With Christmas and the New Year approaching, this is a time not only to reflect on what has come to pass, but also to embolden ourselves for the upcoming year of meaningful endeavors. In 2015, we’ve taken important steps to limit government and empower the American people, and I look forward to continuing this fight for freedom in the year ahead.

Keep Texas Strong,

• Cosponsored Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-South Carolina) resolution to designate the week of January 25–31, 2015, as ‘National School Choice Week,’ and later spoke at a rally on Capitol Hill supporting school choice.
• Penned an op-ed for TIME.com, regarding President Obama’s failure to participate in the Paris unity rally after the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo.
• Spoke at Heritage Action’s 2015 Conservative Policy Summit, outlining 10 critical priorities for Congress, focusing on jobs, liberty, and national security.
• Cosponsored Sen. Dean Heller’s (R-Nev.) Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2015, demonstrating his strong support for relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• Filed three pro-growth, pro-jobs amendments to S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, of which Sen. Cruz is a cosponsor.
• Was appointed as Chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, and spoke with the Houston Chronicle’s science writer, Eric Berger, about his views on space exploration.
• Applauded the U.S. House for passing legislation to stop illegal amnesty.
• Responded to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
• Commended the 2015 March for Life on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

• Introduced two bills to protect national security and support men and women in uniform.
• Penned an op-ed for The Washington Times that discussed the dangerous repercussions of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy, and cited events in Yemen as a prime example.
• Introduced two bills to protect Americans from partisan abuses and political targeting by the IRS.
• Offered an amendment on the Senate floor that would expedite liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to the 160 countries in the World Trade Organization (WTO) by removing unnecessary delays that have been caused by the Department of Energy’s arbitrary permit approval process.
• Cosponsored Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015.
• Questioned Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, who refused to identify the limits of executive power regarding unilateral executive amnesty, the investigation of illegal targeting by the IRS, and the use of drones on American citizens.

• Cosponsored the Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in the Senate and Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) in the House.
• Sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking for information regarding media reports that U.S. taxpayer dollars were being used to fund efforts to influence elections in Israel.

• Introduced legislation to fully repeal Obamacare.

• Released a statement regarding the Army’s announcement to award the Purple Heart and its civilian counterpart, the Medal for the Defense of Freedom, to the victims of the 2009 terrorist attack on Fort Hood — a decision enabled by Sen. Cruz’s legislation.
• Discussed important national security concerns facing the United States with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on This Week and CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union.
• Reintroduced the State Marriage Defense Act, which respects the definition of marriage held by the people of each state and protects states from the federal government’s efforts to force any other definition upon them.
• Joined Republicans in a bicameral press conference to call on Senate Democrats to stop filibustering the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
• Joined a bipartisan press conference in support of legislation to reduce mandatory minimums.
• Applauded a Texas court’s injunction to temporarily block President Obama’s executive action on amnesty.
• Joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton for a press conference to present a united front among Texas leaders against the President’s illegal executive amnesty.

• Discussed the threat of radical Islamic terrorism with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.
• Penned an op-ed in POLITICO Magazine, urging Republicans to oppose the nomination of Loretta Lynch to the Office of Attorney General.
• Sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson questioning whether the Obama Administration plans to comply with the court’s injunction to stop President Obama’s illegal amnesty.
• Warned against Republican leadership’s plan to pass clean DHS funding without barring executive amnesty.
• Chaired a hearing on U.S. space exploration, featuring former astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, and Mike Massimino, and space experts John Elbon, Scott Pace, and Eric Stallmer.

• Participated in a panel discussion with Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, regarding the dangers of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

• Introduced the Health Care Choice Act to eliminate Obamacare’s costly insurance mandates, while giving consumers more choice and freedom.
• Questioned U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials on whether the agency is using funds from legal immigrants to subsidize President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty, and raised questions about the degree to which the agency is complying with the issued federal court injunction.
• Sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, asking for information regarding the tax-exempt status of The PeaceWorks Network Foundation, most commonly known by the name “OneVoice,” after several media reports indicated OneVoice, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, had been using its resources to influence the outcome of the Israeli elections.
• Spoke about the dangerous repercussions of a nuclear deal with Iran on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
• Chaired a Commerce subcommittee hearing with NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden to examine the President’s fiscal year 2016 budget request for NASA.
• Introduced the American Energy Renaissance Act to empower the private sector to create good-paying American jobs, spur economic growth and expand opportunity.
• Introduced two joint resolutions to protect religious freedom in Washington, D.C.
• Reintroduced the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act to impose sanctions against Iran and help safeguard America in the face of the Obama Administration’s disastrous proposed nuclear deal with Iran.
• Called for meaningful entitlement reforms without budget gimmicks, rather than a budget resolution that claims to balance in the year 2025 by utilizing revenue increases generated by Obamacare taxes.
• Held a hearing as Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight to discuss reining in President Obama’s illegal amnesty.
• Questioned Federal Communications Commission commissioners at a Commerce hearing regarding their new regulations of the Internet.

• Continued fighting the Obama Administration’s negotiations with Iran.
• Sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell requesting more information about current procedures providing for the health and safety of unaccompanied children who have been entrusted to the Department’s care.
• Denounced President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
• Joined an amicus brief on behalf of 57 members of Congress in support of the right of states to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
• Denounced President Obama’s meeting with Raul Castro, the communist dictator of Cuba and issued a statement on President Obama’s decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
• Issued a statement against the Boehner-Pelosi ‘Doc-Fix’ bill.
• Attended the Purple Heart presentation ceremony at Fort Hood

In April I was humbled to stand at Fort Hood and honor the victims of terrorism as they received their long-overdue Purple Heart and Defense of Freedom Medals.

• Sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry requesting all members of the P5+1 and Iran produce and make public a joint framework agreement outlining the parameters that have been agreed upon in the Iran nuclear negotiations.
• Called on Congress to seize the opportunity to eliminate burdensome federal mandates and ineffective programs in order to restore decision-making back to parents and students.
• Opposed the nomination of Loretta Lynch for Attorney General and urged his colleagues to uphold the rule of law and do the same.
• Introduced the Restoration of Marriage Amendment and the Protect Marriage from the Courts Act to guarantee the American people’s right to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Sen. Cruz also released a statement during the Supreme Court’s oral arguments regarding same-sex marriage.
• Filed an amendment with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, which would require affirmative Congressional approval of any Iranian nuclear deal before sanctions relief can occur.
• Issued a statement in response to the riots in Baltimore.
• Questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson regarding the increased security threats due to violent criminals entering the country illegally and, in thousands of cases, being permitted to stay.
• Cosponsored the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 to ban bulk record collection.

• Wrote an op-ed for The Washington Times about the necessity for Congress to have proper oversight over any deal President Obama might make with Iran.

• Urged Congress to disapprove of D.C. Council measures that violate the Bill of Rights.
• Requested unanimous consent on his amendment to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act that would require affirmative Congressional approval of any Iranian nuclear deal before sanctions relief can occur.
• Urged passage of the USA FREEDOM Act following a federal appeals court ruling that National Security Agency’s data collection program is illegal.

• Sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, expressing strong concern over the postponement of the State Department’s Iran Human Rights Report.
• Introduced the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 to extend the International Space Station (ISS) until 2024 and ensure stability for the continued development and growth of the U.S. commercial space sector.
• Filed an amendment to the Trade Act of 2015 to lock in assurances that this legislation cannot be used to change federal immigration law.
• Sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray requesting that he publicly make clear that the agency will not participate in Operation Choke Point or any similar initiative.
• Introduced or cosponsored more than a dozen amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that were successfully adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• Issued a statement in the Senate Commerce Committee after the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act was reported out of committee for consideration by the full U.S. Senate.
• Sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter expressing strong concern over the ongoing publication delay of the Defense Department’s Annual Report on the Military Power of Iran.
• Attended two press conferences with state and local officials in Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, and Houston Mayor Annise Parker, where they addressed concerns regarding flooding throughout Texas.

• Sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew regarding the Department’s refusal to supply key witnesses for a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing about the rulemaking process for Obamacare subsidies.

• Issued a statement on the Senate’s passage of the USA FREEDOM Act, of which Sen. Cruz is an original cosponsor.
• Sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon regarding the Senator’s outrage that the State of Israel may be added to the U.N.’s list of “parties to conflict who commit grave violations against children.”
• Held a hearing in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts to examine the Department of Treasury’s rulemaking that disregarded the text of the law and illegally enabled the IRS to provide federal Obamacare subsidies to millions of Americans.

• Attended a briefing with border security enforcement officials in South Texas to receive an update on security efforts in the region.
• Applauded the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for upholding Texas legislation to protect women and the unborn.
• Voted against reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
• Advocated for repeal of Obamacare and opposed continuation of illegal Obamacare subsidies in the U.S. Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision.
• Penned an op-ed for The Washington Times calling upon the State Department to comply with its statutory obligations and immediately release the report on Iran’s human rights practices.
• Participated in a press conference in support of the Military Justice Improvement Act.
• Introduced the Immigration Slush Fund Elimination Act to eliminate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ability to use the fees it collects for the provision of legal immigration services to fund amnesty.
• Introduced the Human Rights Accountability Act to incentivize the U.S. Department of State to issue a report on Iran’s human rights record.
• Delivered a speech at The Heritage Foundation revealing the cronyism that runs deep in Washington, powered by the Washington Cartel of establishment politicians and corporate lobbyists who continue to benefit big government and big business at the expense of millions of Americans.

• Spoke on the Senate floor in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision.
• Penned an op-ed in Breitbart explaining why he ultimately could not support the Trade Promotion Authority package before the Senate.
• Offered his ICANN amendment during a Senate Commerce hearing to keep the Internet free.
• Penned an op-ed in National Review Online in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings on Obamacare and marriage.

• Pledged to oppose any ambassador to Cuba or funds for embassy construction after President Obama’s announcement that his Administration had reached a deal with Cuba to reestablish full diplomatic relations with the communist country.
• Continued standing with Israel following the United Nations Human Rights Council vote in condemnation of Israel.
• Opposed the Pentagon’s announcement of cuts to our nation’s military force levels.
• Urged colleagues and citizens to speak out against the Obama Administration’s nuclear deal negotiated with Iran.

• Chaired a hearing in the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness on developing cures for America’s deadliest diseases.
• Called for an investigation into Planned Parenthood following reports that Planned Parenthood is selling body parts of aborted babies.
• Held a press conference with conservative leaders calling on leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to ensure the Export-Import Bank remains expired and is not reauthorized on any future legislation Congress may consider.

• Sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen asking him to confirm that his agency will respect America’s longstanding principle of religious liberty in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Obergefell v. Hodges requiring a nationwide redefinition of marriage.
• Sent a letter to President Obama declaring his intention to hold reauthorizing legislation and block nominees for the U.S. State Department unless the President provides written assurances that he will block any U.N. Security Council resolution approving the Iranian nuclear deal until the statutory timeline for Congressional review has run its course.
• Voted against an education bill that maintains federal mandates on education and keeps decision-making in Washington, rather than returning it to local governments and parents.
• Called on Congress to pass his Expatriate Terrorist Act following the act of terror in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• Sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the Commission to reject requests from incumbent businesses and members of Congress to apply additional regulations on the sharing economy.
• Sent letters to Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Cate Dyer, CEO of StemExpress. The letters requested documents and additional information from NIH and StemExpress in order to determine their potential involvement in Planned Parenthood’s possible illegal conduct.
• Introduced legislation to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, another example of the cronyism that infects our nation’s capital.
• Questioned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Sarah Saldaña in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing regarding the Administration’s failure to enforce immigration law against criminal illegal aliens.

• Continued fighting to keep the Export-Import Bank expired and to promote conservative policies addressing illegal immigration, Obamacare, Second Amendment rights, federal funding for Planned Parenthood, and the Iranian nuclear deal.
• Introduced “Kate’s Law,” the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015, to amend federal law to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for any illegal reentry offense.
• Introduced legislation to rename the street where the Cuban Embassy is located as “Oswaldo Payá Way” in honor of Cuba’s late leader in democratic movements.
• Chaired a hearing to discuss judicial reform and explore how the U.S. Supreme Court abuses its power.
• Filed the DOTCOM Act as an amendment to the highway reauthorization bill, which would require Congress to have an up or down vote on the Obama Administration’s plan to give away the Internet.
• Delivered a powerful speech on the Senate floor shining a light on the corrupt deal struck by Senate Republican leadership to allow the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.

• Issued a statement highlighting Republican leadership’s tendencies to side with Democrats.
• Sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking more questions about a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services document that appeared to contradict key aspects of the Administration’s policy regarding the handling of Unaccompanied Alien Children
• Spoke at the Students for Life of America #WomenBetrayed Rally at the U.S. Capitol, where he called on the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce the criminal laws and investigate Planned Parenthood.

• Held a hearing on the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.
• Applauded House conservatives for demonstrating strong leadership to defeat the Export-Import Bank.
• Introduced legislation clarifying the congressional review period for the Iran Nuclear Deal.

• Opposed President Obama’s unconstitutional EPA regulations.
• Called for a continued effort to prohibit taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood and issued a statement on videos documenting Planned Parenthood’s corrupt practices.

• Attended a briefing on the Iranian Nuclear Deal and continued fighting the catastrophic agreement.
• Penned an op-ed for USA Today, urging congressional action to block Planned Parenthood funding and calling for the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into potential criminal actions within the abortion industry.
• Sent a letter to President Obama calling for the release of the Department of Defense’s risk assessment of Russia’s violations of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.

• Issued a statement in support of law enforcement across the nation.
• Delivered a State of the Senate address to business leaders at the Greater Houston Partnership’s annual luncheon.

• Stood with Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis following her arrest for honoring her faith.
• Released a video rejecting the Iran Nuclear Deal.

• Spoke at the Stop the Iran Deal rally hosted and organized by Tea Party Patriots.
• Delivered a speech on the Senate floor strongly opposing the Administration’s Iran nuclear deal and urging 42 Democrats to reconsider their stances on this catastrophic agreement.
• Sent a letter to Leader McConnell and Speaker Boehner outlining the legal approach to prevent the Iran nuclear deal from taking effect.
• Penned an op-ed for POLITICO, outlining a detailed plan to derail the Iran nuclear deal.
• Released a video affirming that in America, sovereignty resides with We The People.

• Issued a statement after Senate Democrats blocked the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
• Penned an op-ed for POLITICO, describing the Republican Party’s surrender politics.
• Penned an op-ed for The Federalist, applauding Pope Francis for boldly and unabashedly standing for life, marriage, and faith.
• Sent a letter to the Obama Administration sharing grave concerns regarding the Administration’s intent to import tens of thousands of individuals from Syria and elsewhere who have not been properly vetted.
• Delivered a speech on the Senate floor asking colleagues for unanimous consent to his resolution that would rename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Liu Xiaobo Plaza,” after Dr. Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been imprisoned, along with his wife, Liu Xia, for seeking basic human rights denied to him by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
• Led a bicameral letter asking the Government Accountability Office to determine whether the Obama Administration has the power to give away the Internet.
• Delivered a speech on the Senate floor highlighting the many examples of Republican leadership surrendering to President Obama’s demands, including funding Planned Parenthood and the catastrophic Iran nuclear deal.

• Implored Republican leadership to honor their commitments to defund Planned Parenthood and Obama’s Iran nuclear deal upon the Senate’s passage of a short-term continuing resolution.
• Introduced legislation urging the U.S. Department of State to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization.
• Sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter seeking information on the appalling sexual abuse of children reportedly occurring in Afghanistan and requesting the Department of Defense’s plan to eradicate this despicable violation of human rights.

• Voiced opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of a stricter standard for ozone levels.
• Chaired a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights, and Federal Courts to investigate the harmful effects of government overregulation on people and businesses who lack the resources and political connections to deal effectively with mountains of red tape.

• Spoke with Sierra Club President Aaron Mair during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in an exchange that proved, contrary to liberal assertions that man-caused climate change is “settled science,” that there is still a healthy and vigorous debate about the causes and nature of climate change based on the data and scientific evidence.

• Issued a statement on the Senate’s final vote on the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which included several of Sen. Cruz’s amendments to strengthen U.S. military and readiness.
• Introduced the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, to end sanctuary cities and combat illegal reentry.

• Issued a statement on Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians.
• Praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation that lifts restrictions on crude oil exports.
• Applauded the 6th Circuit’s stay on the “Waters of the United States” rule, which allows litigation over the legality of the rule to proceed before implementation.

• Sent a letter to the Director of the National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet, calling for the immediate removal of Margaret Sanger’s bust from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
• Sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting information about DOJ interference with local law enforcement.
• Admonished the U.S. State Department for its remarks about Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israel.
• Applauded Texas for dropping Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program.
• Delivered a speech on the Senate floor citing the Obama Administration’s persistent negligence of immigration law enforcement and bolstering the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act as a small step in the right direction.
• Called on Republican leadership to attach the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act to “must-pass” legislation.
• Praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Default Prevention Act.
• Reintroduced Kate’s Law and placed the bill directly on the Senate calendar.
• Requested unanimous consent to rename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy after pro-democracy dissident and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Dr. Liu Xiaobo.
• Issued a joint statement with Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) calling for the reconciliation bill in the House of Representatives to include a full repeal of Obamacare.
• Rejected the Obama-Boehner Budget Deal that emerged from negotiations between the Obama White House and Republican leadership.

• Continued fighting against federal funding for Planned Parenthood after an undercover video surfaced featuring a Texas abortion provider.
• Penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal outlining his tax plan for economic growth.
• Sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Robert McDonald urging him to address the long wait times for veterans seeking health care in San Antonio.
• Delivered a speech on the Senate floor, denouncing the shockingly bad budget deal and outlining the Republican establishment’s multitude of broken promises.
• Voted against the Obama-Boehner Budget Deal and issued a statement following its passage.

• Sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting that the Department of Justice preserve all Internal Revenue Service documents and information for investigation under the next administration.

• Voted on two bills that would rein in Obama’s unconstitutional “Waters of the United States” rule. Sen. Cruz issued a statement after Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) S.J. Res. 22 passed the Senate.
• Introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, urging the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.
• Questioned Stuart Delery, nominee for U.S. Associate Attorney General, in a full Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Sen. Cruz demanded answers on Operation Choke Point.

• Asked for unanimous consent to pass both Kate’s Law and his resolution to rename the plaza in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Liu Xiaobo Plaza.”
• Chaired a hearing for the Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights, and Federal Courts on the federal government’s failure to support the American victims of Iranian and Palestinian terror in their search for justice.
• Denounced the Obama Administration’s rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
• Led a bipartisan letter that expressed concern over the European Union’s intention to move forward with guidelines to label certain products made by Israeli companies.

• Added a provision to the Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations bill, requiring 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.
• Led the effort in the Senate to craft a bicameral, bipartisan bill that recognizes the need for development of the commercial space industry and the major role space exploration plays in Texas, which unanimously passed the Senate. The bill was subsequently passed by the House and signed into law by President Obama.

• Cosponsored Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) most recent Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015.
• Issued a statement with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) rebuking the Obama Administration for concealing the immigration history of terrorists.
• Chaired a hearing highlighting the challenges facing police officers and how the federal government can impact law enforcement nationwide.
• Introduced the Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act, which would immediately bar refugees to the United States from any country, such as Iraq or Syria, that contains territory substantially controlled by a foreign terrorist organization.
• Requested unanimous consent on his Expatriate Terrorist Act and Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act, both of which would protect the safety and security of the American people.
• Penned an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle, outlining the importance of private space industry and touting the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015, a bill championed by Sen. Cruz that passed Congress and became law.
• Penned an op-ed for The Washington Times, emphasizing the need for this Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015.

• Questioned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Sarah Saldaña, regarding the Obama Administration’s negligence in immigration law enforcement, in a Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing.
• Sent a letter to the Obama Administration demanding the immigration history of the San Bernardino attackers.

• Voted to repeal Obamacare, an effort Sen. Cruz has championed since being elected in 2012.
• Voted against the $281 billion, five-year highway bill that reauthorized the Export-Import Bank, a quintessential example of cronyism and corporate welfare.
• Blocked four political nominees to the U.S. Department of State in accordance with his previously stated intention to hold authorizations and block nominees for the State Department, unless the President chose not to circumvent Congress with the catastrophic Iranian Nuclear Deal.
• Introduced the State Refugee Security Act of 2015, empowering the states to ensure the safety and security of their citizens by blocking the resettlement of refugees within their borders.

• Chaired a hearing confronting the dogma of climate change alarmism.
• Opposed the Every Student Succeeds Act, which propagates the large and ever-growing role of the federal government in our education system.
• Held a press conference with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on national security legislation.
• Delivered a national security address at The Heritage Foundation, detailing strategic points to keep America safe at home and strong abroad, while protecting Americans’ liberty.
• Introduced the American Jobs First Act of 2015, reforming the H-1B visa program to stop abuse of the legal immigration system and ensure American workers are better served.

• Introduced the RESULT Act, which would streamline FDA approval of lifesaving treatments and cures.
• Commended colleagues in the House and the Senate for passing his Emergency Information Improvement Act, which President Obama signed into law.
• Penned an op-ed for POLITICO, laying out reasons for opposing the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill.
• Voted against the $1.1 trillion, 2,000-plus page spending bill that was rammed through the Senate after being hastily merged with tax extender provisions.
• Sent a letter to Secretary Kerry calling on the State Department to close the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s office in Washington, D.C.