News

Dewhurst for Texas spokesman Matt Hirsch today issued the following statement in response to an article in the Dallas Morning News reporting that Ted Cruz would not support Texas Sen. John Cornyn to be the next Republican Senate Whip: 

The clarifying moment in the Texas U.S. Senate race occurred this morning when Ted Cruz revealed his political priorities. In a Dallas Morning News article, Cruz declared he was not supporting Sen. John Cornyn for Republican Senate Whip, the Senate's number two leadership position. By withholding his support, Cruz proved he’s more concerned about the ambitions of his financial backers in Washington than he is in promoting Texas values and making them stronger.

Cruz has previously told reporters it’s more important to elect Senators who would pledge fealty to a divisive challenge to GOP leadership than it is for Republicans to regain its U.S. Senate majority this year. Cruz's glaring lack of support for Sen. Cornyn, who's now responsible for Republican efforts to retake that majority, effectively puts Cruz's personal ambition and interests above conservative attempts to organize and stop the Obama agenda.

By contrast, David Dewhurst has endorsed Sen. Cornyn for Whip and has urged a united effort by strong Texas conservatives to reclaim the country from President Obama’s liberal assault.

Ted Cruz is clearly more interested in playing political games within the GOP conference, and in propping up the Washington insider interests financing his campaign, than he is in opposing President Obama. How effective will a Senator be who slurs his GOP colleagues and party activists, including Sen. Cornyn, as "graybeards" and "spineless jellyfish?"

Ted Cruz has received an unprecedented percentage of his campaign support from outside Texas, particularly from Washington.

Texas needs a Senator with a successful business background and a record of doing exactly what is needed to fix the problems in Washington – balancing budgets, reducing spending, trimming bureaucracy, and cutting taxes. It does not need a Senator who puts personal ambition above the best interest of the state and country.

• Read more

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst today criticized President Barack Obama's budget proposal, calling the plan more of the same tax-and-spend policies that have driven America further into the current debt crisis. Dewhurst strongly opposes President Obama's reckless budget, and proposes that Washington significantly cut spending to get the deficit under control.

President Obama made a pledge to the American people that he would cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. With his newly proposed budget, the projected deficit for 2012 is $1.33 trillion, marking four consecutive years the deficit has surpassed $1 trillion. Under President Obama's tenure, the national debt has increased more than $5 trillion.

"The budget proposal from President Obama is another reckless tax, spend and borrow scheme," said Dewhurst. "The current proposal is not a serious solution to getting our debt crisis under control and is not a legitimate attempt to rein in federal spending. President Obama just keeps digging our ditch deeper and deeper, increasing the mortgage on our children's future."

Noting that it has been more than 1,000 days since the U.S. Senate last passed a budget, Dewhurst continued, "Texans and the American people deserve proven conservative leadership in Washington, which is opposite what President Obama has proposed with his budget."

• Read more