January 27, 2017
Greetings,
This week, millions of Americans across the country gathered to help ensure greater promise, opportunity, and protection of our future generations.
On Tuesday, Texans rallied in Austin in support of legislative measures before the Texas legislature that will expand school choice. And today, millions of Americans came together in cities all across the country and in Washington to recognize our fundamental right to life and remember the 57 million innocent, unborn lives that have been ended by abortion since Roe v. Wade.
We have tremendous opportunities before us to unleash the potential of every child by expanding school choice, and to defend unborn life by passing legislation that will reduce and discourage abortion. I remain committed to leading on both of these issues which I believe are crucial to improving lives and protecting our future.
Please read below for an update from this last week.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz Thanks Pro-Life Marchers for Unwavering Support for Life
Sen. Cruz released the following statement in recognition of the March for Life, where millions of Americans will gather in D.C. and across the nation in defense of policies at all levels of government that defend innocent life:
“As millions of Americans gather in D.C. and cities all across the country today to recognize the fundamental right to life, we mourn and remember the 57 million innocent, unborn lives that have been ended by abortion since Roe v. Wade was decided 44 years ago. I want to thank all who are marching today and all who are fighting tirelessly to rectify this injustice and defend the unborn. Their heroic efforts continue to speak the truth in love and make great strides in restoring the sanctity of life throughout the 50 states. I stand with you all and remain firmly committed to efforts that will minimize and, hopefully one day, put an end to the scourge of abortion upon our society. With your efforts we can bring a light of hope and restore a culture of life in America. Each life is a gift from God. Without life, there is no liberty. So today, and every day, we stand united for life, and we resolve to always cherish and defend it."
Sen. Cruz has been a leader in efforts to defend life throughout his career. Earlier this week, he joined with colleagues to reintroduce the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Ben Sasse, which requires that a child born alive as a result of an abortion must be given the same degree of health care as any other child born alive at that gestational stage. He also advocated last Friday in a Senate resolution to reinstate the Mexico City policy to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are not spent to promote abortion in foreign countries. After years of not being enforced under the Obama Administration, President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy via executive order earlier this week.
In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Cruz has led efforts to take away taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood and advocated for an investigation into abortion practices in the U.S. to put a stop to facilities and doctors illegally performing late term abortions and infanticide. As Solicitor General of Texas he led the charge on behalf of 13 states to successfully defend a federal law that bans partial birth abortion before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The full press release can be viewed here.
Sen. Cruz Recognizes School Choice Week 2017
On Tuesday, Sen. Cruz penned the following op-ed in recognition of School Choice week, where thousands will gather in support of school choice legislation before the 85th Texas Legislature.
“Every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn. Yet today millions of children across our nation find themselves in failing schools, barring them from the chance to receive the education they need to climb out of poverty and up the economic ladder,” Sen. Cruz wrote.
“All parents and students who want educational choice should have it. Yet in Texas alone, 105,000 kids are waiting to be admitted to charter schools, and throughout the nation, more than a million children await acceptance into charter schools.
“While there remains an enormous task before us to give every child access to a quality education, I am encouraged by progress that has been made in my home state of Texas. Since 2000, the number of charter schools in Texas has more than tripled. And currently before the Texas Legislature are measures that will continue to expand school choice across our state…”
The full op-ed may be viewed here.
Sen. Cruz: President Trump’s Actions Are Just the Beginning of What Can Be Done to Create Job Opportunities for American Workers
On Monday, Sen. Cruz issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive actions to advance construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines:
“From building the infrastructure we need to transport energy resources and increase our energy independence, to removing unnecessary barriers to permitting and exploration, these measures are just the beginning of what can be done to unleash the American Energy Renaissance and create unlimited job opportunities for workers all across our country," Sen. Cruz said. "We stand at the edge of an energy revolution that is sweeping the nation, and I look forward to opportunities to work with the Trump Administration to empower the next generation of energy pioneers and tap into the natural resources at our fingertips that are crucial to restoring jobs and economic growth.”
The full press release can be viewed here.
Sen. Cruz Statement on President Trump's Executive Actions to Secure Border and Enforce the Law
Sen. Cruz released the following statement on President Trump’s actions to secure the border and enforce our immigration laws:
“Today, President Trump took action that will launch the process of securing our southern border and effectively enforcing our nation’s immigration laws. These are policies on which Americans have waited far too long for action, and I stand ready to work with my colleagues to support these measures with any additional Congressional action that may be necessary to ensure they are timely and effectively implemented.”
Sen. Cruz is the Senate sponsor of Kate’s Law, which would amend federal law to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any illegal reentry offense and is crucial to ensuing that deported illegal aliens – especially those with violent criminal records – are deterred from illegally reentering the United States. The legislation is named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed in San Francisco by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times.
Sen. Cruz reintroduced Kate’s Law earlier this month – which he first introduced in the Senate in July 2015 – along with cosponsors Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), David Perdue (R-Georgia), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska).
The full press release can be viewed here.
Sen. Cruz and Rep. Poe Move to Protect State Governors’ Right to Refuse Refugees
This week, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), chairman of the House Terrorism Subcommittee, reintroduced the State Refugee Security Act of 2017. This joint Senate-House effort mandates that the federal government notifies a state at least 21 days prior to resettling a refugee there. During that period, if a state governor certifies that the federal government has not provided adequate assurances that the refugee does not present a security risk, the federal government is prohibited from resettling that refugee in the state.
The first obligation of the president is to keep this country safe as commander in chief,” said Sen. Cruz. “I am encouraged that, unlike the previous administration, one of President Trump’s top priorities is to defeat radical Islamic terrorism. To augment the efforts of the new administration, this legislation I have introduced will reinforce the authority of the states and governors to keep their citizens safe. I am honored to work with Rep. Poe on this legislation and I hope that Congress will pass it and send it to the president’s desk.”
The full press release can be viewed here.
Sen. Cruz Takes Gavel of Constitution Subcommittee, Continues Leading Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness
Sen. Ted Cruz has assumed a new leadership position as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, and will continue to lead the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness during the 115th Congress, whose first session kicked off this month. Sen. Cruz will also continue to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee.
“For my entire life, I have revered the United States Constitution,” said Sen. Cruz. “It’s creation was truly a moment of genius. For, as Thomas Jefferson once observed, it provides the necessary ‘chains’ to bind the ‘mischief’ of government. I am honored to be trusted with the task of leading Senate oversight of constitutional issues. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on The Constitution during the 115th Congress, I pledge to work as hard as I can to ensure that our government remains faithful to the Constitution’s guarantees of federalism, separation of powers, and individual liberty for American citizens.”
Cruz continued, “I look forward to continuing the progress we have made on the Space, Science, and Competitiveness subcommittee in advancing a bipartisan NASA reauthorization bill that will provide NASA with the stability it needs and ensure that America remains a leader in space exploration in the 21st century. And I also look forward to continuing to work with the Senate Armed Services Committee to strengthen our national defense, and provide our service men and women with the resources they need to defend our nation. Our work on both of these committees will foster economic growth and job creation for the state of Texas, and strengthen our state’s role in supporting the missions of NASA and our military.”
The full press release can be viewed here.
March For Life & School Choice Highlights
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