Senator Ted Cruz Archives - Uvalde Hesperian https://uvaldehesperian.com/category/senator-ted-cruz/ Uvalde's Free News Source Sat, 14 Dec 2024 20:45:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 214914571 Senator Ted Cruz: Take It Down Act unanimously passes in the Senate: Border Security plans https://uvaldehesperian.com/senator-ted-cruz-take-it-down-act-unanimously-passes-in-the-senate-border-security-plans/ Sat, 14 Dec 2024 20:45:13 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=9249  Press Release from Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz 11-13-24 Top Picture: (20) WATCH: Senator Ted Cruz hosts press conference with AI deep-fake victims to call on the House to pass …

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 Press Release from Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

11-13-24

Top Picture: (20) WATCH: Senator Ted Cruz hosts press conference with AI deep-fake victims to call on the House to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act / X

Last week, the Senate unanimously passed my TAKE IT DOWN Act—a monumental step toward empowering innocent victims, particularly teenage girls, to seek justice against those who exploit them by publishing abusive images. This week, I stood proudly with my colleagues, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), and alongside courageous victim advocates to urge the House of Representatives to take immediate action and pass this legislation. The TAKE IT DOWN Act will criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated “deepfakes,” ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable. At the press conference, victim advocates shared powerful stories, highlighting how this legislation can spare countless women, teenage girls, and boys from enduring similar trauma. I am determined to see it passed into law before the end of this Congress. The time to act is now.

“[The TAKE IT DOWN Act] has passed the Senate unanimously. 100 to nothing. Amy and I worked on both sides of the aisle. Every single Democrat in the Senate supported it. Every single Republican in the Senate supported it. … All of us have spoken to House leadership urging the House to take it up and pass it before the end of the year. … If this bill gets a vote in the House it will pass. The only question is, will it get a vote or not? We’re here today on behalf of the victims, on behalf of women, on behalf of teenage girls across this country to say: bring this up for a vote. Pass it and put it on the President’s desk. We can get it done and we can get it done before the end of the year.”

As a father of two teenage girls, I am appalled by the pain and trauma inflicted upon women and teenage girls who experience non-consensual AI-generated intimate images published of them on social media. In today’s hyperconnected world, such exploitation is not just harmful—it’s devastating. This year, I had the privilege of meeting fifteen-year-old Elliston Berry, a courageous victim advocate from Aledo, Texas, whose story exemplifies the urgent need for change. When Elliston was in 9th grade, she became the victim of a deepfake image. Despite her mother’s repeated pleas to Snapchat, it took over nine agonizing months—and one call from my office—to have the image removed. It should not require intervention from a sitting senator to achieve what Big Tech companies are fully capable of doing immediately. The TAKE IT DOWN Act will mandate that social media platforms and similar websites promptly comply with users’ requests to remove non-consensual imagery, ensuring no one else endures what Elliston and her family went through.

This legislation is essential to holding tech companies accountable and protecting victims.

  “I will say one of the real keys to this getting passed has been Elliston just telling her story. There’s another, another teenage girl [in New Jersey], Francesca Mani who had almost the identical thing happen to her, at almost the exact same time. Both of them were freshmen in high school, [and] both of them [experienced] a boy in their class taking innocent pictures from social media and using an AI app to create fake naked pictures of them. In Elliston’s case, [the photos were] sent to everyone of her classmates. It is hard to be a teenager period today, but the nightmare of going through that it’s fundamentally wrong.

  “When Elliston and her mom came to meet with me several months ago in my office, … I asked, ‘What’s happen with the pictures now?’ They said, ‘They’re still up [and] it’s been nine months.’ Elliston’s mom said she’d called Snapchat, she’d email them, and they wouldn’t do anything. I turned to my team, and I said, ‘I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today. I want those photographs down today.’ Within an hour, they pulled them down. … It shouldn’t take a sitting senator making a phone call. Elliston should have the right to say, this is garbage. This is me. I didn’t consent. Take it down.”

I am confident that with President Trump back in the White House and a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, we will deliver real and meaningful change for the American people. The nation has spoken with a clear mandate: it’s time to restore order, accountability, and common sense to Washington. Together, we will secure our borders, tackle inflation, and wars across the world. The failures of Joe Biden and the Democrats have left America weaker and more vulnerable, but we stand ready to clean up their mess and rebuild a stronger, safer, and more prosperous nation. The time for action is now, and we are ready to get to work.

 “We have a real obligation to deliver on our promises. … Number one, we will secure the border. I think Texans and people across the country are deeply dismayed with Joe Biden and the Democrats open borders. … We’re going to follow it up by having Congress pass legislation providing funding to ensure that we secure the border and keep our communities safe.

“I think there’s also a clear mandate to get the economy moving [and] to get inflation under control. There are a lot of elements of that. One is reining in out-of-control spending from Washington, but another critical element of that is ending the Biden administration’s war on energy and Texas oil and gas.

“And finally, when it comes to foreign policy and national security, when Trump was president last we had peace and prosperity. We saw peace flowering in the Middle East, and [then] Joe Biden and the Democrats came into office. They produced utter chaos [and] two major wars waging simultaneously across the globe. I believe [both of those wars] … because that’s what happens when you have a strong commander in chief who our enemies are afraid of.”

The chaos at our southern border under Democratic leadership is unprecedented and unacceptable. As of July 2024, ICE has released an astonishing 650,000 criminals into the United States—14,944 of them murderers, 20,061 convicted of sexual assault, and 105,461 with assault charges. This staggering failure has put countless American lives at risk. Under a renewed Trump administration, we will take decisive action to deport illegal aliens and restore safety and security to our communities.

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard the devastating testimony of Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, who was tragically murdered by an illegal alien due to Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies. Patty’s story is a chilling reminder of the human cost of this administration’s negligence. I am confident that with President Trump’s leadership, we will end the wave of violence, murders, and assaults to ensure that no other American family endure such unimaginable loss.

  “Elections have consequences. For the last four years, we have seen the most radical experiment in open borders this nation has ever seen. … I would ask my Democrat colleagues if they were here, why does the Biden administration not go and arrest every one of these criminals and deport them? What rational world says America is better off with more criminals?

  “Ms. Morin, thank you for being here. The country grieves the loss of your daughter. Your daughter was beautiful. She was a mom, who I know loved her kids, and she’s not with us today. She was raped and murdered because this administration chose to release a violent criminal into America. … I cannot imagine the pain. … No parent should have to bury their child. Children should bury their parents, not the other way around.”

Rest assured; change is coming for our country. God Bless!

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]]> 9249 TX Senator Ted Cruz on Border Security, Space X in Brownsville and the Service Academy Nominations Board https://uvaldehesperian.com/tx-senator-ted-cruz-on-border-security-space-x-in-brownsville-and-the-service-academy-nominations-board/ Sun, 24 Nov 2024 13:01:22 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=9074 Press release from the office of Texas Senator Ted Cruz 11-24-24 This election was a mandate for change. I plan on working with the incoming Trump administration to secure our …

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Press release from the office of Texas Senator Ted Cruz

11-24-24

This election was a mandate for change. I plan on working with the incoming Trump administration to secure our southern border. Under his leadership, we achieved the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years and we can do it again. This is not only good for our national security, but it is good for the safety and security of our communities across Texas.

“I’m going to make a prediction right now. We are going to see the border secure, and it’s not going to take a year. It’s not even going to take six months. We’re going to see it in January and February of next year. And the reason I say that with absolute confidence is when Trump was president, last time, I worked hand in hand with him to secure the border and reproduce the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years.”

As the incoming Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, with jurisdiction over national and civil space policy, I am also committed to working with the Trump administration to advance U.S. space leadership. Right here in Texas, we are leading the nation in this effort, which is why I was especially proud to stand alongside President Trump and Elon Musk at the SpaceX Starbase in Brownsville, Texas this week to witness the latest Starship test launch.

 “SpaceX has built their launch site and a factory [right here in Texas]. The factory is where they build starships – the largest rockets in the world. Brownsville has historically faced very significant economic challenges. So, to have … billions and billions of dollars invested in Brownsville, South Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley was significant.”

While we work to rebuild a stronger future for our nation, prioritizing the strength of our military remains paramount. I recently celebrated the achievements of my Service Academy Nominations Board as they concluded their annual meeting. Together, we recommended some of Texas’s most exceptional candidates for nomination to our country’s prestigious military service academies. Since 2013, I have relied on this esteemed Board—comprised of service academy alumni, National Guard and Reserves members, active-duty and retired military leaders, former senior civilian Department of Defense officials, and other dedicated military supporters from across Texas—to provide invaluable guidance in shaping the next generation of military leaders. As the academies release their admissions decisions early next year, I anticipate seeing several bright young Texans rise to serve their country with distinction.

“Texas has a proud tradition of producing exceptional military leaders dedicated to protecting our country and upholding its values. I am proud to nominate 40 outstanding young Texans, with the support of Chairman Birdwell and my service academy nomination board, to ensure that Texas continues to send its finest to our nation’s military academies.”

Rest assured, I am unwavering in my commitment to enact real, common-sense change to keep Texas on top. God Bless!

Keep Texas Strong,

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]]> 9074 Texas U.S Senator Ted Cruz addresses the U.S. border crisis, the crisis in Israel and the USDA school lunch program theat https://uvaldehesperian.com/texas-u-s-senator-ted-cruz-addresses-the-u-s-border-crisis-the-crisis-in-israel-and-the-usda-school-lunch-program-theat/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 14:08:04 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=6016 Press Release by Senator Ted Cruz “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 …

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Press Release by Senator Ted Cruz

“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 Valleywith 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.

 

 

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told schools, we will cut off your school lunch funding... unless the schools comply with the Biden administration’s radical transgender policies.”

“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!

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]]> 6016 Texas Senator Ted Cruz blasts Biden policies on immigration while Gutierrez criticizes Abbott’s buoys https://uvaldehesperian.com/texas-senator-ted-cruz-blasts-biden-policies-on-immigration-while-gutierrez-criticizes-abbotts-buoys/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 14:00:46 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=5540   by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian Picture Credit: Office of Senator Ted Cruz U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas appeared on Frontline with Carl Higbie on Newsmax Wednesday, September …

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Political opponents blame different parties and policy aspects regarding the U.S. / Mexican Border Crisis

  by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian Picture Credit: Office of Senator Ted Cruz

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas appeared on Frontline with Carl Higbie on Newsmax Wednesday, September 6th to weigh in on the U.S. / Mexico Border Crisis.

“Of our nation’s two-thousand-mile border with Mexico twelve-hundred of those miles are along the state of Texas. I spend a lot of time on our southern border, and Carl as bad as your viewers think it is, I promise you it is a thousand times worse. … Over seven-million illegal immigrants have crossed under Joe Biden. … Senate Democrats and House Democrats … don’t care about the children they brutalize, the human traffickers, the women being sexually assaulted, and sadly they don’t care about the over one-hundred-thousand Americans that died last year of drug overdoses – seventy percent of which came from Chinese fentanyl flooding across the southern border.” Senator Cruz said.

On Friday, September 8th, Senator Cruz posted the followoing on Twitter:

Senator Cruz is running for re-election in 2024 against Roland Gutierrez who currently holds a seat on the Texas State Senate, Gutierrez has recently criticised Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the Floating Bouys his administration placed in the Rio Grande River which divides U.S. and Mexico. Migrant deaths have been blamed on the bouys.

According to Yahoo News, In a recent decision of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, A three-judge panel provided Governor Greg Abbott and the state of Texas a win late Thursday, allowing a floating barrier of buoys and circular saw blades to remaintemporarilty in the Rio Grande River as the lawsuit progresses.

“The appeals court, which has jurisdiction over federal lawsuits pending in Texas, gave no reason for overturning the ruling Wednesday by Senior U.S. Judge David Alan Ezra that the state had violated the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 when it placed the floating barriers in the international river near Eagle Pass,” Yahoo News reported.

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]]> 5540 Statement: Texas U.S. Senate candidate Gutierrez applauds federal judge ruling against operation Lone Star Buoys https://uvaldehesperian.com/statement-texas-u-s-senate-candidate-gutierrez-applauds-federal-judge-ruling-against-operation-lone-star-buoys/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:22:30 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=5505 Press Release by Candidate Roland Gutierrez running for Texas U.S. Senate : Picture File Photo by Robinson AUSTIN, TEXAS – Senator Roland Gutierrez commended today’s ruling against Operation Lone Star. "The …

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Ted Cruz’s favorite political stunt was ruled illegal by a federal judge.

Press Release by Candidate Roland Gutierrez running for Texas U.S. Senate : Picture File Photo by Robinson

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Senator Roland Gutierrez commended today’s ruling against Operation Lone Star.

“The cruel and inhumane border policies endorsed by Ted Cruz have killed children and separated families. Today, the buoys supported by Cruz were rejected by a federal judge. The federal judge’s ruling against Operation Lone Star is a necessary step towards justice, shedding light on inhumane and cruel practices that have no place in our society,” Senator Gutierrez declared.

“The work is far from over. Cruz and other politicians, whose only goal seems to be wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on hurting people they don’t like, will try to keep these buoys up as long as they can. They would rather hurt immigrants than fix the real issues that Texans face.”

“Drowning women and children at the border isn’t a policy. It is cruelty and insanity. The court’s ruling is a step towards justice, but now we must see action. This whole stunt must end right now.”

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]]> 5505 The Political Clash over the Border Crisis and the floating barricade on the Rio Grande River https://uvaldehesperian.com/the-political-clash-over-the-border-crisis-and-the-floating-barricade-on-the-rio-grande-river/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 15:42:50 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=5136 by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian Picture Credit: Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott  "You might not be interested in politics, but politics may take an interest in you." - …

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Texas Border counties and towns continue to deal with the harsh realities of the Federal Goverment’s Border Policy

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Picture Credit: Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott

 “You might not be interested in politics, but politics may take an interest in you.” – Source unknown

” I just got back from the border. And what I know makes me know for sure we’re out of order”  Song- Down on the Border by the Little River Band

  Local governments and residents of the City of Uvalde as well as Uvalde County, Zavala County and Kinney County have been directly affected by the flow if undocumented migrants from the United States Mexican Border. Area landowners have seen their fences damaged or destroyed and Texas DPS, County Sheriff’s Offices and City Police Departments as well as the U.S Border Patrol regularly deal with high speed chases and human trafficking situations where migrants are found on railroad cars and stuffed in large trucks and other vehicles. Recently, The Uvalde City Council and the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court have renewed their respective emergency declarations pertaining to the ongoing border crisis. 

 While these situations continue to occur, state and federal politicians have taken sides on the issue. Texas Governor Greg Abbott , Ted Cruz and other Republicans accuse the Biden Administration of not doing enough to protect the border, Texas Senator Roland Gutierrez blasts Texas Governor Abbott calling floating border barricades: “traps” and the U.S. The Department of Justice takes legal action against the State of Texas.

U.S. Sentator from Texas Ted Cruz posted this Tweet critizing the Biden Administration claiming it has failed to address the U.S Border Crisis:

Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrec posted this Tweet blasting Texas Governor Greg Abbott over Operation Lone Star which Gutierrez claims us cruelty and rised to the level of neglegent homicide:

Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez Demands Department of Justice Investigate Texas Department of Public Safety for Cruelty at the Border

July 18th, 2013  Press Release by Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Tuesday morning, Senator Roland Gutierrez sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding an investigation into a report from the Houston Chronicle detailing a series of immoral and inhumane punishments against migrants ordered by Governor Greg Abbott. Troopers were allegedly under orders from the governor to refuse water to migrants and push young children into the Rio Grande river.

“What is happening at our southern border is not security in any sense of the word. This is cruelty, inflicted by a governor that has failed to keep Texans safe. I am calling for a swift investigation into this matter by the U.S. Department of Justice and for the Federal authorities to shut down Abbott’s unconstitutional rogue operation,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez.

In the letter, Senator Gutierrez states:

“There are few greater sins in this world than watching children scream in agony from “traps” that were set for them by law enforcement officials. I believe that these new orders and policy changes violate federal law and our international agreements with Mexico. Likewise, I believe that those that instituted this policy will not face accountability for their actions from state officials. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has said that it will conduct an audit or an investigation into this matter. DPS cannot be trusted to investigate itself.

“In South Texas, we have seen this before. Nearly fourteen months ago, 19 children and 2 educators were left by law enforcement to fend for themselves for 77 minutes against a heavily armed and deranged gunmen. More than a year later, law enforcement officials have not faced one shred of accountability for their failure to breach the classroom at Robb Elementary. These same law enforcement officials have now initiated a policy that ensures horrendous pain and severe injury to migrants entering our country.”

You can read Senator Gutierrez’s letter to the Department of Justice here.

In June 2023 Governor Greg Abbott signs several bills creating package of laws giving the State new powers in an effort to secure the border

Photo creditL Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott

On June 8th, 2023 during the 88th Legislative Session, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a signing ceremony where he signed several bills addressing border securing into law.

According to a press release by the Office of Governor Greg Abbott, the following actions were taken and bills were signed:

“During the press conference, Governor Abbott also announced the deployment of new marine floating barriers to deter illegal crossings in hotspots along the Rio Grande River. This strategy will proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border. The first 1,000 feet of the marine floating barrier will be deployed near Eagle Pass.

Senate Bill 423 (Paxton/Wilson, T.M.) provides Texas military forces the authority to use unmanned aircrafts as part of an operation, exercise, or mission. The bill legalizes the use of drones for search and recovery missions after natural disasters and for monitoring the Texas-Mexico border as part of Operation Lone Star.

Senate Bill 602 (Birdwell/Harless) expands the authority of U.S. Border Patrol agents who have completed a DPS training program to include arrest, search, and seizure at established border checkpoints and points of entry for felony offenses under Texas law. Current law only allows agents to detain certain individuals at these locations.

Senate Bill 1133 (Blanco/King, T.) creates a grant program to compensate agricultural landowners up to $75,000 for property damage caused by trespassers committing a border crime, such as the smuggling of persons, evading arrest, human trafficking, or a drug offense. Increased migrant traffic and law enforcement activity has left many landowners with significant financial losses and property damage.

Senate Bill 1403 (Parker/Spiller) authorizes the Governor to coordinate and execute an interstate compact for border security among interested states without congressional approval. The compact will allow participating states to share law enforcement intelligence and resources for heightened detection and deterrence of illegal border activity and will further protect personnel and property to overcome continued shortcomings of existing federal border policy.

Senate Bill 1484 (Creighton/Holland) creates a collaborative border operations training program through DPS for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies along the border. The bill will allow DPS to share expertise in identifying and preventing of transnational criminal activity to local authorities.

Senate Bill 1900 (Birdwell/Guillen) designates Mexican drug cartels and criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations in the State of Texas and increases penalties for the destruction of illegal drugs and the operation of stash houses. This bill also adds foreign terrorist organizations to current intelligence databases and allows local entities to seek public nuisance claims against them. Governor Abbott issued an executive order last September designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and has requested President Joe Biden take similar federal action.

 

 

U.S. Justice Department takes legal action against Texas’ floating buoy barricade on the Rio Grande River

On July 24th, 2023 Poltico reported the following in the article: ‘See you in court’: Abbott responds to DOJ border lawsuit warning

“The Department of Justice plans to sue Texas for deploying a floating barricade at the southern border, according to a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott obtained by POLITICO.

Abbott’s response: “I’ll see you in court, Mr. President.

In its Thursday letter, the DOJ cited the “unlawful construction of a floating barrier in the Rio Grande River” and asserted that the barrier might impede the federal government’s “official duties.”

The letter did not address any migrant-related concerns at the Texas-Mexico border, but DOJ spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa said Friday that “the department is aware of the troubling reports, and we are working with DHS and other relevant agencies to assess the situation.”

Governor Abbott Defends Texas’ Authority To Secure The Border

July 24, 2023 | Austin, Texas | Press Release from the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Governor Greg Abbott today defended Texas’ right to secure the border through the recent deployment of floating marine barriers in the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass as part of the state’s unprecedented response to America’s ongoing border crisis. In a letter to President Joe Biden, the Governor counters threats by the U.S. Department of Justice to sue the state over the barriers by pointing out that the U.S. Constitution grants Texas sovereign authority to protect its borders because the President refuses to enforce federal immigration laws.

“If you truly care about human life, you must begin enforcing federal immigration laws,” reads the letter. “By doing so, you can help me stop migrants from wagering their lives in the waters of the Rio Grande River. You can also help me save Texans, and indeed all Americans, from deadly drugs like fentanyl, cartel violence, and the horrors of human trafficking. To end the risk that migrants will be harmed crossing the border illegally, you must fully enforce the laws of the United States that prohibit illegal immigration between ports of entry. In the meantime, Texas will fully utilize its constitutional authority to deal with the crisis you have caused. Texas will see you in court, Mr. President.”

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]]> 5136 Sen. Cruz clears hurdle in bipartisan effort to get Trans-Mexico Bridges Built https://uvaldehesperian.com/sen-cruz-clears-hurdle-in-bipartisan-effort-to-get-trans-mexico-bridges-built/ Sun, 23 Jul 2023 14:50:55 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=5058 Press release by the Office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations adopted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) amendment to streamline …

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Foreign Relations Committee Unanimously Adopts Cruz Amendment to Expedite Project Reviews

Press release by the Office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations adopted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) amendment to streamline the presidential permitting process for building key bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. The amendment, which was included in a bill authorizing funding for the State Department, secures a critical step in Sen. Cruz’s bicameral, bipartisan effort to see four international bridges that will help create jobs, increase trade, and improve the environment are built. 

  The amendment, which received bipartisan support, gives the State Department sixty days to issue a recommendation to the president on whether to provide 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.

   Sen. Ted Cruz said, “I am proud to have secured an enormous, bipartisan victory for Texas border communities and the Lone Star State’s economy. I will fight to see that this amendment passes Congress and is signed into law so these vital South Texas bridge projects receive expedited review by the administration. Mexico is one of our nation’s most important trading partners, and these bridge projects stand to be an economic boon to the South Texas region. Together, these four bridges will shorten lengthy delays in crossings, help lower the cost of goods for American families, and spur significant job growth. I am thankful to my Senate colleagues, including Chairman Bob Menendez, and the administration for working with me to get these projects moving forward.”

The State Department reauthorization bill is likely to be adopted as part of the annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act, which is currently scheduled to be considered by the Senate this month. Sen. Cruz vowed to keep working to see that his amendment is part of the defense bill.

Background: 

Sen. Cruz’s efforts to streamline the presidential permitting process for cross-border bridges are supported by a bipartisan and diverse group of stakeholders, including:

  • U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas)
  • U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-Texas)
  • U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas)
  • U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
  • U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas)
  • U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Texas Association of Business
  • Laredo Motor Carriers Association
  • Border Trade Alliance

On June 28th, Sen. Cruz led a bipartisan, bicameral delegation letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to resolve delays in providing permits for the aforementioned projects. Joining Sen. Cruz in sending the letter were Sen. John Cornyn, and U.S. Representatives Gonzalez, Cuellar, Tony Gonzales, and Monica De La Cruz. Read the full text of the letter here.

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]]> 5058 Senator Cruz reintroduces bill which would stiffen penalties for migrants who commit violent crimes after reentering U.S. Illegally https://uvaldehesperian.com/senator-cruz-reintroduces-bill-which-would-stiffen-penalties-for-migrants-who-commit-violent-crimes-after-reentering-u-s-illegally/ Sun, 25 Jun 2023 14:23:56 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=4782 Press Release from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz ;Picture credit; Office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz   WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) reintroduced Kate’s Law, …

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This legislation would impose tougher criminal penalties against illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes, and those who illegally reenter the United States after previously being deported.”

Press Release from U.S. Senator Ted Cruz ;Picture credit; Office of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) reintroduced Kate’s Law, bicameral legislation which was first introduced in July 2015. The legislation is named in memory of Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times. This bill would amend federal law to 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. The bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and in the House by Reps. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mo.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Brian Babin (R-Texas) and David Krustoff (R-Tenn.).

About the reintroduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Eight years ago, when I first introduced Kate’s Law, I was just as shocked and dismayed that Kate Steinle was killed by an illegal felon who had reentered the U.S. as I am today. Almost a decade has gone by since this shooting and we have yet to strengthen federal law to prevent a tragedy like this from recurring. The first time this legislation was stopped by Senate Democrats, I vowed to continue fighting for Kate’s Law, and I am proud to introduce this legislation once again to prevent aggravated felons from preying on innocent Americans.”

  Rep. Bice said, “Earlier this year in Texas, an individual who had been deported four times killed five individuals, proving the extensive flaws in our immigration system. Under the Biden administration the southern border is completely out of control, with record breaking crossings occurring every month. In Fiscal Year 2022, CBP arrested 12,028 individuals with criminal convictions. This legislation would impose tougher criminal penalties against illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes, and those who illegally reenter the United States after previously being deported.”

  Sen. Cotton said, “Illegal immigrants who re-enter our country after deportation show a knowing and willful disregard for our laws. This bill will ensure that illegal aliens who return to the U.S. face serious prison time.”

  Sen. Grassley said, “We need tougher penalties for individuals who re-enter our country illegally, especially those who do so with a long rap sheet to their name. It’s dangerous and unjust to let these criminals off the hook. I hope Democrats will wake up to the reality at our southern border and drop opposition to this bill. The safety of American citizens depends on it.”

Read the bill here.

Kate’s Law would increase criminal penalties for certain aliens who illegally reenter the United States after removal or exclusion.

The legislation is named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times.

This bill would amend federal law to 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.

Read the bill here.

 

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]]> 4782 Texas Senator Ted Cruz blasts DHS action providing “illegal” student visa to immigrants under President Joe Biden https://uvaldehesperian.com/texas-senator-ted-cruz-blasts-dhs-action-providing-illegal-student-visa-to-immigrants-under-president-joe-biden/ Sat, 10 Jun 2023 14:10:58 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=4607  Press release from the Office of Senator Ted Cruz; Picture credit: Senator Ted Cruz Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz issued a statement Friday, June 16th criticizing Department of Homeland Security …

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“They are circumventing the law Congress has established regarding non-immigrant visas and its hurting American workers,” Senator Ted Cruz said

 Press release from the Office of Senator Ted Cruz; Picture credit: Senator Ted Cruz

Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz issued a statement Friday, June 16th criticizing Department of Homeland Security actions under President Joe Biden issuing student visas to immigrants.

 “President Biden’s DHS continues to undermine the integrity of the working class by unlawfully issuing student visas to immigrants. They are circumventing the law Congress has established regarding non-immigrant visas and its hurting American workers. This week, I filed an amicus brief in support of a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, seeking for Supreme Court review of DHS’s unlawful issuance of student visas,” Cruz said.  Read more here.

  Cruz continued by saying, “To no surprise, the Biden administration and radical Democrats continue to use their power to do everything but address the disasters they’ve created. Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, has even acknowledged the drug crisis being fueled by the fentanyl pouring across our southern border. Shockingly, his solution was to install vending machines offering an assortment of drug paraphernalia to addicts for free. As Texans, we all know the Biden Border Crisis—and the fentanyl crisis that has resulted—is alive and well.”

 

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]]> 4607 Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz explains why he voted against raising the debt ceiling https://uvaldehesperian.com/texas-u-s-senator-ted-cruz-explains-why-he-voted-against-raising-the-debt-ceiling/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:37:34 +0000 https://uvaldehesperian.com/?p=4578 Content from Newsletter from the Office of Senator Ted Cruz Picture credit: Office of Senator Ted Cruz “Late last night, the Senate convened to take up legislation to once again …

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"...|this agreement will end up adding so much more to the debt in exchange for relatively few spending cuts."

Content from Newsletter from the Office of Senator Ted Cruz

Picture credit: Office of Senator Ted Cruz

“Late last night, the Senate convened to take up legislation to once again suspend the debt ceiling, which is a cap on the nation’s overall borrowing limit. While there had been much fear mongering about potential default, this so-called “default” never would have been on the table had Biden simply given the public assurances that the United States would never fail to pay its debt obligations. The necessity and urgency behind passing this bill was fabricated by the Biden administration and their excessive scare tactics,” Senator Ted Cruz wrote.

” I voted “No” on the bill and here’s why: While there were some good elements to this deal, such as reclaiming some unspent Covid-19 emergency funds for a national pandemic that Biden and Congress have both agreed is over, there were also a lot of aspects that were disappointing. I did not like the fact this agreement failed to include greater efforts to curb spending, and I was frustrated this agreement will end up adding so much more to the debt in exchange for relatively few spending cuts. House Republicans initially asked for a return to the funding levels we had in December 2022, just six months ago, before Congress passed its last big spending bill. Instead, the White House refused, and Congress is locking in excessive spending levels that will continue to fuel inflation and keep us on the current reckless fiscal path that we are on. This means the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents remains largely untouched, and a host of pork-barrel projects that will increase spending by nearly $4 trillion will continue. I simply could not support a debt limit deal that continues the same reckless spending that has produced record inflation, slowed our economic recovery, and which has caused immense harm to families in Texas and across America,” Cruz said.

 

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