Ted Cruz is poised to take leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee. What does that mean for Texas? Republicans are set to take control of the U.S. Senate on Friday, and with that change, a major Texas political figure is poised to make a bigger and more consequential footprint on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Ted Cruz is set to take over as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, a position that will give him jurisdiction over a wide swath of the U.S. economy, including telecommunications, aviation and space exploration.
Running the committee represents a chance to shift policy directions on major issues could require an approach that runs contrary to the Texas Republican’s reputation as somewhat anti-establishment, a kind of conservative firebrand.
Joseph Morton, who covers D.C. for the Dallas Morning News, said Cruz put in years on this committee before being tapped to lead it.
“He’s got 12 years of seniority now. And it is really remarkable to see the shift over time from … a self-described rabble-rouser back in the day, as a brand new freshman who was very happy to throw sand into the legislative gears here when he saw reason to do so, to try and stand on principle and achieve some of the conservative policy goals that he wanted to see,” Morton said. “And he was not shy about bucking leadership and demanding amendments that were not necessarily right on point to the legislation they were considering – and often, much to the consternation of his colleagues, even his fellow Republicans. And so now to see him stepping into this role is really something.”....................
https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2025-01-05/ted-cruz-is-poised-to-take-leadership-of-the-senate-commerce-committee-what-does-that-mean-for-texas
