Senate Race: Cruz discusses border, crime and 'common sense agenda'
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — For democrats campaigning for U.S. Senate, the March 5 primary is the race to face Senator Ted Cruz. But the incumbent already has his eyes set on November.
“What we're doing in Texas works,” Cruz said. “Every day, I'm fighting for more jobs for Texans, for higher wages, for better opportunity. I'm fighting for freedom to protect your constitutional rights.”
Cruz’s search for a third term runs alongside Texas’s border security battle with the federal government and a recent spur of mass shootings.
KXAN’s Ryan Chandler sat down with Cruz to discuss these issues and the senator’s previous work in congress.
“If you want to have the policies that are working here in Texas, low taxes, reasonable regulations, lots of jobs, your family safe and secure and your constitutional rights protected,” Cruz said. “That's what I fought to do and every single day that's what I'll continue doing."
Primary elections will take place March 5, with general elections on November 5.
Immigration
During the interview, Cruz labeled the current situation at the border “an utter catastrophe.”
He described what he saw during patrols with law enforcement, saying that people would purposefully turn themselves in to be released.
“This policy today is indefensible, the human suffering that is happening because of the chaos at our open border,” he said. Cruz heavily criticized President Joe Biden’s current border policies, claiming the lack of security is deliberate in order to help democratic campaigns.
“We went from the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years to the worst in history,” said Cruz. “If he wanted to fix the problem tomorrow, what would he do? He’d build the wall. He’d end catch and release, and he’d reinstate Remain in Mexico. He won't do it.”
Senate Republicans rejected an immigration reform bill earlier this month. The legislation included measures to raise the standard to receive asylum and end the practice of "catch and release" as well as more resources for Border Patrol. Cruz, who voted against the bill, claims it would have made the situation worse.
“What the Democrats wanted was 2 million illegal immigrants every year in perpetuity," he said. That is lawlessness. That is literally putting into law the invasion that is happening in Texas. This was a terrible bill.”
In one of just a few mentions of potential opponent House Rep. Colin Allred, Cruz condemned the democratic party’s lack of visits to border communities.
“Why is Colin Allred not doing campaign events down at the border?” he asked. “You cannot see what is happening and defend it.”
Allred launched his initial campaign tour in August in El Paso. He has also held campaign events in the Rio Grande Valley, including a stop Saturday in McAllen, Texas.
Cruz ended the border discussion by saying the “open border” policies are helping drug cartels and human traffickers in Mexico and reiterating the increase of illegal immigration in the last few years.
Guns and Violent Crime
The Lakewood Church shooting took place just miles from Cruz’s Houston home. The attacker’s history of criminal charges and mental illness brings up conversation about prevention measures.
Texas Democrats, particularly Cruz’s opponents, have been calling for "red flag laws" for years. Cruz says that’s an issue to leave up to the states. However, the senator did refer to several pieces of legislation he attempted to pass in congress pertaining to gun safety.
“When I introduced legislation to mandate the Department of Justice lock up felons and fugitives who try to illegally buy firearms. The Democrats blocked that funding,” Cruz said.
He then referred to the 2017 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the gunman passed background checks because the U.S. Air Force failed to report felony charges. Cruz claims if his 2013 Grassley-Cruz legislation had passed, the Sutherland Springs shooting could have been prevented.
“Grassley-Cruz mandated that when a felon tries to illegally buy a gun, that the DOJ prosecute them and put them in jail,” Cruz said.
The senator sees his stance on crime as a strength. “I have led the way consistently in the Senate. The way to stop violent crime is to go after the criminals,” he said.
Tenure
When asked how he’s helped Texans during the last decade, Cruz pointed to the state’s growth.
“If you look at Texas for more than a decade, we've had over 1,000 people a day moving to the state of Texas,” said Cruz. “Why? Because Texas is where the jobs are.”
The senator listed “jobs, freedom and security” as his top priorities, what he calls a “common sense agenda.” Cruz said that job growth relies on energy, and his Democrat opponents are hurting Texans by seeking to regulate energy production.