Ted Cruz

Republican Party

U.S. Senate Texas

Tenure

2013 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

Prior offices

Solicitor General of Texas

* * *

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

(2012) $3,094,523

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 6, 2018

Education

High school

Second Baptist High School

Bachelor's

Princeton University

Law

Harvard

Personal

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Ted Cruz (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Texas. He assumed office on January 3, 2013. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Cruz (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Texas. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Cruz previously served as Solicitor General for Texas from 2003-2008, during which he argued nine cases before the Supreme Court.

He won re-election in 2018, defeating Beto O'Rourke in the general election. The race saw the most spending in U.S. history specifically by the candidates themselves.[1]

Cruz ran for the Republican Party nomination for president in 2016.[2] He suspended his presidential campaign on May 3, 2016, after losing the Indiana Republican primary to Donald Trump.[3]

Cruz was one of four Latino U.S. senators serving in the 115th Congress.[4]

Cruz defeated David Dewhurst in the Republican Party primary for United States Senate in 2012. Dewhurst had finished in first place in the initial primary, with Cruz in second. After both advanced to the runoff, Cruz won with 56 percent of the vote.[5][6]

Cruz was included on President Donald Trump’s (R) list of 20 potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees released on September 9, 2020.[7] President Trump (R) nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the seat on September 26, 2020. For more information on the 2020 Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, 2020, click here.

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Career
* 3 Committee assignments
* 3.1 U.S. Senate
* 3.1.1 2017-2018
* 3.1.2 2015-2016
* 3.1.3 2013-2014
* 4 Key votes
* 4.1 Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020
* 4.2 Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018
* 4.3 Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
* 4.4 114th Congress
* 4.4.1 Economic and fiscal
* 4.4.1.1 Trade Act of 2015
* 4.4.1.2 2016 Budget proposal
* 4.4.1.3 Defense spending authorization
* 4.4.1.4 2015 budget
* 4.4.2 Foreign Affairs
* 4.4.2.1 Iran nuclear deal
* 4.4.3 Domestic
* 4.4.3.1 USA FREEDOM Act of 2015
* 4.4.3.2 Loretta Lynch AG nomination
* 4.4.3.3 Cyber security
* 4.4.4 Immigration
* 4.5 113th Congress
* 4.6 National security
* 4.6.1 John Brennan CIA nomination
* 4.7 Economy
* 4.7.1 Farm bill
* 4.7.2 2014 Budget
* 4.7.3 Government shutdown
* 4.7.4 Paul Ryan Budget Proposal
* 4.7.5 No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013
* 4.8 Immigration
* 4.8.1 Mexico-U.S. border
* 4.9 Social issues
* 4.9.1 Violence Against Women (2013)
* 5 Elections
* 5.1 2018
* 5.2 2016
* 5.3 2012
* 6 Campaign themes
* 6.1 2018
* 6.1.1 Campaign website
* 6.1.2 Campaign ads
* 7 Issues
* 7.1 2016 presidential endorsement
* 7.2 Debate over changes to immigration law (2014)
* 7.3 National security
* 7.3.1 ISIS insurgency in Iraq
* 7.3.2 Crisis in Gaza
* 7.3.2.1 Hamas
* 7.4 Healthcare
* 7.4.1 Continuing Resolution filibuster
* 8 Political activity
* 8.1 2018
* 9 Campaign donors
* 9.1 Comprehensive donor history
* 9.2 2018
* 9.3 2012
* 9.3.1 Cost per vote
* 10 Personal Gain Index
* 10.1 PGI: Change in net worth
* 10.2 PGI: Donation Concentration Metric
* 11 Analysis
* 11.1 Ideology and leadership
* 11.2 Like-minded colleagues
* 11.3 Lifetime voting record
* 11.4 National Journal vote ratings
* 11.4.1 2013
* 11.5 Voting with party
* 11.5.1 2014
* 11.5.2 2013
* 12 Noteworthy events
* 12.1 Electoral vote certification on January 6-7, 2021
* 12.2 Decision to self-quarantine on March 9, 2020
* 13 Personal
* 13.1 Rafael Cruz
* 14 Recent news
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 Footnotes

## Biography[edit]

Cruz was born in Calgary in Alberta, Canada, where his parents were working in the Alberta oil fields. In 1974 they returned to the Houston area.[8]

Cruz graduated from Second Baptist High School as valedictorian in 1988. He earned his B.A. in Public Policy from Princeton University in 1992. He went on to receive his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1995. Cruz then worked in the following positions in the law field: law clerk to Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist, associate deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice and director of the Office of Policy Planning for the Federal Trade Commission.[9]

Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. In this role he was the youngest Solicitor General in the nation, as well as the longest-serving and first Hispanic Solicitor General in the state. Among his accomplishments, Cruz argued 40 oral arguments, including nine before the U.S. Supreme Court.[10]

## Career[edit]

Below is an abbreviated outline of Cruz's academic, professional, and political career:[11]

* 2013-Present: U.S. Senator from Texas
* 2003-2008: Solicitor General of Texas
* 1995-2003: Worked in the following positions: law clerk to Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist, associate deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice and director of the Office of Policy Planning for the Federal Trade Commission.
* 1995: Graduated from Harvard University with J.D.
* 1992: Graduated from Princeton University with B.A.

## Committee assignments[edit]

### U.S. Senate[edit]

#### 2021-2022

Cruz was assigned to the following committees:[Source]

* Committee on Foreign Relations
* Subcommittee On Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, And Global Women's Issues
* Subcommittee On Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, And Counterterrorism
* Subcommittee On State Department And USAID Management, International Operations, And Bilateral International Development
* Subcommittee On East Asia, The Pacific, And International Cybersecurity Policy
* Joint Economic Committee
* Committee on the Judiciary
* Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
* Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights
* Subcommittee on The Constitution, Ranking member
* Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety
* Committee on Rules and Administration
* Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
* Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, Ranking Member
* Communications, Media, and Broadband
* Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing
* Space and Science

#### 2019-2020

Cruz was assigned to the following committees:

* Joint Economic Committee
* Committee on Rules and Administration
* Committee on the Judiciary
* Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
* Committee on Foreign Relations

#### 2017-2018[edit]

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Cruz was assigned to the following committees:[12]

* Joint Economic Committee
* Committee on Armed Services
* Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
* Committee on the Judiciary
* Committee on Rules and Administration

#### 2015-2016[edit]

Cruz served on the following committees:[13]

* Armed Services Committee
* Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
* Subcommittee on Seapower
* Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
* Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
* Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
* Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
* Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
* Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
* Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, Chairman
* Judiciary Committee
* Subcommittee on The Constitution
* Subcommittee on Immigration and The National Interest
* Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action, Chairman
* Rules and Administration Committee
* Joint Economic Committee

#### 2013-2014[edit]

Cruz served on the following Senate committees:[14]

* Armed Services Committee
* Subcommittee on SeaPower
* Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
* Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
* United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
* Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
* Subcommittee on Science and Space
* Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
* Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
* Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
* Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
* Judiciary Committee
* Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
* Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
* Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights Ranking Member
* Bankruptcy and the Courts subcommittee
* Rules and Administration Committee
* Special Committee on Aging

## Key votes[edit]

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

### Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020[edit]

### Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018[edit]

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

* Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)

Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018
Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system.[15]

Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)

Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018
Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.[16]

Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)

Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018
Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States[17]

Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)

Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018
Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States[18]

Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018
Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance.[19]

Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)

Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018
Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system.[20]

Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)

Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018
Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration.[21]

Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)

Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018
Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials.[22]

Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)

Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018
Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021.[23]

Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)

Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018
Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.[24]

Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)

Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017
The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it.[25]

Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)

Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017
An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271)[26]

Voted Yea on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)

Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017
A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments.[27]

Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017
Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017.[28]

Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)

Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017
Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote.[29]

Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))

Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017
Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass.[30]

Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))

Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017
Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations.[31]

Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)

Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017
Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination.[32]

* Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)

Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018
Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.[33]

Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)

Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018
Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.[34]

Did not vote on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)

Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018
Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.[35]

Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)

Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018
Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.[36]

Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018
Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.[37]

Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018[38]

Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018.[39]

Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.[40]

Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.[41]

Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.[42]

Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017
Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.[43]

Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017
Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code.[44]

Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)

Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017
Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.[45]

Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017
Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.[46]

Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017
Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.[47]

Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017
Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.[48]

Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017
The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.[49]

* Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)

Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018
Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress.[50]

Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017
Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here.[51][52]

Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017
Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.[53]

Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)

Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017
Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.[54]

### Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress[edit]

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

### 114th Congress[edit]

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[55][56] The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Cruz's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[57]

#### Economic and fiscal[edit]

##### Trade Act of 2015[edit]

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

* On June 23, 2015, Cruz published an op-ed in Breitbart explaining why he no longer supported trade promotion authority (TPA). After stating he still believed in free trade, Cruz expressed concern that the version of TPA being offered in Congress was the product of "backroom deal-making" and a potential catalyst "for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include" like immigration reform and the extension of the Export-Import Bank. Cruz stated, "Enough is enough. I cannot vote for TPA unless McConnell and Boehner both commit publicly to allow the Ex-Im Bank to expire—and stay expired. And, Congress must also pass the Cruz-Sessions amendments to TPA to ensure that no trade agreement can try to back-door changes to our immigration laws. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to vote no."[58]

On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Cruz voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill.[59][60]
Trade promotion authority
On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Cruz was one of five Republicans to vote against the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015.[61][62][63]

##### 2016 Budget proposal[edit]

On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Cruz was one of two Republican senators to vote against the bill.[64][65][66]

##### Defense spending authorization[edit]

On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.[67][68] Cruz and five Republicans did not vote.[69] On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.[70]

On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Cruz voted with one Republican, 22 Democrats and one Independent against the bill.[71] The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015.[72] President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.[73]

##### 2015 budget[edit]

On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.[74] Cruz voted with 34 Republicans against the bill.[75] It passed the House on October 28, 2015.[76] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

#### Foreign Affairs[edit]

##### Iran nuclear deal[edit]

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Cruz voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill.[77][78]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015
On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42.[79] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Cruz voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.[80]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes
On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42.[81] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Cruz voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.[82] The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42.[83]

Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote
On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran."[84] Cruz voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment.[85]

#### Domestic[edit]

##### USA FREEDOM Act of 2015[edit]

On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Cruz voted with 22 Republicans, 43 Democrats and one Independent to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.[86][87]

##### Loretta Lynch AG nomination[edit]

On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators and 10 Republican senators voted to confirm Lynch. Cruz was the only senator not to vote on Lynch's confirmation.[88]

After missing the vote on Lynch's confirmation, Cruz explained that his absence from the vote was essentially the same as voting against the nomination. He said, "There was no significance to the final vote, and I had a scheduling conflict. Under the Senate rules, absence is the equivalent of a no vote. It is identical procedurally."[89]

##### Cyber security[edit]

On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21.[90] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Cruz and four other Republicans did not vote.[91]

#### Immigration[edit]

On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement."[92] Cruz voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill.[93]

### 113th Congress[edit]

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[94] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Cruz's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[95]

### National security[edit]

#### John Brennan CIA nomination[edit]

Cruz voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[96]

Drones filibuster

See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists were critical of President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster—13 Republicans and one Democrat.[97][98][99]

Cruz was one of the 13 Republican senators who joined Paul in his filibuster.[100][101]

Thirty Republican senators did not support the filibuster.[102][103][104]

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[105]

### Economy[edit]

#### Farm bill[edit]

On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[106] It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[107] Cruz voted with 22 other Republican senators against the bill.

#### 2014 Budget[edit]

On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[108][109] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.[109] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[110] It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts.

Cruz voted with 25 other Republican members against the bill.[108][109]

#### Government shutdown[edit]

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[111] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Cruz voted with the Republican Party against the bill.[112]

Cruz vowed to donate his paycheck to charity while the government was on shutdown.[113]

Cruz said the shutdown did not affect his family's visit to the D.C. area. He took his family apple picking and to Mount Vernon.[114]

After the government shutdown ended with Republicans failing to receive any concessions from President Barack Obama, Cruz blamed GOP senators for the loss. He said, "The reason this deal, the lousy deal was reached, is because unfortunately Senate Republicans made the choice not to support House Republicans." He later added, "I think that was unfortunate. I think it was unfortunate that you saw multiple members of the Senate Republicans going on television attacking House conservatives, attacking the effort to defund Obamacare, saying it can not win, it's a fools errand, we will lose, this must fail. That is a recipe for losing the fight, and it's a shame."[115]

#### Paul Ryan Budget Proposal[edit]

In March 2013 the U.S. Senate soundly rejected a balanced budget plan by House Budget Committee chair Paul Ryan (R).[116] Five Republicans joined every Democrat present to kill the measure, which failed on a 40-59 vote.[116]

Cruz was one of the five Senate Republicans who voted against Ryan's budget proposal.[116]

The proposed budget would have cut about $5 trillion over the next decade and aimed to balance the budget by the end of the 10-year period.[117]

Some tea party members of the GOP opposed the measure because of its reliance on $600 billion-plus in tax revenues on the wealthy enacted in January 2013, in order to balance the budget.[116] Others in the Senate opposed the Ryan plan because of cuts from safety net programs for the poor and the inclusion of a plan to turn the Medicare program for the elderly into a voucher-like system for future beneficiaries born in 1959 or later.[116]

#### No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013[edit]

Cruz voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[118]

### Immigration[edit]

#### Mexico-U.S. border[edit]

Cruz voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status could be granted. It also would have required 700 miles of fence to be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants could have been changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[119]

### Social issues[edit]

#### Violence Against Women (2013)[edit]

Cruz voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[120]

## Elections[edit]

### 2018[edit]

See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2018
See also: United States Senate election in Texas (March 6, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

##### General election for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Beto O'Rourke and Neal Dikeman in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Ted Cruz (R)  |

50.9

| 4,260,553

| Beto O'Rourke (D)  |

48.3

| 4,045,632

| Neal Dikeman (L)  |

0.8

| 65,470

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 8,371,655

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Beto O'Rourke defeated Sema Hernandez and Edward Kimbrough in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Beto O'Rourke |

61.8

| 640,769

| Sema Hernandez |

23.7

| 245,847

| Edward Kimbrough |

14.5

| 149,851

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,036,467

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Mary Miller, Bruce Jacobson Jr., Stefano de Stefano, and Geraldine Sam in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Ted Cruz |

85.3

| 1,315,146

| Mary Miller |

6.1

| 94,274

| Bruce Jacobson Jr. |

4.2

| 64,452

| Stefano de Stefano |

2.9

| 44,251

| Geraldine Sam |

1.5

| 22,767

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,540,890

|
|

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Bob McNeil (Independent)

### 2016[edit]

See also: Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

Cruz was a Republican candidate for the office of President of the United States in 2016. He announced the launch of his campaign in a tweet on March 23, 2015.[121] He suspended his presidential campaign on May 3, 2016, after losing the Indiana Republican primary to Donald Trump.[3]

### 2012[edit]

See also: United States Senate elections in Texas, 2012
U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Ted Cruz | 56.5% | 4,440,137
| Democratic  |  Paul Sadler  | 40.6% | 3,194,927
| Libertarian  |  John Jay Myers  | 2.1% | 162,354
| Green  |  David B. Collins  | 0.9% | 67,404
Total Votes | 7,864,822
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"
U.S. Senate Runoff Election, Texas Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Ted Cruz | 56.8% | 631,812
David Dewhurst  | 43.2% | 480,126
Total Votes | 1,111,938

## Campaign themes[edit]

### 2018[edit]

#### Campaign website[edit]

Cruz’s campaign website stated the following:

“  |

Proven Leader. Proven Record.

Ted Cruz understands the unique history of our state, and fights for our values every day in the U.S. Senate.

As our U.S. Senator, Cruz has consistently

* Defended our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms
* Led the fight to stop amnesty, and championed creative solutions to fund the border security we need to keep us safe
* Passed legislation to fund and guide NASA
* Advocated for our military

Ted is consistently on the front line of the issues of the day and delivering for over 28 million Texans.

Most candidates run on a list of issues, but Ted has always run on his record. That record is consistent, conservative, and clear: Ted Cruz works for Texas.

Defending the Constitution

“Ted Cruz has been a tireless defender of the Constitution and the founding principles that have made this the greatest country the world has ever known.”

\- Utah Senator Mike Lee

* Fought to keep the US out of the UN Arms Treaty, which would have subordinated the Second Amendment rights of American citizens to global interests.
* Called for a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS’s targeting of American citizens’ political activity.
* Defended Americans’ First Amendment rights against Democrats who sought to limit freedom of expression.
* Galvanized national support for Houston pastors targeted and forced by the City of Houston to submit religious sermons for political scrutiny.
* Defended students’ right to display banners containing religious content at school sporting events.

Successfully defended the constitutionality of the Texas Ten Commandments monument, winning a 5-4 landmark decision before the U.S. Supreme Court.

* Fought and won a landmark victory at the Supreme Court in Medellin v. Texas; protected U.S. sovereignty against 90 foreign nations and the president to ensure the United States is not subject to rulings of the “World Court.”
* Defended Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties against Obamacare’s contraception mandate.
* Fought to help the Boy Scouts of America reverse a district court ruling barring them from leasing a public park.

Jobs and Opportunity

* The first bill Ted offered as a US Senator was to repeal every word of Obamacare.
* Fought for Texas jobs by authoring the NASA Transition Authorization Act, which President Trump signed into law on March 21, 2017.
* Authored legislation empowering greater private sector engagement in commercial space exploration that was signed into law by President Obama.
* Sponsored Audit the Fed legislation.
* Authored resolution, signed by President Trump, eliminating Obama-era rules that restricted Texas’ discretion over its unemployment insurance programs.
* Proposed a tax plan to dramatically reduce taxes for American families and individuals, simplify the tax code and spur significant economic growth.
* Mobilized a national effort to defund Obamacare and repeal the disastrous law in its entirety.
* Introduced the American Energy Renaissance Act to open up energy exploration, expand Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exports, end the crude oil export ban, that with other reforms unleashed job creation across the state of Texas.
* Sponsored the Affordable Reliable Energy Now Act (ARENA), to check President Obama’s overreaching “Clean Power Plan” regulations that infringe on states’ rights, drive up costs for consumers and hamper innovation.
* Fought against budget increases that failed to bring about meaningful spending reforms.
* Opposed the Internet Sales Tax, and spoke against establishment politicians who attempt to impose more unnecessary taxes on Americans.

Limiting Washington's Power

* Fought to protect citizens’ free speech against unlawful and unjust targeting and designations by the IRS.
* Opposed budget increases that failed to bring about meaningful spending reforms.
* Advocated for reforms to boost economic growth, including repealing Obamacare, deregulation, and expansion of energy production.
* Opposed raising the debt ceiling without addressing out-of-control Washington spending.
* Voted against establishment politicians’ Christmas handouts to K-Street.
* Opposed sugar subsidies and favoring a few over the American taxpayer.
* Voted to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard so that all can compete on an equal footing.
* Opposed budget deals that reauthorized the Export-Import bank, a handmaiden of the Washington Cartel.

Second Amendment

“Ted Cruz is one of our nation’s leading defenders of the Second Amendment. For over a decade, Ted has fought tirelessly to defend our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and his leadership was absolutely critical to our major victories before the U.S. Supreme Court.” – NRA executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre

* Led the fight in Congress to stop legislation that would restrict the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.
* Authored legislation to strengthen citizens’ Second Amendment rights and allow interstate firearms sales.
* Argued on behalf of 31 states in District of Columbia v. Heller where the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ban on firearms in a 5-4 landmark decision.
* Awarded the NRA’s 2010 Carter-Knight Freedom Fund, which “rewards exemplary activities in the support and protection of the right to Keep and Bear Arms” for his work in the Heller and McDonald

Securing the Border

“We have to have an advocate in Congress, which I believe is Ted Cruz.”

\- Border Patrol Agent Brandon Judd President of the National Border Patrol Council

* Introduced the EL CHAPO Act to direct funds forfeited after the conviction of drug cartel members to construction of a wall on the southern border of the United States.
* Coalesced conservatives across the country to defeat the Gang of Eight bill that failed to secure the border and would have granted amnesty to millions who came to the United States illegally.
* During the Gang of Eight fight, offered a series of amendments, including measures to prevent citizenship for those here illegally, to block illegals’ access to federal, state, or local public assistance benefits, secure the border, triple the size of the Border Patrol, and implement a biometric entry-exit system.
* Introduced Kate’s Law to establish a 5-year minimum sentence for those who illegally reenter the country.
* Introduced with Jeff Sessions the American Jobs First Act of 2015, to reform the H-1B visa program, curb abuse, and protect American workers.
* Proposed a number of measures to defund President Obama’s amnesty and prevent him from expanding it.

Servicemen and Women

* Fought on behalf of the men and women injured during the 2009 terror attack at Fort Hood asserting their eligibility to receive the Purple Heart.
* Successfully advocated to bring an F-35 squadron to the Naval Air Station Joint Base Fort Worth.
* Helped secure more than $224 million in military construction funds to rebuild Texas’ military infrastructure.
* Added language to the Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations bill to require the VA Secretary to provide Congress with a plan to address the long wait times for veterans seeking health care at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.
* Introduced the North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act of 2017.
* Authored legislation calling on the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.
* Introduced the Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015, barring refugees to the United States from any country that contains substantial territory controlled by a foreign terrorist organization.
* Introduced the IRGC Terrorist Designation Act, calling on the U.S. Department of State to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization.
* Called on Congress to take a three-step approach to stop the flow of funds to the Iranian regime under the terms of Corker-Cardin, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act.
* Twice introduced the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act to reinstate, impose, and expand Iran sanctions.
* Introduced legislation to prevent terrorists from entering the US as UN ambassadors. The bill passed Congress unanimously and President Obama signed it into law.
* Twice introduced the Expatriate Terrorist Act, to prevent terrorists who join ISIS or other terrorist groups from re-entering the country, and to make clear that citizens who collaborate with terrorists forfeit their right to US citizenship.
* Spoke up for our veterans by sponsoring the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act, to make it easier for senior executives at the VA to be fired for negligence, mismanagement, and other performance failures.
* Defended the crosses at the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial from ACLU attempts to have them removed.
* Authored legislative language that provides for concept development of a space-based missile defense system to defend against the full spectrum of ballistic missile threats.

Standing with Israel

“Since arriving in Washington four years ago, Cruz has arguably been Israel’s most avid defender in the Senate.”

Caroline B Glick The Jerusalem Post

* Co-sponsored legislation to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Introduced measure to provide necessary funding for Israel’s missile defense, Arrow System, David’s Sling and Iron Dome.

* Chaired a hearing for the Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts titled “Justice Forsaken: How the Federal Government Fails the American Victims of Iranian and Palestinian Terrorism” focused on the federal government’s failure to support the American victims of Iranian and Palestinian terrorism.
* Twice introduced legislation to prohibit negotiations between the United States and Iran until Iran released the American prisoners it is unjustly detaining and recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
* Introduced a resolution passed by Congress to condemn Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields.
* Introduced legislation passed by the Senate to offer rewards to those who handed in information about the kidnappers and murderers of the 3 boys who were murdered in Jerusalem, one of them being an Israeli-US citizen.
* Brought national attention to the FAA ban on flights into Ben Gurion airport and asked if they the ban was being imposed as a form of economic sanction on Israel. Due in large part to the public pressure brought by Ted Cruz, the ban was lifted.
* Supports Israel’s Iron Dome program, which in defending Israel also protects US security interests.

Texas Values

“Since Ted Cruz was elected to the U.S. Senate, he has done everything he said he’d do for Texans, and more.”

–Texas Governor Greg Abbott

* Fought to take away taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood.
* Led the way to preserve the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance at the U.S. Supreme Court.
* Successfully defended the words “under God” in the Texas Pledge of Allegiance and Texas schools’ moment of silence law in federal district court.
* Successfully defended the constitutionality of the Texas Ten Commandments monument, winning a 5-4 landmark decision before the U.S. Supreme Court.
* Defended Texas’s marriage laws when a state court attempted to recognize a Vermont civil union.
* Successfully defended Texas’s Rider 8, which prohibits state funds for groups that provide abortions.
* Galvanized national support for Houston pastors who had been subpoenaed by the City of Houston and forced to turn in their sermons.
* Supported students’ right to display banners containing religious content at school sporting events.
* Led the charge on behalf of 13 states to successfully defend a federal law that bans partial birth abortion before the U.S. Supreme Court.
* Advocated for an investigation into abortion practices in the U.S. to prevent the atrocities witnessed in Kermit Gosnell’s facility from ever happening again.
* Joined 18 states in successfully defending the New Hampshire parental-notification law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
* Authored legislation and a constitutional amendment in the Senate to prevent federal courts from further interfering with any state’s authority to define marriage.
* Introduced legislation to protect the right of states to define marriage, without intrusion by unelected federal judges.
* Introduced measures in Congress to protect service members’ right to worship.[122]

|  ”

|
|

—Ted Cruz for Senate[123]

#### Campaign ads[edit]

The following is an example of an ad from Cruz's 2018 election campaign.

"Harvey" - Cruz campaign ad, released August 3, 2018

## Issues[edit]

### 2016 presidential endorsement[edit]

✓ Cruz endorsed Donald Trump for the 2016 presidential general election.[124]

See also: Endorsements for Donald Trump
2016 Presidential Endorsements by Former Presidential Candidates

Name  |  Candidate  |  Date  |  Source
Carly Fiorina |  Ted Cruz (primary) |  March 2016  |  Politico
Ted Cruz |  Donald Trump |  September 2016  |  CNN
Jim Gilmore |  Donald Trump |  September 2016  |  Politico
Bernie Sanders |  Hillary Clinton |  July 2016  |  CNN
Martin O'Malley |  Hillary Clinton |  June 2016  |  Twitter
Rick Santorum |  Donald Trump |  May 2016  |  Reuters
Mike Huckabee |  Donald Trump |  May 2016  |  Twitter
Rick Perry |  Donald Trump |  May 2016  |  CNN
George Pataki |  John Kasich |  April 2016  |  ABC News
Jeb Bush |  Ted Cruz |  March 2016  |  Politico
Ben Carson |  Donald Trump |  March 2016  |  Politico
Carly Fiorina |  Ted Cruz |  March 2016  |  Politico
Bobby Jindal |  Marco Rubio |  February 2016  |  Tampa Bay Times
Lindsey Graham |  Jeb Bush |  January 2016  |  NBC News

### Debate over changes to immigration law (2014)[edit]

On June 30, 2014, President Barack Obama (D) announced plans to take executive action on immigration reform. Obama blamed House Republicans for failing to act on this issue and said that he would do it on his own without Congress. This came after thousands of unaccompanied children began to show up at the U.S. border.[125]

Cruz's press secretary issued the following statement: "President Obama made many excuses today, but the blame lies at his feet. He has forfeited endless opportunities to work with Congress to pass common sense immigration reform that secures the border and champions legal immigration, while respecting the rule of law. The humanitarian crisis at the border is a direct result of his own policy failures, and his past unilateral actions on immigration display a willingness to stretch his existing legal authorities well beyond the breaking point. This humanitarian crisis will not end until both the president and Congress make it clear that rule of law matters, and those who ignore it and come here illegally will not be allowed to stay and receive de facto amnesty."[126]

### National security[edit]

#### ISIS insurgency in Iraq[edit]

See also: ISIS insurgency in Iraq and Syria

In August 2014, Cruz said that President Barack Obama (D) needed to seek congressional authorization if airstrikes were to continue against ISIS forces in Iraq. Cruz said, "I believe initiating new military hostilities in a sustained basis in Iraq obligates the president to go back to Congress and to make the case and to seek congressional authorization. I hope that if he intends to continue this that he does that." Cruz also stated his support for the policy of bombings and humanitarian aid itself. He stated, "I am glad that President Obama is finally beginning to take the threat of ISIS seriously."[127]

On September 7, 2014, Cruz restated the need for action against ISIS and for Obama to get congressional approval for that action. He said, "President Obama should make the case to the American people and seek authorization from Congress. Formal congressional authorization is required by the Constitution and would force the president to commit to a clearly defined strategy to protect our national security. And it would unite the Congress in the mission to protect America and eradicate ISIS."[128]

#### Crisis in Gaza[edit]

Cruz announced on July 23, 2014, that he was placing holds on all federal nominees to the U.S. Department of State because of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) decision to stop all flights from the U.S. to Israel, calling it an "economic boycott." The Obama administration replied to Cruz's suggestion, calling the claim "ridiculous and offensive." Cruz responded, stating, "The only thing ‘offensive’ about this situation is how the Obama Administration is spurning our allies to embolden our enemies; the only thing ‘ridiculous’ is the administration’s response to basic questions. Until the State Department answers my questions, I will hold all State Department nominees."[129]

Cruz lifted the hold on July 28, 2014, after he received a briefing on the reasoning behind the flight ban by FAA officials. Cruz explained, "I appreciate the FAA’s efforts to respond to my questions, and so I have lifted my hold on State Department nominees. The hold was designed to force answers to important questions about why the Obama administration had banned flights to Israel. Thankfully, in response to widespread criticism, the administration has now reversed course and lifted its ban on flights to Ben Gurion International Airport."[130]

##### Hamas[edit]

Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) condemned Hamas in a resolution they presented to the Senate on July 28, 2014. Cruz said of Hamas, "Hamas is undoubtedly guilty of violating international humanitarian law through its deliberate, repeated, and consistent use of civilians as human shields. The United States of America, along with the entire international community must expose and denounce Hamas’ barbaric tactics and unequivocally support Israel’s right to self-defense." Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Ted Deutch (D-FL) filed the resolution in the House, as well.[131]

### Healthcare[edit]

#### Continuing Resolution filibuster[edit]

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

Cruz spoke for over 21 hours on the floor of the Senate about defunding the Affordable Care Act. He relinquished control of the floor at noon on September 25, 2013. According to Senate rules, the latest he could have spoken was only an hour later at 1 p.m. According to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), "This is not a filibuster. This is an agreement that he and I made that he could talk."[132]

During the speech, Cruz was questioned by Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia and Dick Durbin of Illinois and received the support of Utah Senator Mike Lee and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.[132]

The speech took place after Cruz called for Republican senators to effectively filibuster the continuing resolution that passed the House in September 2013. He said, "Step two is the Senate, where all accounts suggest Harry Reid plans to use procedural gimmicks to try to add funding back in for Obamacare. If Reid pursues this plan — if he insists on using a 50-vote threshold to fund Obamacare with a partisan vote of only Democrats — then I hope that every Senate Republican will stand together and oppose cloture on the bill in order to keep the House bill intact and not let Harry Reid add Obamacare funding back in."[133]

He went on, "Now is a time for party unity; Senate Republicans should stand side-by-side with courageous House Republicans."[133]

## Political activity[edit]

### 2018[edit]

In Texas' U.S. House Republican primaries, Cruz supported candidates in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 21st districts. Two of the candidates he endorsed were his former staffers: Jason Wright in District 5 and Chip Roy in District 21.

Cruz made endorsements outside his home state as well. In the special election for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, Cruz backed former state Sen. Steve Montenegro. He endorsed Cynthia Dunbar, a national committeewoman for the Republican Party of Virginia, in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District. In the Wisconsin Senate race, he supported Kevin Nicholson. He backed Monty Newman in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District.

The Texas Tribune wrote, “The primaries provide the first real opportunity to gauge Cruz's electoral clout in Texas since 2016, a year best remembered for his failed presidential campaign and tumultuous relationship with then-candidate Donald Trump.”

“Since then,” the Tribune said, “Cruz has worked hard to cultivate the image of a team player in Trump's Washington, aligning with his former bitter rival on a host of issues.”

## Campaign donors[edit]

### Comprehensive donor history[edit]

* * *

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

* * *

Ted Cruz campaign contribution history

Year | Office | Result | Contributions
2018 | U.S. Senate Texas |  ✔ | $42,878,695
Grand total raised | $42,878,695

Source: Follow the Money

### 2018[edit]

U.S. Senate Texas 2018 election - Campaign Contributions

Top industry contributors to Ted Cruz's campaign in 2018
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate | $549,610.03
Energy & Natural Resources | $428,863.68
General Business | $366,685.61
Transportation | $310,047.91
Government Agencies/Education/Other | $281,782.82
Total Raised in 2018 | $42,878,694.53
Source: Follow the Money

U.S. Senate Texas 2018 election - Campaign Contributions

Top individual contributors to Ted Cruz's campaign in 2018
CRUZ, RAFAEL EDWARD (TED) | $257,000.00
ABRAMOWITZ, JOSHUA G | $28,500.00
STEWART, MR GORDON | $18,700.00
AGEE, MR RICHARD | $14,600.00
CAMERON, RONALD M | $13,500.00
Total Raised in 2018 | $42,878,694.53
Source: Follow the Money

### 2012[edit]

Cruz won election to the U.S. Senate in 2012. During that election cycle, Cruz's campaign committee raised a total of $14,511,279 and spent $14,031,864.[134] This is more than the average $10.2 million spent by Senate winners in 2012.[135]

#### Cost per vote[edit]

Cruz spent $3.16 per vote received in the 2012 general election. This is the third lowest among U.S. senators who won election in 2012.

U.S. Senate, Texas, 2012 - Ted Cruz Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $14,511,279
Total Spent | $14,031,864
Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $705,026
Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $510,439
Top contributors to Ted Cruz's campaign committee
Club for Growth| $705,407
Senate Conservatives Fund| $315,991
Woodforest National Bank| $93,500
Goldman Sachs| $65,850
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius| $64,600
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Republican/Conservative| $1,146,345
Lawyers/Law Firms| $796,785
Oil & Gas| $716,868
Retired| $647,214
Securities & Investment| $533,657

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.

|

Breakdown of the source of Cruz's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

## Personal Gain Index[edit]

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

* Changes in Net Worth
* The Donation Concentration Metric

### PGI: Change in net worth[edit]

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Cruz's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $1,029,049 and $5,159,997. That averages to $3,094,523, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Cruz ranked as the 45th most wealthy senator in 2012.[136] Between 2011 and 2012, Cruz's calculated net worth[137] increased by an average of 83 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[138]

Ted Cruz Yearly Net Worth

Year| Average Net Worth
2011| $1,695,395
2012| $3,094,523
Growth from 2011 to 2012:| 83%
Average annual growth:| 83%[139]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[140]
The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

### PGI: Donation Concentration Metric[edit]

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Cruz received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Republican/Conservative industry.

From 2011-2014, 27.78 percent of Cruz's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[141]

Ted Cruz Campaign Contributions

Total Raised | $17,812,695
Total Spent | $15,686,140
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Republican/Conservative| $1,574,249
Lawyers/Law Firms| $930,584
Oil & Gas| $927,368
Retired| $832,361
Securities & Investment| $684,141
% total in top industry| 8.84%
% total in top two industries| 14.06%
% total in top five industries| 27.78%

## Analysis[edit]

### Ideology and leadership[edit]

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Cruz was a rank-and-file Republican as of July 2014. In June 2013, Cruz was rated as a "centrist Republican follower."[142]

### Like-minded colleagues[edit]

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[143]

Cruz most often votes with:

* Tim Scott
* Joe Manchin

Cruz least often votes with:

* Susan Collins
* Chuck Schumer

|

### Lifetime voting record[edit]

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Cruz missed 104 of 927 roll call votes from January 2013 to September 2015. This amounts to 11.2 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.[144]

### National Journal vote ratings[edit]

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

#### 2013[edit]

Cruz ranked fourth in the conservative rankings among U.S. senators in 2013.[145]

### Voting with party[edit]

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

#### 2014[edit]

Cruz voted with the Republican Party 83.6 percent of the time, which ranked 33rd among the 45 Senate Republican members as of July 2014.[146]

#### 2013[edit]

Cruz voted with the Republican Party 85.4 percent of the time, which ranked 38th among the 44 Senate Republican members as of May 2013.[147]

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### Electoral vote certification on January 6-7, 2021[edit]

See also: Counting of electoral votes (January 6-7, 2021)

Congress convened a joint session on January 6-7, 2021, to count electoral votes by state and confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election. Cruz voted against certifying the electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Senate rejected both objections by a vote of 6-93 for Arizona and 7-92 for Pennsylvania.

### Decision to self-quarantine on March 9, 2020[edit]

See also: Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

Cruz announced on March 9, 2020, that he would self-quarantine following his potential exposure to the coronavirus.[148] Cruz announced he would extend his quarantine period on March 13.[149] Cruz's period of self-quarantine came to an end on March 17.[150]

Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.

Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryDaily updatesElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit

COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.

## Personal[edit]

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cruz and his wife, Heidi, have two daughters.[9] Heidi works as head of the Southwest Region in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs, assigned to the Houston area.[151]

Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on December 22, 1970. His father, a Cuban immigrant, fled his home country in 1957 after fighting against the dictator Fulgencio Batista. His mother is Irish-American.[152]

### Rafael Cruz[edit]

Cruz's father, Rafael, has made headlines through speaking engagements. At one such engagement in July 2013, Rafael compared President Obama to Fidel Castro.[153]

Rafael Cruz endorsed Katrina Pierson in her primary challenge against Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in Texas' 32nd Congressional District in 2014.[154]

## Recent news[edit]

This section links to a Google news search for the term Ted + Cruz + Texas + Senate

Ted Cruz News Feed

## See also[edit]

* United States Senate
* United States Senate elections in Texas, 2014
* United States congressional delegations from Texas
* Presidential election, 2016

## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. Senate Texas

* Facebook

Officeholder

U.S. Senate Texas

* Website
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Instagram
* YouTube

Personal

* Twitter
* Instagram
* LinkedIn

|
|

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Open Secrets "Most expensive midterms in history set several spending records," accessed February 1, 2019
2. ↑ NPR, "Republican Thorn Ted Cruz Announces Run For President," March 23, 2015
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Politico, "Ted Cruz drops out of presidential race," May 3, 2016
4. ↑ U.S. Senate, "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month," accessed May 16, 2018
5. ↑ New York Times "2012 Primary Results in Texas," accessed February 1, 2019
6. ↑ Fox News Latino, "Ted Cruz Puts Dewhurst on Defensive in Last Debate Before Texas Runoff," July 18, 2012
7. ↑ White House, "Additions to President Donald J. Trump’s Supreme Court List," September 9, 2020
8. ↑ Chron, "Cruz's life defies simplification," October 15, 2012
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed June 2, 2014
10. ↑ Ted Cruz, "Bio," accessed November 1, 2012
11. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Rafael Edward (Ted) Cruz," accessed February 25, 2014
12. ↑ United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 115th Congress," accessed January 19, 2017
13. ↑ United States Senate, "Committee Assignments of the 114th Congress," accessed February 17, 2015
14. ↑ Congressional Quarterly, "Senate Committee List," accessed January 22, 2013
15. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment with an Amendment)," December 18, 2018
16. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2)," December 11, 2018
17. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 6, 2018
18. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 5, 2018
19. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2, As Amended)," June 28, 2018
20. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1959)," February 15, 2018
21. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1958 As Modified)," February 15, 2018
22. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1948)," February 15, 2018
23. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1955)," February 15, 2018
24. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the Consideration of S. 2311)," January 29, 2018
25. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (McConnell Amdt. No. 667)," July 28, 2017
26. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (Paul Amdt. No. 271 )," July 26, 2017
27. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Amdt. No. 270)," July 25, 2017
28. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Proceed to H.R. 1628)," July 25, 2017
29. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 7, 2017
30. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Upon Reconsideration, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
31. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Decision of the Chair (Shall the Decision of the Chair Stand as the Judgment of the Senate?)," April 6, 2017
32. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
33. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6157)," September 18, 2018
34. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5895)," September 12, 2018
35. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 6157 As Amended)," August 23, 2018
36. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5895 As Amended)," June 25, 2018
37. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625)," March 23, 2018
38. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1892 with an Amendment (SA 1930))," February 9, 2018
39. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
40. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment with Further Amendment)," January 22, 2018
41. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 22, 2018
42. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 19, 2018
43. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1370)," December 21, 2017
44. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Recede from the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1 and Concur with Further Amendment ," December 20, 2017
45. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 123)," December 7, 2017
46. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1 As Amended )," December 2, 2017
47. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
48. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amdt. to the Senate Amdt. with an Amdt. No. 808 to H.R. 601)," September 7, 2017
49. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 244)," May 4, 2017
50. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 54, As Amended), December 13, 2018
51. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2810 As Amended)," September 18, 2017
52. ↑ The Hill, "Senate sends $692B defense policy bill to Trump's desk," November 15, 2017
53. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 3364)," July 27, 2017
54. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 722 As Amended)," June 15, 2017
55. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015
56. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017
57. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015
58. ↑ Breitbart, "Exclusive – Ted Cruz: Obamatrade enmeshed in corrupt, backroom dealings," June 23, 2015
59. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314," accessed May 25, 2015
60. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1314 (Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act)," accessed May 25, 2015
61. ↑ Senate.gov, "Roll Call for HR 2146," June 24, 2015
62. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves fast-track, sending trade bill to White House," June 24, 2015
63. ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015
64. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015
65. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany S. Con. Res. 11)," accessed May 5, 2015
66. ↑ The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015
67. ↑ The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015
68. ↑ Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015
69. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015
70. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015
71. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1735)," accessed October 6, 2015
72. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015
73. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015
74. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
75. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015
76. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015
77. ↑ Congress.gov, "HR 1191," accessed May 8, 2015
78. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 1191," accessed May 8, 2015
79. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.2640 to H.J.Res.61," accessed September 10, 2015
80. ↑ Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015
81. ↑ Senates.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 16, 2015
82. ↑ Congress.gov, "HJ Res 61," accessed September 10, 2015
83. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2640 )," accessed September 17, 2015
84. ↑ Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640," accessed September 17, 2015
85. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on McConnell Amdt. No. 2656)," accessed September 17, 2015
86. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015
87. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2048)," accessed June 2, 2015
88. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Loretta E. Lynch, of New York, to be Attorney General)," accessed April 29, 2015
89. ↑ The Hill, "Cruz on Loretta Lynch: Absence is a no vote," May 1, 2015
90. ↑ Congress.gov, "S 754," accessed November 1, 2015
91. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 754, As Amended)," accessed November 1, 2015
92. ↑ Congress.gov, "S 2146," accessed November 2, 2015
93. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 2146)," accessed November 2, 2015
94. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
95. ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
96. ↑ Project Vote Smart, "PN 48 - Nomination of John Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
97. ↑ CNN, "Rand Paul says he's heard from White House after filibuster," March 7, 2013
98. ↑ USA Today, "Rand Paul filibuster ranks among Senate's longest," March 7, 2013
99. ↑ ABC News, "Rand Paul Wins Applause From GOP and Liberals," March 7, 2013
100. ↑ The Blaze, "Here Are All the GOP Senators That Participated in Rand Paul’s 12+ Hour Filibuster… and the Ones Who Didn’t," March 7, 2013
101. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Sen. Rand Paul ends marathon filibuster of John Brennan," March 7, 2013
102. ↑ Breitbart, "AWOL: Meet The GOP Senators Who Refused to Stand With Rand," March 7, 2013
103. ↑ Politico, "Rand Paul filibuster blasted by Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham," March 7, 2013
104. ↑ Politico, "Rand Paul pulls plug on nearly 13-hour filibuster," March 7, 2017
105. ↑ Washington Post, "Eric Holder responds to Rand Paul with ‘no’," March 7, 2013
106. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2642 (Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013)," accessed February 12, 2014
107. ↑ New York Times, "Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers," accessed February 12, 2014
108. ↑ 108.0 108.1 Politico, "Senate approves $1.1 trillion spending bill," accessed January 20, 2014
109. ↑ 109.0 109.1 109.2 U.S. Senate, "January 16 Vote," accessed January 20, 2014
110. ↑ Roll Call, "House Passes $1.1 Trillion Omnibus," accessed January 20, 2014
111. ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
112. ↑ Senate.gov, "H.R. 2775 As Amended," accessed October 31, 2013
113. ↑ Politico, "Hill pols plan to donate, halt salary," accessed October 1, 2013
114. ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz: Shutdown hit family trip," accessed October 9, 2013
115. ↑ Politico, "Cruz slams fellow GOP senators," October 20, 2013
116. ↑ 116.0 116.1 116.2 116.3 116.4 CBS News, "Senate Rejects Paul Ryan Budget," accessed March 22, 2013
117. ↑ Washington Post, "10 House Republicans Vote Against Ryan Budget," accessed March 22, 2013
118. ↑ Project Vote Smart, "HR 325 - To Ensure the Complete and Timely Payment of the Obligations of the United States Government Until May 19, 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
119. ↑ Project Vote Smart, "S Amdt 1197 - Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
120. ↑ Project Vote Smart, "S 47 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Voting Record," accessed September 25, 2013
121. ↑ Twitter, "Ted Cruz," accessed March 23, 2015
122. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
123. ↑ Ted Cruz for Senate, "Proven Leader," accessed September 10, 2018
124. ↑ CNN, "Ted Cruz endorses Donald Trump," September 23, 2016
125. ↑ Breitbart, "Obama: I'll Act on My Own on Immigration," June 30, 2014
126. ↑ Breitbart, "Texas Politicians Lambast Obama's Immigration Speech," July 1, 2014
127. ↑ Time, "Ted Cruz: Obama Must Seek Congressional Authorization For Iraq Strikes," August 9, 2014
128. ↑ The Blaze, "Ted Cruz says it’s ‘unacceptable’ for Obama to proceed against Islamic State without Congress," September 8, 2014
129. ↑ Roll Call, "Cruz Threatens to Delay State Department Nominees Over FAA’s Israel Flight Ban," July 23, 2014
130. ↑ Politico, "Cruz lifts hold on State nominees," July 28, 2014
131. ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz, Kirsten Gillibrand team up on Hamas," July 28, 2014
132. ↑ 132.0 132.1 Politico, "Ted Cruz ends marathon speech," September 25, 2013
133. ↑ 133.0 133.1 Roll Call, "Filibuster the House CR? Cruz, Other Conservatives Say ‘Yes’ (Updated)," September 20, 2013
134. ↑ Open Secrets, "Ted Cruz 2012 Election Cycle," accessed March 4, 2013
135. ↑ Open Secrets, "Election 2012: The Big Picture Shows Record Cost of Winning a Seat in Congress," accessed June 19, 2013
136. ↑ OpenSecrets, "Ted Cruz (R-Texas), 2012," accessed March 4, 2013
137. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).
138. ↑ This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
139. ↑ This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
140. ↑ This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
141. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Sen. Ted Cruz," accessed September 18, 2014
142. ↑ GovTrack, "Ted Cruz," accessed July 17, 2014
143. ↑ OpenCongress, "Ted Cruz," archived February 25, 2016
144. ↑ GovTrack, "Sen. Ted Cruz (R)," accessed September 28, 2015
145. ↑ National Journal, "2013 Senate Vote Ratings," accessed July 17, 2014
146. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
147. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
148. ↑ NPR, "Meadows, Other Members Of Congress Self-Quarantine After CPAC Coronavirus Exposure," March 9, 2020
149. ↑ The Hill, "Ted Cruz extends self-quarantine after second coronavirus interaction," March 13, 2020
150. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Ted Cruz ends self-quarantine, emerges to an altered world," March 17, 2020
151. ↑ LinkedIn, "Heidi Cruz," accessed November 30, 2012
152. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Bio of Ted Cruz," accessed November 1, 2012
153. ↑ Daily Caller, "Ted Cruz’s dad: Obama is ‘just like’ Castro," accessed July 22, 2013 (dead link)
154. ↑ Politico, "Ted Cruz's dad backs Pete Sessions challenger," January 7, 2014

Political offices

Preceded by
Kay Bailey Hutchison | U.S. Senate \- Texas
2013-Present  |  Succeeded by

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Louis Gohmert (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Van Taylor (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Kevin Brady (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Kay Granger (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Sheila Lee (D)

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Michael Burgess (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Eddie Johnson (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Colin Allred (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Filemon Vela (D)

District 35

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Vacant

District 38

Vacant

Republican Party (25)

Democratic Party (13)

Vacancies (2)

v • e

State of Texas
Austin (capital)

|

Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2021 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy