Update on the Latest in the Senate from Senator Ted Cruz

In this new year, we remain committed to listening to the people and implementing real solutions that will create more jobs, growth, and opportunity.

On January 1, Obamacare took full effect, and it is hurting millions of Americans across our great nation. Young people, the self-employed, part-time workers, and many others are feeling the burden of this misguided law first hand. True relief will come only through repealing every last word of Obamacare.

Please continue reading below for an update on the latest in the Senate.

All of America Needs to be a Real "Promise Zone"

Thursday, I reacted to President Obama's "Promise Zone" initiative saying that it's altogether fitting that President Obama is talking about income inequality because income inequality has increased dramatically as a direct result of his economic policies. Out-of-control government spending, debt, taxes, and regulations have killed millions of jobs.

Unfortunately, rather than stop Washington's job-killing policies, President Obama proposes yet more government spending and debt. People need jobs. All of America needs to be a real 'Promise Zone'--with reduced barriers to small businesses creating private-sector jobs--and we should start by repealing every word of Obamacare, building the Keystone pipeline, abolishing the IRS, and rolling back abusive regulations.

U.S. Must Cease Negotiations with Iran Until Concessions are Made

This week, I introduced S. Res. 328, which would require that Iran immediately and without conditions release all United States citizens unjustly detained in Iran and publicly affirm the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state before any further negotiations between Iran and the United States. Co-sponsors include Sens. Jim Inhofe, Pat Roberts and Orrin Hatch.  The United States should always negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness. Unfortunately, the deal we struck with Iran in November compromises our strength, and will free substantial economic relief to Iran with virtually no concessions.

Now we are essentially investing in a nation that openly promotes the annihilation of Israel and has innocent Americans imprisoned under deplorable conditions, while having no assurance that Iran will take any meaningful steps to pause their efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. The United States must cease any further negotiations until Iran agrees to these reasonable concessions.

Our commitment to the security of Israel while Iran is unapologetically pursuing nuclear capability must be beyond doubt.

Opposition of Janet Yellen’s confirmation as Chairman of the Federal Reserve

On Monday, I released a statement regarding my vote against Ms. Yellen’s confirmation as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. I expressed concern over policies that continue to irresponsibly print money and called for an audit of the Fed.

We’re five years into the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program, and the economy is stuck in malaise. Printing money by the trillions is dangerous, and working people need real economic growth to get their lives back on track.

Janet Yellen has said she intends to continue current Fed policy, which may help Wall Street but is leaving Main Street with higher prices for gas and food, near-zero interest rates for savers, and stagnation for small businesses that aren’t growing or hiring. Meanwhile, workers' wages remain depressed and most households haven’t recouped their lost wealth from the recession.

I'm also troubled that Ms. Yellen continues to oppose full transparency at the Fed--we need to audit the Fed now, so the American people can fully understand the scope and consequences of its recent extraordinary policies.

For these reasons, I cannot support her nomination.

“Limits of Treaty Power” publlished in Harvard Law Review

This week, I published an article online in the Harvard Law Review Forum discussing the Bond v. US case as a critical test of whether treaty power can be used to override limits on the federal government.

With treaties potentially supplanting federal and state governmental authority, the President and Senate should carefully scrutinize all treaties, as a policy matter. We must jealously guard the separation of powers and state sovereignty if we are to preserve the constitutional structure our Framers gave us.

The Framers' genius in dividing sovereign authority between the federal and state governments certainly qualifies as one of the great outlines and important objects that Chief Justice Marshall deemed necessary for interpreting the Constitution. Dual sovereignty therefore properly constrains the federal government's treaty power.