TruthArchive.ai - Tweets Saved By @SenTedCruz
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
We saw it with Black Lives Matter, Antifa, and the pro-illegal immigration crazies in Los Angeles. These are all occurring with real money behind them. My new legislation will give prosecutors the ability to go after the people writing the checks. https://t.co/aK7Pj3S7pb
reSee.it AI Summary
I criticize activist judges for trying to undermine the Trump administration with nationwide injunctions. These injunctions are an abuse of power, as they turn the judiciary into policy makers. It's essential for the Judiciary Committee to address this overreach by unelected judges who oppose the election results.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
🚨WATCH: I blast the activist judges who are attempting to derail the Trump administration by issuing nationwide injunctions.🚨 Nationwide injunctions are an abuse of power. They represent the judiciary acting as policy decision-makers, and it is incumbent upon the Judiciary Committee and this body to rein in this abuse of power from unelected, radical judges who are trying to overturn the election because they disagree with the voters' decision.
Video Transcript AI Summary
A senator accuses Democrat colleagues of hypocrisy regarding the rule of law, citing their past support for a "lawless" and "politically weaponized" Department of Justice. They claim Democrats didn't care about violent protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes, alleging the Attorney General agreed with the protesters to intimidate judges.
The senator questions a professor about the roles of voters, elected representatives, and judges in elections and policy decisions. The senator asserts that federal courts do not have the power to issue remedies for people who are not parties to a case and that "nationwide injunction" is not in the constitution.
The senator states that there were zero nationwide injunctions in the first 150 years of the republic, 27 in the 20th century, and 32 between 2001 and 2024. They claim 37 nationwide injunctions have been issued in the last two months alone against President Trump. The senator accuses Democrats of "lawfare" by indicting Trump and now seeking out radical judges to shut down policies through forum shopping. They allege a judge ignored US immigration law to keep "murderers and rapists and gang members" in communities, and that nationwide injunctions are an abuse of power.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: It's long been said that hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue. I have to admit, I'm enjoying listening to my democrat colleagues suddenly discover the virtues of the rule of law. After four years where they brazenly supported the most lawless department of justice and the most politically weaponized department of justice our nation has ever seen. We just heard the senator from Rhode Island talk about the imperative of protecting judges And yet, not not a single democrat senator cared about the violent protesters that showed up outside supreme court justices' homes, including, I might note, female justices like justice Amy Coney Barrett threatening their family, and Joe Biden's attorney general didn't do a damn thing and refused to enforce the law to protect those judges. Why?
Because he agreed with the violent protesters and he wanted to intimidate and threaten those judges. Professor Bray, under our constitution, who should decide elections, the voters or unelected judges?
Speaker 1: The voters are the ones who should vote in the election according to the the laws, and the laws sometimes have to be applied by the judges if there are
Speaker 0: cases And under our constitution, who is charged with making policy decisions? Elected representatives, elected by the people, or unelected federal judges?
Speaker 1: I think the question of policy, senator, is a little broader than a the particular case. So, the basic poll the laws should be enacted by congress.
Speaker 0: That's where the fountain of law decisions of the elected branches.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 0: Law is the is the province of the court. Policy is the province of the elected branches. These are not complicated. Professor Bright, let me ask you this. Do the federal courts have power to issue remedies for people who are not parties to a case?
Speaker 1: That's a question I agree is not complicated. They do not have that power.
Speaker 0: Is the phrase nationwide injunction or universal injunction found anywhere in the constitution? Constitution?
Speaker 1: It is not. First chart.
Speaker 0: In the first hundred and fifty years of our republic, how many nationwide injunctions were issued?
Speaker 1: My view is that there were not any until 1963.
Speaker 0: Zero. Now fast forward. How many how many nationwide injunctions were issued in the entire twentieth century?
Speaker 1: It it's a small number. I would I would think it would be a dozen, give or take. It's not large.
Speaker 0: 27, actually. Excluding Trump's first term, how many nationwide injunctions were issued in the last twenty years? Far more than that. 32. From '20 02/2001 to 2024 against Biden, Obama, and Bush, thirty two.
And how many nationwide injunctions have been issued in the last two months alone?
Speaker 1: There have been quite a few.
Speaker 0: 37. Let that sink in. There have been no more nationwide injunctions in the past two months against president Trump than in the entire twentieth century. There have been more nationwide injunction against president Trump in the last two months than both terms of George w Bush, both terms of Barack Obama, and Joe Biden's term. We saw during the Biden presidency lawfare, indicting president Trump four times, using the machinery of justice to attack him, and that was an attack on democracy because Democrats today hate democracy.
Democrats today are angry at the voters for reelecting Donald Trump and electing a Republican senate and Republican house, and they engage in lawfare to stop democracy from operating. Understand, this is the second phase of lawfare, second chart. This is the second phase of lawfare. Now that their efforts to indict president Trump and stop the voters from reelecting him have failed, They're going and seeking out individual radical judges to try to shut down policies, and they are forum shopping like crazy. Give give me any loon judge put on the bench by Obama or Biden who disagrees with the policy.
We just saw a judge flagrantly ignore US immigration law concerning TPS being revoked. US law explicitly said there's no judicial review for that, but, hey, they found a judge who says, you know what? We, the Democrat party, we are the party of illegal aliens. We are the party of murderers and rapists and gang members, and the Democrat party exists here to fight to keep murderers and rapists and gang members in your communities. There's a reason the Democrat Party is at 26% approval nationwide, because they put radical policies ahead of rule of law.
Nationwide injunctions are an abuse of power. It is the judiciary acting as policy deciders, and it is incumbent on this committee and this body to rein in the abuse of power from these unelected radical judges who are trying to overturn the election because they disagree with what the voters decided.
Speaker 1: Thank you, senator
reSee.it AI Summary
I've never seen an outgoing president act like Biden since the election; it's grotesque. In his final days, he's tying Trump's hands by restricting offshore drilling, pardoning death row inmates, and releasing Guantanamo detainees. It feels like utter contempt for democracy.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
I have never seen an outgoing president do what Joe Biden has done since the election, it's grotesque. In the waning days of his term, Biden is tying Trump's hands by restricting offshore drilling, pardoning death row inmates, and releasing terrorists from Guantanamo. Biden and his party are showing utter contempt for democracy.
Video Transcript AI Summary
What Joe Biden has done in the last two months is unprecedented for an outgoing president. He shows contempt for American voters and democracy by attempting to limit Donald Trump's ability to fulfill his mandate. This includes trying to ban offshore drilling on 625 million acres, selling off the border wall, and signing contracts with government unions that allow workers to stay home without accountability. Additionally, he has granted controversial pardons, including those for Hunter Biden and several murderers, as well as releasing terrorists from Guantanamo. This behavior reflects a disregard for democratic principles.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Look, it's grotesque. I I have never seen an outgoing president do what Joe Biden has done in the last 2 months. He is demonstrating absolute contempt for the American voters and contempt for democracy. Every day, what he is trying to do is tie Donald Trump's hand hands and prevent him from carrying out the mandate the voters gave him. Whether it it whether it it is taking 625,000,000 acres of offshore drilling and trying to to to ban the drilling there, which is just stealing from the American people.
Well, whether it's trying to sell off the border wall, whether it is signing contracts with government unions, giving them the right not to have to show up at work, but but but to stay at home and and and pretend they're working, or or whether it is granting pardons that are just shameless from Hunter Biden to 37 murderers on death row removing them to releasing terrorists from Guantanamo. He is demonstrating an arrogance. You know, the democrats love to to strut around like peacocks and say how much they love democracy. This is showing an absolute contempt for democracy.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
There is rabid antisemitism on college campuses across America. Jewish students are being threatened and Hamas supporters are reportedly calling for a second Holocaust. It is sick and twisted. It needs to stop. https://t.co/ypkZaJKQwt
Video Transcript AI Summary
Harvard and MIT have faced disturbing incidents targeting Jewish students. After the attacks in Israel, 35 student groups at Harvard blamed Israel entirely for the violence by Hamas terrorists. At MIT, anti-Israel protesters physically prevented Jewish students from attending classes, but the university refused to expel them, citing their student visas. Jewish students expressed concerns about their safety on campus. Additionally, at the University of Maryland, anti-Israel protesters allegedly chanted "holocaust 2.0." These incidents are deeply troubling and reflect a disturbing trend of anti-Semitism.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Look at how messed up Harvard is. That that when the October 7th horrific attacks in Israel happened, when over 1200 Israelis were murdered, when Hamas terrorists were raping women, were raping little girls, were murdering infants, were literally putting babies in an oven. How did Harvard react? 35 student groups put out a disgraceful statement saying all of the violence by Hamas terrorists is a 100% the fault of Israel. By the way, just down the river at MIT, we've seen this week it has been horrific at MIT.
Jewish students were physically and violently prevented from going to class by anti Israel, anti Semitic protesters and the administration at MIT shamefully won't expel the students who are violently preventing Jewish students from going to class. The Jewish students are saying they don't feel safe, they don't think MIT is safe for Jews and the university's reason for not expelling the the violent protesters. They say, well, they're here on student visas, so they'd lose their visa. Well, they should lose their visa. If they're a guest in our country, they don't have a right to engage in racist acts of violence.
We've also seen this week at University of Maryland anti Israel protests where there are reports that they were chanting holocaust 2 point o. This is sick. It is twist
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
Wanna end the #BidenBorderCrisis? Here’s a simple solution: End catch and release. When illegal aliens show up—catch them and send them back on a plane to wherever they came from. https://t.co/MIcCAaOhrI
Video Transcript AI Summary
Joe Biden inherited a low rate of illegal immigration, but he made a central decision to reinstate catch and release. This means that when people are apprehended, they are let go. When asked if they think they can stay, all of them raised their hands. This problem can't be fixed as long as catch and release continues. The solution is to catch them, put them on a plane, and fly them back home. Until this changes, the problem won't be solved.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Fix this problem. This was caused by 1 central decision. Joe Biden came in, he inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. He came in and he immediately reinstated catch and release and so when they apprehend people they let him go. We asked the group that that we saw 3 weeks ago, How many of you think you get to stay here?
Every one of them raised their hands. As long as you have catch and release, this problem can't be fixed. How do you solve it? You solve it when you catch him, you put him on a plane and you fly him home. That's how you solve this problem.
Until we change that it won't be solved.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
New York City’s mayor believes that 110,000 illegal aliens in his city is a crisis. Texas and southern border states are flooded with that many illegals every 12 days.Since Joe Biden took office, there has been an invasion of 7M illegal aliens through our border.#BidenBorderCrisis
Video Transcript AI Summary
Democratic mayors and governors in cities like New York, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are acknowledging the crisis of illegal immigration. Even the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, admitted that it is destroying the city. However, he hypocritically blames Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the problem, as Abbott has sent some illegal immigrants to blue jurisdictions. But the number of immigrants being transported from Texas is just a fraction compared to the massive influx on the southern border. Texas has seen around 7.2 million illegal immigrants during the same period that New York has had around 110,000. The southern border receives about 9,000 people daily, which is equivalent to what New York considers a crisis in just 12 days.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Yeah. Look. We're we're seeing this happen all across the country. You've got the Democrat mayor of New York City. You've got the Democrat mayor of Washington DC.
You've got the Democrat mayor of Chicago. You got the Democrat mayor of San Francisco. You got the Democrat mayor of Los Angeles. All of them are are declaring that illegal immigration is a crisis. You've got the Democrat governor of New York State.
You've got the Democrat governor of Massachusetts. They're all dealing with the consequences. Eric Adams said the the mayor of New York just 2 weeks ago, he said that illegal immigration is destroying New York City. That's it. Those are his words, not mine.
And then if we don't do something to stop it, that it will destroy New York City. Now he's not wrong, but but it is also enormously hypocritical because he bur blames the problem on as he puts it some madman down in Texas by which he means Greg Abbott, our governor, be because the governor has put several 1,000 illegal immigrants on buses and sent them to blue jurisdictions across the country. Look, the the numbers that are being bust from Texas are a fraction. As you noted, New York has had roughly a 110,000 illegal immigrants, and he says that that is a crisis destroying the city. The state of Texas and our entire southern border have had during that same time period 7,200,000 illegal immigrants.
As you just noted, as Bill Milugen did in his terrific report. We're getting about 9,000 people a day. That means in 12 days, we get on our southern border what New York is saying is a crisis over the last 2 years. We're getting that over and over and over again.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
The Biden White House has shifted the narrative 3 times about President Biden’s corruption. With more and more information coming out on the investigations into Biden—I suspect the White House will continue to move the goal posts.
Video Transcript AI Summary
Joe Biden initially claimed he never discussed Hunter's overseas business deals, but it's now clear that was a lie. There were numerous phone calls between Joe and corrupt individuals involved in Hunter's multimillion-dollar deals. The first talking point is no longer valid. The second talking point, that Joe wasn't actively in business with Hunter, has also been abandoned. The third talking point, pushed by Democrats and the media, is that there's no direct evidence of Joe's involvement in Hunter's corruption. However, this is also false.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: And you can see the changing talking points. So Joe Biden during the campaign said repeatedly, I've never had any discussions with Hunter about any of his overseas business deals. We now know that was a demonstrable lie and that had had dozens of discussions that he had dozens of phone calls where he's put on the phone with these corrupt oligarchs and and and various players that Hunter is engaging in these multimillion dollar deals with. So talking point number 1 is now an operative. Talking point number which Marine Jean Pierre shifted to is she said Joe Biden was not in business with Hunter Biden.
Not not that he hadn't talked about it, but he wasn't actively in business. Well, they've now abandoned that as well. And their 3rd talking point, which we're seeing from every Democrat and we're seeing from from their puppets in the media is that there is no direct evidence of Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter's corruption. That's demonstrably false as well.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
Attorney General Garland appointed David Weiss as special prosecutor to protect Joe Biden. They are committing obstruction of justice by blocking investigations into Biden’s alleged bribery—the DOJ has been profoundly corrupted by Garland and Weiss.
Video Transcript AI Summary
The attorney general can only appoint a special counsel from outside the Department of Justice to avoid conflicts of interest. In this case, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, appointed David Weiss, the US attorney in Delaware, who is ineligible under DOJ rules. Garland appointed Weiss because he has shown a willingness to cover up Hunter Biden's wrongdoings and protect Joe Biden. Two IRS employees have come forward as whistleblowers, accusing Weiss and Garland of obstructing justice and covering up wrongdoing. This appointment undermines the integrity of the Department of Justice.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Under the Department of Justice rules, the attorney general can only appoint as a special counsel someone from outside the Department of Justice. The reason is, you appoint a special counsel when there's a conflict of interest, when there's a reason to believe that the attorney general has divided political loyalties as is the case here and here, and I don't even think it's divided. He is nakedly partisan. David Weiss is the sitting US attorney in Delaware. Where he's ineligible under the DOJ rules.
So why did Merrick Garland appoint him? The reason Merrick Garland appointed him is David Wise has already demonstrated that he is very willing to actively cover up Hunter Biden's wrongdoings and even more importantly to protect Joe Biden, David Wise is subject to not 1, but 2 career IRS employees who come forward as whistleblowers saying that David Wise and Merrick Garland were part of covering up wrongdoing that Merrick Garland lied under oath to Congress, actually in response to my questioning, that is a felony and that David Weisz and Merrick Garland committed obstruction of justice blocking the investigation into Hunter and more significantly putting off limits any investigation into Joe Biden and whether he's solicited and receive bribes from foreign nationals. Merrick Garland put him in that job precisely because he's willing to protect Joe Biden and that profoundly corrupts the integrity of the Department of Justice.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
Hunter Biden has no marketable skills. His business was selling access to Joe Biden. These were Joe Biden’s business dealings—shaking down corrupt oligarchs for millions of dollars for political favors.
Video Transcript AI Summary
The speaker explains that the executive branch has an advantage in prosecuting offenses, as only the Department of Justice can convene a grand jury and bring indictments. They believe that the Biden Department of Justice will not prosecute Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, or Merrick Garland for serious offenses. The speaker suggests that progress in addressing corruption will come from Congress, particularly from James Comer and Jim Jordan, who have subpoena power. They highlight that bank records show the Biden family received over $20 million from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan while Joe Biden was vice president. The allegations are not about influence peddling or access, but rather about Hunter selling official favors from his father. The speaker emphasizes that this was Joe Biden's business, not Hunter's, and that it involved shaking down corrupt oligarchs and China for personal favors.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Well, look, it's both. And under our constitutional system, we have checks and balances. We expect the executive and the legislature to wrestle with each other. But the executive has an advantage in that it is only the executive, it's only the Department of Justice that can convene a grand jury. It is only the executive that can bring an indictment.
It is only the executive that can prosecute, which means as long as the Biden Department of exist because it remains a partisan political apparatus. They will not prosecute Joe Biden. They will not prosecute Hunter Biden for serious offenses. They will not prosecute prosecute Hunter Biden for serious offenses. They will not prosecute Merrick Garland for seeing serious offenses, and Congress doesn't have the ability to do that.
Now, Congress has its own authority and I believe the only progress we're gonna see over the next year and a half on this corruption is gonna come from Congress. It's gonna come from the House of Representatives, ex James Comer and Jim Jordan, both of whom are doing a phenomenal job. They have subpoena power. They're using it. They'll continue to use it.
Expect but but Maria, pause and look at what the house has uncovered already. Yeah. James Comer has released bank records expect that show that the Biden family and their associates received over $20,000,000 from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan expect while Joe Biden was vice president. That's one point that is really important not to miss. This isn't over their entire career.
This is while while daddy was VP $20,000,000. Any reporter who gives a flip about doing his or her job ought to be asking the president at every stage, what did your family do to earn $20,000,000 while you were vice president during those 8 years? Number 2. Lots of Democrats in defending Biden, they keep using reference to influence peddling or access. That's not what these allegations are.
Influence peddling and access happens a lot in Washington. There are a gazillion Washington with lobbyists on K Street. That's not what the allegations are here. The allegations are that Hunter was selling official favors from Daddy when he was vice president of the United state if you look at the FD 10/23, the allegation there is the oligarch who owned Burisma spent $10,000,000, 5,000,000 to Joe Biden, 5,000,000 to Hunter Biden in exchange for getting Joe Biden to fire the prosecutor who was prosecuting that corrupt oligarch. We know the second half of the quid pro quo happened.
Joe Biden has admitted he got that prosecutor fired. The allegation is ex he was bribed to do it. And and number 3, it's important to understand this is this is often discussed as as hunters business dealings. This was not Hunter's business dealings. This was Joe Biden's business.
Hunter has no marketable skills. No one on on planet Earth would pay him $20,000,000 to do anything. What Hunter was selling was daddy. This was Joe Biden's business are shaking down, mind you, not shaking down our friends, not shaking down France or England or Italy, but shaking down corrupt oligarchs and communist China expect to the tune of over $20,000,000. Hunter was the salesman, but the product ex was Joe Biden's personal favors.
And that is if true corruption at the very highest level of government. Well
reSee.it AI Summary
Meta's algorithms are allegedly contributing to child sexual abuse by recommending such content to users. The company claims to avoid recommending objectionable or inappropriate content, but the WSJ report suggests otherwise. The issue lies in the recommendation algorithms that increase the reach of harmful content. Meta must take action to stop this practice and be more responsive to congressional oversight requests. The scope of Section 230's application should also be clarified.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
1/x It is horrifying to learn that @Meta’s own algorithms may be actively contributing to child sexual abuse & exploitation by affirmatively recommending this filth to users. Mark Zuckerberg must take action to stop this ASAP, & he must explain how his company will stop this abhorrent practice from ever happening again. https://wsj.com/articles/instagram-vast-pedophile-network-4ab7189
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
2/x Here’s why this is happening. When platforms recommend content—including through promoted hashtags—they increase the reach of that content & the likelihood that people will find it. It’s why one of my first actions as the new ranking Republican member of the Commerce Committee was to launch an investigation of tech algorithms.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
3/x As I’ve said before, recommendation algorithms play an increasingly significant and ubiquitous role in selecting what people see online. Meta itself claims that avoids making recommendations that are “low-quality, objectionable, or particularly sensitive” or “inappropriate for younger viewers.”
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
4/x However, @Meta has allegedly allowed child sexual abuse material to proliferate in its recommendation systems. At the same time, Meta ironically takes steps to remove from recommendations legitimate news stories.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
5/x Earlier this year, SCOTUS declined to rule on whether platforms were immunized under Section 230 when their algorithms affirmatively promote harmful content. The @WSJ's shocking report is yet another reminder that the scope of Section 230’s application should be clarified.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
6/x @Meta must be more responsive to congressional oversight requests regarding its recommendation algorithms, like mine. They wrote me: “[w]e continue to invest in ensuring our recommendations systems are accurate.” Clearly, they have a long way to go.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
We are facing a full-blown invasion of illegal aliens. Texas is paying the price. If the Biden administration has their way, there will be millions more illegal aliens living in America. #BidenBorderCrisis #Title42
Video Transcript AI Summary
We are currently in Brownsville, Texas, witnessing a significant influx of illegal immigration. Over the past two and a half years, we have experienced the highest levels of illegal immigration in history, with 6.5 million people crossing illegally. As Title 42 is about to expire, there are already 22,000 illegal immigrants gathered near the Rio Grande, ready to cross over. Border patrol agents have informed us that they are encountering around 100 Chinese nationals and 35,000 Venezuelans illegally crossing into the country each day. What is frustrating is that instead of trying to stop this, Mayorkas and Biden are actually trying to expedite the process. They have even developed an app that allows agents to process an alien in just two minutes. This situation is a catastrophe for our country, and Texas is bearing the brunt of it.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Well, Laura, it's great to be with you. Roger and I are both down here in Brownsville, Texas. We're on the southern border, and there is a full on invasion that is unfolding. We've seen for two and a half years the worst illegal immigration in history, 6 a half 1000000 people crossing illegally. And I'll tell you, as we stand here tonight, Hours away from title 42 expiring, there are 22,000 illegal immigrants camped just south of the Rio preparing to cross over.
Every day, this community and the entire southern border is being swamped. It's being overwhelmed. Roger and I met with border patrol agents tonight. We met with the chief. We met with the head of the border patrol union.
They told us that here, just just in Brownsville, That they are seeing roughly a 100 Chinese nationals a day crossing illegally into this country. That they've seen In less than a month, 35,000 Venezuelans cross illegally. And what is so infuriating is what you just said. Mayorkas and Biden, they're not trying to stop it. They're trying to speed it up.
You know, we went with the border patrol agents Who were processing these illegal aliens. They now have an app on their phone. They can process an alien in 2 minutes. And what Majorcas wants to do Is he wants to do it faster? He wants 6 a half 1000000 to become 10,000,000 to become 12 12,000,000 to become 20,000,000, And it is an absolute catastrophe for this country.
This is an invasion and Texas is paying the brunt of the price.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
WATCH: Senator Cruz speaks from Senate floor, unanimously passes Senate resolution demanding China release Mark Swidan.
Video Transcript AI Summary
Mark Sweden, a US citizen from Texas, has been unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party for over a decade. He has endured extreme conditions, physical abuse, and has been denied access to his family and American diplomats. Despite the lack of evidence, a Chinese court sentenced him to death. Efforts have been made to secure his release, but his situation has worsened. A resolution has been introduced in Congress, calling for Mark's immediate release and condemning China for their actions. The resolution has already passed the House and will pass the Senate. The United States Congress stands united in demanding an end to Mark's unjust imprisonment.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Madam president, a few months ago, I spoke from this floor about Mark Sweden, who has been unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party for over a decade. Mark is from Luling, a small city in my home state of Texas. His mother, Miss Catherine Sweden still lives in Lully. And for the last 11 years, Mark has endured a living hell trapped in a Chinese prison. He's exposed to extreme heat in extreme cold.
He's deprived of sleep. He's subjected to physical abuse. Mark has also been denied access to his family and to American diplomats. And in 2019, a Chinese court sentenced Mark to death. Mark is being unjustly held by the Chinese communist party as a hostage.
The CCP tells us that China is a great power, but this is how third world thugs and dictators act. I called for Mark's immediate release and called on the Biden administration to use any and every available means to secure Mark's freedom. Madam president, I'm deeply distressed that since my speech on the floor a few months ago, Mark's plight has deepened. Recently, a Chinese court reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on him with a suspension for 2 years. That is wrong, and it's outrageous.
We need Mark to come home. It's worth reviewing how breathtakingly, infuriatingly unjust all of this is. How did it happen? On November 13th, 2012. Mark was abducted by China's public security bureau while he was in China on a business trip.
A witness to the abduction has said, Mark was detained because Chinese officials wanted to view the contents of his cell phone. The Chinese officials accused Mark of being part of a criminal conspiracy to manufacture and traffic drugs with 11 other other individuals. Charges that Mark has denied and which have been debunked over and over again. Chinese officials tried to coerce Mark into confessing. Mark refused and he pleaded not guilty in a trial in November of 2013.
During the trial, the prosecution didn't produce Any forensic evidence to back up their allegations and no drugs, 0, were ever found on Mark or in his hotel room. Mark's passport and other records show that he wasn't even in China at the time of the alleged defenses. And the 11 other individuals indicted in relation to this alleged drug conspiracy, none of them could identify Mark. The charges against Mark were completely bogus and false. Meanwhile, mom's Mark, Catherine, is aching to see her son again.
Her heart is breaking. This is a mom who wants to hold and hug and care for the son she loves. I've been working with the Biden administration and I've been pushing Chinese officials at a senior level to release Mark but more needs to be done. And it needs to be done much more quickly. Now, Secretary of state Blinken was planning to travel to China in February.
And we had been pressing the state department to make Mark's case a major priority for the Biden administration on the trip. Then what happened? A Chinese spy balloon came over the United States. And secretary Blinken canceled his trip. It's time to apply more pressure on the Chinese Communist Party to let Mark, go and let him come home to Texas.
Madam president, the Chinese communist government is a tyrannical government, They don't like it when you turn up the heat. They don't like it when you shine a light on their atrocities. There is power in shining a light and there is power in unity. We need to bring Mark home in a moment. I'm gonna propound a live UC request on a resolution I've introduced with my colleague from Texas, senator John Cornyn.
When it passes, The senate will, with 1 unanimous bipartisan voice, reiterate these declarations. The resolution calls on the CCP to immediately release Mark. It condemns China for withholding from Mark access to his family, to diplomats, and to proper and independent medical care. And it calls on the Biden administration to prioritize efforts to secure Mark's release, both in their conversations with Chinese diplomats and in international forums. No opportunity should be lost in urging Chinese officials at every level of engagement to release Mark.
The Biden administration must use the voice and the vote of American diplomats to highlight his case. This resolution has already passed the house. It will now pass the Senate. The United States Congress is with a united and unanimous voice condemning and calling to end the unjust imprisonment of Mark Sweden by the Chinese Communist Party. Enough is enough.
Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate cede to the consideration of calendar number 53, S res 23.
Speaker 1: The clerk wrote a report.
Speaker 2: Calendar number 53, senate resolution 23, demanding that the government of the People's Republic of China And the Communist Party of China immediately release Mark Sudan.
Speaker 1: Is there an objection to proceeding to the measure? Without objection, the senate will proceed.
Speaker 0: Madam president, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table?
Speaker 1: Without objection, so ordered.
Speaker 0: Madam president, I yield the floor.
@SenTedCruz - Senator Ted Cruz
Iran’s oil exports are the highest they’ve been since 2018. The money allows them to aid Russia in the war in Ukraine. Russia is even using some Iranian tankers for its own oil. The Biden administration cares more about boosting Iran than they do about defeating Russia.
Video Transcript AI Summary
The speaker raises concerns about Russia's use of Iranian oil tankers to violate US energy sanctions. They criticize the Biden administration for allowing Iran's "ghost fleet" of tankers to grow from 70 to 300, without imposing sanctions. This has enabled Iran to increase its oil exports, funding the regime and the war in Ukraine. The speaker questions why the administration hasn't sanctioned the tankers, as Russia is now using them to aid its aggression in Ukraine. The response from Speaker 1 acknowledges the symbiotic relationship between Iran and Russia and mentions efforts to break it up. However, the speaker argues that the administration has not effectively enforced oil sanctions, allowing funds to flow to Iran for attacks on Ukraine.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: If you look at energy, and I'm gonna start with this. I wanna ask you about the use by Russia of Iranian oil tankers. As you know, Iran violates US energy sanctions by using its own tankers, as well as a ghost fleet of foreign flagships. You've allowed that ghost fleet to grow dramatically. The Iranians were using about 70 tankers when president Biden was elected.
Today, they're using about 300 tankers. You did not sanction those tankers. Instead, the administration allowed Iran to to store its energy exports, getting above 1,000,000 barrels a day, which is funding the regime and funding the war on Ukraine. Last month was the highest oil exports Iran has had since 2018. Now, we can argue about what that means for Iran, But I want to ask what it means for Ukraine and for Russia.
Russia is now using dozens and dozens of tankers from that ghost fleet that the administration allowed to grow in violation of our energy sanctions directly to aid Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Why hasn't the Biden administration sanctioned them?
Speaker 1: Senator, 2 things. 1st, going back to the, to the first point, to The symbiotic relationship that we're seeing emerge between Iran and Russia, to include the provision by Iran of drone technology to Russia for use in Ukraine and the provision by Russia to Iran or the threatened provision of weapons systems, including planes. This is something that we are very actively and aggressively working to break up to Across the government, we have gone after the drone network working to sanction dozens of
Speaker 0: to the individual. Have you reimposed the oil sanctions?
Speaker 1: And we are looking at the most effective way we can Have you reimposed the oil sanctions? At the Ghost Fleet. So we have imposed sanctions across the entire UAV network. We're looking at how we can most effectively deal with the
Speaker 0: Have you stopped the Ayatollah from selling a 1000000 barrels a day of oil?
Speaker 1: We're working on making sure that we can do that effectively.
Speaker 0: It was done in the prior administration. It was this administration that refused to enforce those sanctions that cloud, 1,000,000,000 of dollars to flow to the Ayatollah that's being used to attack the Ukrainians right now.
Speaker 1: Every day to enforce the existing sanctions on Iran, even as we're looking, and imposing new ones.
Speaker 0: Mister secretary, with respect that that's not remotely true. The oil sanctions you could enforce tomorrow, but it is a political decision not to enforce it. And you are providing the funds that Iran is using to provide drones that are attacking Ukrainian military, attacking Ukrainian civilians. You said you just noticed recently the growing cooperation between Russia, and Iran. If you were not aware of that 2 years ago, this administration has not been paying attention