Cruz Seeks Answers on FTC’s Lawless Attempt at Regulating AI,2023-09-12,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan seeking answers regarding her plans to regulate artificial intelligence for “disinformation” and “bias.” The letter explains that the FTC’s review of large language models used to train AI, which comes without any explicit statutory congressional authorization, may also infringe on constitutionally-protected speech. The letter comes ahead of today’s Commerce subcommittee hearing on the “The Need for Transparency in Artificial Intelligence.” As Ranking Member Cruz’s letter explains, the AI model ChatGPT assisted in the drafting of his oversight inquiry.

Sen. Cruz wrote:

I am writing to request information about the stance of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) on the regulation of artificial intelligence (“AI”). Your public comments, as well as comments made to this Committee by senior FTC staff, suggest the FTC intends to play a role in aggressively policing AI despite receiving no explicit statutory authorization to do so from Congress. As further evidence of the FTC’s intent, on July 13, 2023, a leaked Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) sent by the FTC to OpenAI—the California-based company best known for its development of ChatGPT—shows the FTC is pursuing AI regulation under legal theories that exceed the agency’s statutory authority and would entail regulation of constitutionally protected speech.

Like many computer applications, AI is a productivity tool that is useless without human guidance. In fact, ChatGPT assisted in drafting this letter. But AI computer code, apart from its use by a consumer, has no inherent ability to violate the Civil Rights Act or Section 5 of the FTC Act as your May 3rd op-ed in the New York Times, titled “We Must Regulate A.I. Here’s How,” implies. You wrote that “A.I. tools are being trained on huge troves of data in ways that are largely unchecked. Because they may be fed information riddled with errors and bias, these technologies risk automating discrimination—unfairly locking out people from jobs, housing, or key services.”

For the FTC to undertake new regulation or an investigation, more than fearmongering and fanciful speculation are required by law. The FTC Act requires that the Commission have a “reason to believe” that a party possesses evidence of an unfair or deceptive act or practice in order to issue a CID. Your op-ed argues for going after “not just the fly-by-night scammers” but also “the upstream firms that are enabling them” by producing problematic AI “tools.” This approach is a stark departure from past FTC practice, as the Commission has traditionally focused on the harm caused by a product’s use—not its design—in its enforcement actions. Furthermore, such regulation would represent an astonishing expansion of power over otherwise-benign products. It would be akin to the FTC regulating a cell phone’s design in order to enforce the do-not-call registry.

Your comments were reinforced by FTC staff during a subsequent briefing to the Committee about AI on June 2, 2023. During the briefing, FTC staff made clear that the agency is looking for ways to determine if data sets used to train AI models are biased, discriminatory, or contain “misinformation,” suggesting the FTC was considering an expansive regulatory approach to AI to crack down on non-commercial speech. Your staff’s response to concerns that the FTC would, in assessing bias or misinformation, be operating outside its statutory authority and acting as “speech police” for broad swaths of data were vague and unsatisfactory.

While the FTC undoubtedly has the statutory authority to initiate enforcement actions against companies engaged in “unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” the FTC may not launch a preemptive regulatory approach against code underlying AI systems in order to prevent “bias” or preclude the use of undefined “discriminatory” datasets. Such an extralegal approach would inevitably involve the policing of constitutionally protected speech, including the internet or user-derived data used to train AI models. This is well beyond FTC’s statutory mandate. The FTC has no authority or business attempting to regulate constitutionally protected speech.

Given this context, the CID that the FTC sent to OpenAI is particularly troubling, as is the fact that the CID was leaked. As Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, noted, such a leak “does not help build trust” between the company and government regulators. Moreover, the questions and document requests within the CID suggest that the FTC is now implementing many of the alarming legal theories that senior agency leaders told Committee staff that they were contemplating. The CID seeks information on the training data for OpenAI’s Large Language Model, such as the content categories and languages incorporated. The CID also asks about instances where ChatGPT has led to the “safety challenges” identified in OpenAI’s GPT-4 System Card, which include “harms of representation” and “disinformation.” To the extent it is even constitutional for Congress to prohibit such speech-based harms, Congress has not done so here nor authorized FTC to pursue these issues. Finally, the CID directs OpenAI to snitch on users of ChatGPT who engineered prompts to circumvent ChatGPT filters and rules, a new form of surveillance with the disturbing potential to chill free speech.

To better understand the FTC’s views on its regulatory and enforcement authority with respect to AI, Sen. Cruz is seeking answers to a number of questions regarding the agency’s plans, including details regarding the leak of a Civil Investigative Demand issued to OpenAI.

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/texas-tuesday_-91223,Texas Tuesday - 9.12.23,2023-09-12,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"Newsroom
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09.12.2023
Texas Tuesday - 9.12.23
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https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-blasts-biden-iran-nuclear-side-deal-on-hostages,Sen. Cruz Blasts Biden-Iran Nuclear Side Deal on Hostages,2023-09-11,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today after reports confirmed that President Biden and Biden administration officials are proceeding with a hostage deal with the Iranian regime:

“President Biden has established a secret nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that is being kept from Congress and the American people. Today’s news confirms there has already been a side deal including a $6 billion ransom and the release of Iranian operatives. Nevertheless these are only the barest outlines of the staggering concessions that Biden has already made and intends to make to the Ayatollah, including an additional $10 billion transfer and indeed hundreds of billions of dollars by not enforcing oil sanctions. Meanwhile he has allowed the Iranian regime to all but acquire a virtual nuclear arsenal over the last two and a half years.

“The Biden administration must keep their deal secret because if they disclosed it, the law requires them to come to Congress and defend it, and this appeasement is utterly indefensible. Instead they will continue lying about their policies until Congress forces them to do otherwise.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:35:26Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-college-sports-are-bigger-in-texas-heres-how-we-keep-them-that-way,ICYMI: College sports are bigger in Texas. Here’s how we keep them that way,2023-09-06,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wrote an op-ed that appeared in Friday’s edition of the Austin American-Statesman. The article can be read here or below.

“This weekend, Texas football teams will begin their seasons with legitimate playoff aspirations. That’s because college sports, like everything else, are bigger in Texas.

“Tens of thousands of faithful fans from all walks of life will gather to watch these games, united in their love of their team. And no one will know (or care) about the religion, background, or politics of the fan sitting next to them.

“College sports are a great cultural unifier, but they are in peril—not just for fans—but for thousands of student-athletes whose games won’t air on national television. In 2021, the Supreme Court issued a ruling against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that ultimately resulted in student-athletes having the ability to profit from their own name, image, and likeness (NIL). Now, additional litigation and draft state laws are hampering the ability of the NCAA to enforce even modest rules, set recruiting standards, promote fair competition, or crack down on bad actors looking to take advantage of student-athletes. Many school administrators agree that these developments, coupled with the evolution of athlete compensation, will lead to the premature end of big-time college football and basketball at dozens of schools. More troubling, however, could be the fallout at all levels of colleges and universities: the elimination of non-revenue sports.

“If we are to preserve college athletics as we know it, congressional action will be necessary. To understand what lawmakers should — and should not do — the response of Washington to football’s first crisis is instructive.

“After a series of deaths from football-related injuries threatened the sport’s future, President Theodore Roosevelt brought university leaders to the White House to encourage them to create rules that all parties could agree to rather than rely on the government. This became the early stages of the NCAA, an athletic system built on self-governance free from government intervention.

“While the NCAA is far from perfect and not without controversy, this self-governance model is strongly preferrable to federal control of sports. Like many fans, I shudder at the idea of a congressional oversight hearing on what is ‘roughing the passer,’ a Justice Department probe into a particular coach’s methods, or federally mandated water and safety breaks.

“After speaking with athletes, stakeholders from numerous Texas schools, collegiate sports associations, and others, I developed draft legislation that preserves the self-governance model and provides limited federal involvement to fully address outstanding legal issues that undermine fair competition.

“First, my model codifies NIL rights for college athletes. As a matter of first principle, a man or woman is entitled to profit from their own labor and success. Many Texas athletes (and schools) are now benefiting from NIL rights. Just last year, the Longhorns landed Arch Manning, who ranks third in Name, Image, and Likeness valuation, among all college athletes. Four of the top 20 NIL collectives are affiliated with Texas universities.

“Despite this early success, Texas institutions could find themselves at a competitive disadvantage against out-of-state rivals by the actions of another state legislature. A national solution for a national market is needed, which is why the Texas State Legislature requested in its NIL law that ‘the United States Congress…act on this matter to ensure the competitive integrity of intercollegiate athletics.’

“NIL deals are not without risk of exploitation. Not unlike the booster scandals of yesteryear, university-affiliated ‘collectives’ can use NIL deals to recruit athletes on behalf of coaches and schools. If there is unethical pay-for-play activity, the NCAA and schools are largely powerless to curb it. My bill would address this challenge by empowering athletic associations to enforce recruiting and transfer rules. It would also create a registration system for agents so students can be sure a potential representative is knowledgeable, and it sets uniform contract provisions so NIL agreements contain safeguards that?protect the student-athlete. The bill also allows athletic associations to create a NIL database so athletes and their representatives can better understand a player’s market value.

“Finally, the bill would ensure athletes are not deemed employees for purposes of employment law. This provision is essential to preserve the idea that student-athletes are students first and the focus remains on education. It would protect scholarship students so they could not be ‘fired’ for non-performance, and preclude the enormous financial pressure that would likely cause schools to cut non-revenue sports.

“College sports do so much to help mold young men and women. It teaches them about the power of hard work, self-discipline, humility, and cooperation. That is worth preserving. But how?

“Do we decide to take the path of creating a new federal agency and concomitant regulation of college sports, as well as the hyper-politicization that would soon follow it? Or do we want to preserve the self-governance model that Roosevelt and others chose more than 100 years ago? I prefer the latter.”

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-issues-statement-after-9/11-defendants-plea-deal-falls-through,Sen. Cruz Issues Statement After 9/11 Defendants’ Plea Deal Falls Through,2023-09-06,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after the Biden administration announced they have refused the plea deal offered by Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and four other 9/11 defendants. Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Department of Defense last month urging the Biden administration to pursue the ultimate punishment for the 9/11 masterminds.

Sen. Cruz said, “On September 11, 2001, a group of deranged, radical Islamists carried out the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States. They murdered 2,977 people. It was horrific—and an act of war. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four other plotters who planned the 9/11 attacks are mass murderers who deserve the death penalty. Despite this, the Biden administration was prepared to give them a plea deal. That would have been outrageous. So I pressed the Department of Defense and urged the administration to support the death penalty for these monsters. The victims of those attacks have been patiently awaiting justice for over 20 years, and the Biden administration should not be standing in the way of that. Today, the Biden administration took a step in the right direction by rejecting the defendants’ plea deal, and I hope we can move forward and try the murderers. I, along with millions of Americans, believe justice requires the ultimate punishment for their horrific crimes.”

BACKGROUND:

On August 28, Sen. Cruz, along with Rep. Malliotakis (R-NY), wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressing their strong opposition to a potential plea deal between the Biden administration and the 9/11 defendants, and urging the administration to instead pursue the death penalty. Read the letter here and below.

August 28, 2023

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III

Secretary of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C. 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Austin,

We write to express our disappointment regarding the news that the Department of Defense may extend a plea agreement to the masterminds of the September 11th attacks whereby the United States would spare the lives of the individuals responsible for this horrific attack, and deny the families of the victims both justice and closure. Make no mistake, any outcome short of the death penalty for the September 11th plotters would be completely unacceptable, and constitute a total failure of leadership on the part of the Department of Defense.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists took the lives of 2,977 innocent people in a series of cowardly attacks, resulting in the worst act of terror in American history. Although it took significant time and resources, the United States military and intelligence community located and captured those responsible, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other plotters. These men have been detained in Guantanamo Bay since 2003, awaiting punishment for their horrific acts. The victims’ families have now been patiently waiting for justice for over twenty years.

Although the news broke last year that these five men might escape trial and a death sentence through negotiated agreement, this outcome was at that time only theoretical.[1] Unfortunately, recent reporting suggests victims’ family members received a letter on August 1, 2023 soliciting questions or comments about the possibility of a plea agreement allowing the accused to escape the death penalty.[2] This solicitation invariably leads to the conclusion that a plea agreement removing a death sentence is no longer speculative but is instead a possible outcome.

In addition, a set of “policy principles” connected to the ongoing plea negotiations likewise emerged last year. While ambiguous on their face, a review of Military Commissions filings and relevant reporting indicates that these principles involve high-level government official deliberations. They suggest that the decisions driving this plea agreement occur in Washington, D.C., not at the Military Commission.

Indeed, on March 28, 2023, the New York Times reported that “policy principles” were at issue in the pretrial agreement. The report described the policy principles as “mostly the details of how the accused would spend the rest of their lives in prison.”[3] About six months earlier, the Times also reported that the judge presiding over the September 11 case canceled pretrial hearings “while prosecutors await a response from the Biden administration on a proposed plea deal that would avert a death-penalty trial for the five defendants.”[4]

During his campaign for president, Joe Biden pledged to “work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal example”[5] For example, despite Patrick Crusius’ racially-targeted mass murder of 23 people at an El Paso Wal-Mart in 2019, the Department of Justice inexplicably offered him a plea agreement which allowed him to escape the death penalty. By contrast, local El Paso prosecutors, armed with the same evidence as their federal counterparts, have promised to put the shooter on death row.[6] The Biden Administration’s decision here appears not to be based on the strength of the evidence or the wishes of the victims’ families, but rather a purely political choice, designed to appease the fringe left of his party. Unfortunately, having already injected partisan political concerns into the administration of the death penalty in civilian courts, it now appears the Biden Administration is doing the same in military tribunals.

Victims have spoken out in the media about the proposed plea bargain, indicating that they “were told, and were promised, that we would bring these people responsible to justice, and we expect that to happen[.]”[7] These families have already been robbed of their loved ones, they should not also be robbed of the full measure of justice in this case. The September 11th plotters are mass murderers, deserving of the ultimate punishment. Indeed, if there are persons walking the face of the Earth who are deserving of the death penalty, it is these five men. After over two decades of patiently waiting, the victims’ families deserve closure.

For these reasons, we request that you respond to the questions below no later than September 15, 2023:

1. Why is the administration, through your offices, not working to advance this case and allow prosecutors to try the accused?

2. What exactly constitutes a “policy principle?”

3. What officials are involved with “policy principle” discussions?

4. Why has the administration delayed justice by requiring the prosecution and defense to engage in thirteen status conferences discussing the policy principles?

5. Why is the decision to allow death as a possible sentence so difficult, given the facts of the underlying offense?

6. Who from the Department of Justice, White House Counsel’s Office, or Executive Office of the President did you, your staff, or any member of the relevant Military Commission, speak with regarding whether to seek the death penalty in this case?

Sincerely,

/s/

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-blasts-biden-administration-rule-essentially-barring-transportation-of-lng-by-rail,Sen. Cruz Blasts Biden Administration Rule Essentially Barring Transportation of LNG By Rail,2023-09-02,2023,2023-09,Republican,Senate,TX,Ted Cruz,C001098,www.cruz.senate.gov,cruz,https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today released the following statement after the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a final rule suspending a Trump administration rule that would have allowed liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be shipped by rail.

“Today, the Biden administration has fired another salvo in its war on American energy by essentially prohibiting the movement of LNG by rail. America is a leader in reducing carbon emissions largely because the of the United States' development and use of natural gas. The energy renaissance we are seeing in this country is producing enormous environmental benefits. LNG by rail would give Americans—particularly those who have limited energy choices because of geography—an affordable and environmentally-responsible option to meet their energy needs. By removing this option, the radical environmentalists in the Biden administration have delivered a further setback to American prosperity and national security. This is yet another example of why the Biden administration cannot be trusted to implement pro-domestic energy policies.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T00:37:48Z