WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today appeared on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ with Margaret Brennan where he discussed the next phase of Congress’ response to COVID-19 and shared his thoughts on the closing of China’s Consulate in Houston. Sen. Cruz also reflected on the life and legacy of Civil Rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who today will cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama for the last time. Excerpts from the interview are below.
ON RE-OPENING THE ECONOMY TO GET AMERICANS BACK TO WORK:
“I am on board with restarting the economy. What Democrats want to do, we’re 100 days out from the presidential election. The only objective Democrats have is to defeat Donald Trump. And they’ve cynically decided the best way to defeat Donald Trump is shut down every business in America, shut down every school in America. Nancy Pelosi talks about working men and women. What she’s proposing is keeping working men and women from working. And, you know, ironically, what she does have in her bill, she has a big tax cut for millionaires and billionaires in blue states.” (Sen. Cruz, Face the Nation, 7/26/20)
Learn more about Sen. Cruz’s push for a recovery package instead of a relief package here.
ON CLOSING OF CHINA’S HOUSTON CONSULATE AND CHINA’S CONTINUED THREATS TO THE U.S.:
“That consulate was closed because it had engaged in espionage, it had been engaged in intellectual property theft, they used it as a base for spying in Houston and throughout the Southwest. And for a long time, I have made the case that China poses the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States for the next century. In fact, the last time I did this show was from Hong Kong in October. I traveled there. I met with the protesters there where two million protesters in the street. And you’ll recall, Margaret, I dressed in all black in solidarity with the protesters that were standing up to Beijing and to Communist China. […] The most significant foreign policy consequence of this pandemic is people are understanding the threat China poses. And in particular, this virus originated because of Communist China’s deliberate cover-up. They arrested, they silenced the heroic Chinese whistleblowers that tried to stop this at the outset. And because of that, over 600,000 people are dead because the Chinese Communist government lied. And Margaret, you know, last year when I said that I didn’t have a lot of allies in Washington, both Republicans and Democrats.” (Sen. Cruz, Face the Nation, 7/26/20)
ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOHN LEWIS:
“John Lewis was an extraordinary hero. He was a civil rights icon. When I was newly elected to the Senate, I had the privilege of joining John and joining much of the Congressional Black Caucus in flying to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral. And I was the only senator who attended Mandela’s funeral. And the entire flight there [and] the flight back we basically sat around John Lewis and listened to his stories as a young man, a hero fighting for civil rights enduring that horrific beating on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. And I have to say, he was a man who believed in justice, who had incredible courage, and he is an inspiration for many generations to come.” (Sen. Cruz, Face the Nation, 7/26/20)
Read Sen. Cruz’s remembrance of John Lewis here.
As negotiations continue, Sen. Cruz is working to advance meaningful solutions that will actually help reignite our economy and restore hope and optimism across the country, including:
- Suspending the payroll tax to put more money in workers’ pockets and to help employers continue to bring back more jobs.
- Removing burdensome regulations and red-tape that strangle small businesses and stifle job creation.
- Expanding access to HSAs so Americans have the flexibility to make health care choices that best meet their individual needs.
- Expanding School Choice by expanding scholarship opportunities, especially with the uncertainty surrounding school re-openings across the country.
- Establishing a U.S. supply chain for rare earth minerals to end our dependence on China for critical minerals used to manufacture defense and other technologies.
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Cruz is leading the charge to fundamentally reassess the U.S.-China relationship. Learn more about Sen. Cruz’s push to unwind the U.S from China and counter Chinese censorship here.