Houston Chronicle by Kevin Diaz 9/20/2018
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has cast significant votes and staked out controversial positions on a range of major issues during his six-year term, helping him emerge as a top 2016 presidential contender and a leading conservative voice in American politics.
Over the same period, Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke has served three terms in Congress, establishing a reliably liberal voting record on some of the most consequential issues of the day.
Forget the media hype, the attack ads, and the money chase.
With the first of three debates coming up Friday in Dallas,
we look at six major issues that contrast how O’Rourke would differ from Cruz if he were to unseat him in the Senate.
Immigration/Border WallNo issue better differentiates the two candidates than their contrasting positions on “the wall†and illegal immigration, major issues in Texas. While Cruz has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall, O’Rourke has emerged as a leading critic, saying that the border with Mexico “has never been safer†and calling for an end to the “militarization of our immigration enforcement system.â€
Another key point of divergence: While O’Rourke has championed a path to citizenship for “Dreamers†- immigrants brought over the border illegally as children - Cruz has frequently derided as "amnesty" any plan that confers legal status or citizenship on people living in the country illegally.
Last February, Cruz stood alone in voting against a GOP motion to start debate on a new immigration proposal that could resolve the standoff over Dreamers.
In April, 2017, Cruz garnered headlines with legislation proposing that a new border wall be financed with assets forfeited by alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo†Guzman, who had recently been extradited to the United States. The bill went nowhere, and Republicans are still looking for a way to fund the wall, with estimates running as high as $25 billion.
Cruz also introduced “Kate’s Law†to increase penalties on people who repeatedly cross the border illegally. Adopted as a campaign issue by Trump, the bill was named for a San Francisco woman who a jury later found had been accidentally shot in 2015 by a Mexican man who had been deported five times. The bill failed to overcome a filibuster led by Democrats who saw it as an attempt to exploit the tragedy for political purposes and demonize immigrants.
In recent months, Cruz has started running ads accusing O’Rourke of wanting to “decriminalize†unauthorized border crossings. What O’Rourke has actually said, however, is that the U.S. should not criminalize immigrants requesting asylum between ports of entry.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Cruz-v-O-Rourke-Forget-the-hype-here-s-13244825.php
