Ted Cruz at House Caucus Room, June 19th, 2024

what we call a happy a happy War right here this is this is he space and we're so blessed that you're here with us today Senor well God bless you you welcome to the swamp so listen I am really proud to have the chance to be with you all let me thank you for your think Ralph how do you ever age like like Ralph you've been 22 years old for 50 years I I don't know how you do that for those of you old enough to remember Dorian Bray he's got a painting in his attic that's 102 um listen thank you thank you for standing up let me ask you something am I am I am I the only one here whose heart is breaking for America look what is happening we've never seen anything remotely like this listen there's always been political disputes there's always been battles between the parties but I have never in my life seen so much damage done to this country in three and a half years this is not any longer I think a battle between Republicans and Democrats it's not a battle between conservatives and liberals this is a battle between sanity and crazy come on I brought 19 Senators down to the border to see firsthand what was happening we went out on the real Grand River as we were out of a boat we saw a dead body floating in the river J of a man who presumably just died Crossing them I asked him I said how many children were brutalized by human traffickers last year he said I I asked him how many women were raped by human traffickers again I don't know I said how many people died of O drug overdose I don't know and look I will confess for me and I suspect for many families here this is personal I lost my sister Mary this is a tragedy that impacts everything I was down at the border there was a reporter who asked me said well well aren't the policies of Democrats much more Humane and compassionate onra and I tell you candidly I just start laughing and I said you know who doesn't believe that anymore the Democrats and I just asked the reporter I said where's Joe Biden where's Tom Harris where's a single Democrat Senator where's a single Democrat Congressman if the policy is such a great policy they'd be down there saying look at the great success we've got the going rate is typically between three and $112,000 to cross the border illegally if you're coming from say China it be $50,000 to cross illegally now most of the people coming don't have $3 to 12,000 so they come in color coded with how many thousands of dollars they owe the cartel so let me tell you what happens when they get here the border patrol doesn't go catch them they go look for the border of Patrol and they turn themselves in and they turn themselves in and the boorder of Patrol agents are instructed to say where do you want to go and they name cities All Over America and you may think you don't live in a Border Town you're wrong every city in America is a Border Town because this Administration is putting illegal immigrants on planes and buses and sending to every city in America that's happening every week two weeks ago we got the story of eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan yes who were affiliated with Isis K Isis K is the terrorist organization you remember that Carri out the horrific terrorist attack in Moscow murdered 145 civilians in an opera house came in with machine guns and just dun them they were Taj with Isis k eight of them came to our Southern border now by the way last I checked I may not be great on geography but I don't think Tajikistan is to ourselves but eight of them came across the southern border and they were apprehended we had them in our custody and you know what happened Bible Administration let him go if you preach on an issue that is controversial someone might get upet you might even have some people leave the church so but let me tell you if everyone in this world loves everything you're saying and you're not preaching the word please get your friends second thing that I wanted to let you know I told you might hey um I Heard former president he uh he asked me whether or not it might be possible for him to be with us