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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today presented an amendment to the Gang of Eight immigration bill that would improve our nation’s legal immigration system by increasing high-skilled temporary worker visas, called H-1B visas, by 500 percent. The measure would effectively address the needs of our nation’s high-skilled workforce by helping meet the growing demand for workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It will also make...

Greetings, After heading back to Washington from the April recess, things picked up quickly on Capitol Hill. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, began the mark-up process on the Gang of Eight's immigration reform legislation, hearings were held in the House of Representatives on the Benghazi attack, and the IRS revealed it had inappropriately targeted conservative, pro-Israel, and Jewish groups. In addition, I joined with other Senators to help protect the religious...

It's never comforting to have one's longstanding fears confirmed. Yet, that's exactly what's happened over the last week as Americans have been presented with a stunning array of facts that diminish faith in our government. Whether it's on foreign policy, taxes, or the health-care system our lives depend on, members of the Obama Administration are making it harder to trust them to perform the most very basic functions of public service. We deserve better. We deserve the truth. President Obama,...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statement regarding the verdict in the Kermit Gosnell trial: "No court can ever provide proper relief for the unimaginable pain that Kermit Gosnell inflicted on women and their children. His atrocities shed light on the truly gruesome acts of late-term abortion. We need to keep working to prevent such crimes against humanity--deliberate infanticide--from happening again. May we all remember this heart-breaking...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statement regarding the IRS’s admission of targeting conservative groups: Today’s news about the IRS admitting it inappropriately targeted conservative, tea party groups is an outrage. What’s just as concerning is the expansive role this agency is charged to take in enforcing Obamacare. An agency that has admitted to engaging in such corrupt, political activities has no place assessing or...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today welcomed President Obama to Texas, where the President is scheduled to kick off his “Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour.” “America is stuck with high unemployment and low GDP growth, so it’s encouraging to see the President coming to Austin to talk about jobs – perhaps he will learn how to create some from the folks who know how,” said Sen. Cruz. “Texas is leading the nation in economic...

WASHINGTON, DC — Today U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) provided an opening statement on immigration legislation before the Senate Judiciary Committee that stressed the importance of securing the border and fixing a broken legal immigration system. Video and a transcript of Sen. Cruz's remarks are below: Sen. Cruz Opening Statement: “Virtually everyone agrees the immigration system we have no is broken. I very much hope that we are embarking on what will prove to be a real markup that...

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) released a letter they sent to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel requesting confirmation of the rights of members of the armed services to practice and share their faith. The letter is a response to recent media reports indicating potential changes to military regulations governing the discussion of religion by members of the military. "Policies that prohibit the discussion of religious matters...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has filed five amendments to the immigration reform legislation currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee that will: Strengthen border security measures Reform the high-skilled temporary worker program Modernize, streamline and expand legal immigration Prohibit federal, state, or local entitlement benefits for those here illegally Ensure that those in the U.S. illegally are not given a path to citizenship “There is widespread,...

On September 11, 2012, terrorists attacked our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and murdered four Americans, including our ambassador. Eight months later, we have learned some of what happened, but many questions remain. This week the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Benghazi, because we still don’t know all the facts about how we responded during the seven and a half hours of attacks, why we could do nothing to save the lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen...

On September 11, 2012, terrorists attacked our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and murdered four Americans, including our ambassador. Eight months later, we have learned some of what happened, but many questions remain. This week the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Benghazi, because we still don’t know all the facts about how we responded during the seven and a half hours of attacks, why we could do nothing to save the lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today addressed the Senate floor to reiterate his concerns about the House budget being brought up, replaced, and sent directly to conference, going around the Senate’s full debate and amendment process and opening the door to additional procedural shortcuts. Yesterday on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid sought consent to set aside regular order and send budget legislation straight to conference, where he can use...

In the national debate over gun control, emotion and rhetoric often overshadow the facts. Consider what President Barack Obama said in the wake of the tragic murders at Sandy Hook: "If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try." Of course he's right; we should do everything we can to stop violent gun crime. But then why did Democrats in the Senate just vote down common-sense legislation that would...

Greetings, One of my favorite things about Senate recess is the opportunity to visit with so many Texans across the Lone Star State. It's important for our job in the Senate to hear your concerns and suggestions on how we can reduce the intrusion of the federal government in the lives of Texans. This week, I was privileged to address the NRA annual meeting in Houston, meet with small business owners in San Antonio, speak with our service men and women at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint...

In the national debate over gun control, emotion and rhetoric often overshadow the facts. Consider what President Barack Obama said in the wake of the tragic murders at Sandy Hook: "If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try." Of course he's right; we should do everything we can to stop violent gun crime. But then why did Democrats in the Senate just vote down common-sense legislation that would...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has released a web video titled "No Net Tax" explaining the importance of opposing the Internet Sales Tax, misleadingly-titled the “Marketplace Fairness Act.” The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the measure today. The video may be viewed below: Sen. Cruz also penned an op-ed explaining his oppostion in detail that ran in RealClearPolitics on Sunday: http://www.cruz.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=341636 "The Internet has been a...

WASHNGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today addressed the Senate floor to discuss his opposition to the Internet Sales Tax, misleadingly titled the “Marketplace Fairness Act.” Following are video of the address and excerpts of his remarks: “During a time of economic challenge as we are in today, the very top priority of every elected official, whether Republican or Democrat, should be to restore economic growth, to get our economy moving, to get back to the...

Basic tenets of economics dictate that when you tax something, you get less of it. That’s why it’s incomprehensible that the U.S. Senate is moving to raise taxes on one of the brightest sectors of our struggling economy. The Internet is a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurial freedom that should be protected and nourished. It has allowed new businesses to compete in the national marketplace in ways that would have been impossible 15 years ago, and it empowers consumer choice. But...

Basic tenets of economics dictate that when you tax something, you get less of it. That’s why it’s incomprehensible that the U.S. Senate is moving to raise taxes on one of the brightest sectors of our struggling economy. The Internet is a thriving ecosystem of entrepreneurial freedom that should be protected and nourished. It has allowed new businesses to compete in the national marketplace in ways that would have been impossible 15 years ago, and it empowers consumer choice. But...