Did Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) really decide to take his scheduled family trip to Cancun on Feb 17, 2021? After nearly 24-hours of speculation and verifications by unnamed sources, the senator admitted he went to Cancun but maintained he did so to be a “good dad,” and he planned on returning on February 18.
Cruz further asserted he was in contact with his office. If that was the case, why did his office not reply when numerous news agencies requested information? If this trip was on the up and up, there should have been some statement.
Protesters greeted him in front of his home upon his return. Using bullhorns, they turned out in freezing temperatures to demand his resignation. Vocal Democrats in Washington D.C. continued their rallying cries for Cruz to leave office either voluntarily or by expulsion.
However, the Cruz-family trip is merely the latest in the senator’s lapse in judgment. They want to hold him accountable for his part in the events leading up to the January 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol.
“I was trying to be a dad” Cruz continued to talk about how his daughters were cold. “I think there are a lot of parents that would be like, ‘Look if I can do this great.'”
The problem with his supposedly contrite interview is that he dug in with his justifications about why he decided to leave his constituents dying in historically low temperatures.
Logistically, Cruz and fellow Republican John Cornyn had done their part to request federal disaster relief for the state. The state and private utility companies are not under their rule.
Nonetheless, the senators should be involved in Texas’s recovery from the storm that so far has claimed 47 known deaths. The number of casualties will rise as the state struggles through a likely slow and heartbreaking recovery.
People are justifiably upset with Cruz’s choice to flee the state. Certainly, if a person has the means to protect their family from suffering in the aftermath of the horrific weather, they would likely do so.
Governor Greg Abbott, Senators Cruz, and Cornyn, each of the 36 members representing Texas in Washington D.C., as well as state and local officials, have many problems to address surrounding the state’s infrastructure failure.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: While you’re freezing in your Texas home, Sen. Ted Cruz took off for Cancun. Really.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Ted Cruz cites “wanting to be a good dad” for traveling to Cancún during Texas power outages; by Abby Livingston
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Omar Maya’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License