WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after President Biden signed into law a bill Cruz authored, requiring the State Department to produce a detailed report on efforts by the government of Venezuela to detain United States citizens, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. The Maduro regime has used a range of tactics to take Americans hostage.
Following passage, Sen. Cruz said, “The Maduro regime continues to target and seize American citizens, including Texans. This measure will shine a light on those tactics, begin to counter these unacceptable practices, and advance efforts to hold the Maduro regime accountable for detaining Americans.”
Background:
In addition to this measure, Sen. Cruz secured four other bipartisan victories in this year’s NDAA. He secured inclusion of a provision to streamline the presidential permitting process for building four bridges across the Rio Grande in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. These bridges will boost the Texas and U.S. economy by billions.
Sen. Cruz also secured passage of language ensuring that B-1 bombers stationed in Abilene, TX remain in the Air Force fleet as long as they’re needed for national security. Another measure ensures corrupt officials responsible for Vladimir Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline are held accountable was also included in the NDAA.
