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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued a statement applauding President Trump’s Missile Defense Review (MDR): “I commend President Trump for recognizing and prioritizing missile defense, and for highlighting the need for space-based interceptors (SBI), in the Missile Defense Review. Past missile defense reviews have failed to consider the technologies that are needed to protect Americans and the American homeland. In the meantime, China and Russia have...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Student Empowerment Act, which would expand 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school expenses for public, private, and religious schools, including homeschool students. This bill builds upon Sen. Cruz’s Student Opportunity Amendment, which was signed into law in December 2017, by allowing all students – including public, private, religious, and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after voting against a Democrat-led resolution blocking a European Union-supported agreement between the Treasury Department and Russian companies to punish a sanctioned Russian oligarch: “Putin is a KGB thug, and Russia is not our friend. And sanctions are an important tool for pressing back on Russia, which is why I have consistently helped lead...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has been selected to serve as the chairman of the newly created Subcommittee on Aviation and Space for the 116th Congress. Today, the Senate Commerce Committee held an executive session and approved Sen. Cruz’s chairmanship and the jurisdiction of the new subcommittee. The Subcommittee on Aviation and Space will have jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned a panel of witnesses as a part of the nomination hearings for Attorney General nominee William Barr. There, he asked Michael B. Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General, Larry D. Thompson, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and Mary Kate Cary to provide personal testimonies on their past work experiences with Barr and his qualifications to serve as the next Attorney General for the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today released the following statements after President Trump announced his intention to nominate Wes Hendrix to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Lubbock, Mark Pittman to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth, and Sean Jordan for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Plano: “I was happy to recommend Wes, Mark, and Sean to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), Governor Greg Abbott, and Texas members of the U.S. House of Representatives today sent a letter to President Trump urging him not to use any federal funds already appropriated for Hurricane Harvey recovery for any other purpose. “We strongly support securing the border with additional federal resources including tactical infrastructure, technology, ports of entry improvements and personnel,” they...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) today introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring January 20, 2019 through January 26, 2019 as ‘National School Choice Week.’ Sen. Cruz secured the Student Opportunity Amendment as part of the historic tax reform bill passed in 2017, which expanded 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition for public, private, and religious school students, and is the most...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned William Barr during his confirmation hearing to be United States Attorney General. There, Sen. Cruz asked about the rule of law, the First Amendment, and religious liberty, among other topics. Sen. Cruz’s full line of questioning may be viewed here. Excerpts are below.  Sen. Cruz: I don’t want to see a Republican Department of Justice or a Democratic Department of...

  January 13, 2019 Greetings, This week, I toured the Texas-Mexico border and participated in a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). There, we highlighted the importance of border security for Texans. I also met with elected officials, border patrol agents, and local community leaders to discuss how illegal immigration and the border crisis are affecting communities in the region. The large majority of Texans and Americans want to see...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today participated in a Q&A with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kevin Roberts, Ph.D., at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) Annual Policy Orientation. There, Sen. Cruz discussed the need for border security and his bipartisan efforts including the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act, among other issues. When asked about the ongoing debate on border security, Sen. Cruz discussed his recent visit to the Texas-Mexico...

MCALLEN, Texas – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today joined President Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), and other local and Border Patrol officials to tour the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. During the tour, Sens. Cruz and Cornyn spoke with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, before meeting with mayors from the region and local stakeholders to discuss their priorities for border security. At the roundtable...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This bill will allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state with concealed carry laws, while abiding by that state’s laws. “The rights protected in the Second Amendment are foundational to a free society and the preservation of individual liberty,” Sen. Cruz said....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) today announced that their bipartisan Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act has been signed into law by the President. Their bill requires the review, declassification, and release of government records related to unsolved criminal civil rights cases. Sens. Cruz and Jones have led a months-long bipartisan effort to provide public access to unsolved civil rights crime documents through their legislation. U.S....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced a Senate resolution honoring Richard Overton, a Texan who lived to be the oldest World War II veteran and recently passed away at the age of 112. The full text of the resolution can be read here. “Richard Arvin Overton is an American hero that exemplified strength, sacrifice, and service to the United States of America,” reads the resolution. “Now, therefore, be it resolved, that...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the Cambodian Trade Act of 2019, which would require the administration to review the preferential trade treatment Cambodia receives under the General System of Preferences (GSP). The full bill text may be viewed here. "America has invested in the political future of Cambodia by establishing reliable trade and commerce, as codified in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)," Sen. Cruz said. "Cambodia's...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) today introduced the Lake Fannin Recreation Area Conveyance Act to reduce the federal estate in Texas and convey 2,025 acres to Fannin County for public recreation purposes. "I am proud to work with Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Ratcliffe on this important issue," Sen. Cruz said. "The residents of Fannin County are much more effective caretakers and stewards of their land than the federal government....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) on Tuesday reintroduced the WALL Act, legislation that would fully fund the border wall along the southern border. Their legislation, first introduced last December, is also the first bill that will fund the wall by identifying specific funding sources.    “The overwhelming majority of Texans and Americans want to stop the flow of illegal immigration into...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued the following statement after Senate Democrats voted against the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act, legislation critical to Israel’s security. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Sen. Cruz joined Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), and James Risch (R-Idaho) in support of this bill, which would provide security assistance to Israel, enhance our defense...