By Morgan Montalvo
WOAI News
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz spent a near-full day in San Antonio on Monday, visiting with East Side leaders before wrapping up with an afternoon visit with trainees at Joint Base Lackland, WOAI News reports.
The Republican lawmaker met with reporters just outside the Air Force installation to address a number of issues before heading to an evening supporters gathering in Seguin.
Cruz said he remains confident about the outcome of his November race against challenger U.S. Rep. Robert “Beto” O’Rourke from West Texas, but concedes that anti-Trump feeling is bouying liberals.
“It is clear this is a volatile time in politics,” Cruz said. “It is clear that there are many on the far Left who are angry.”
However he remains confident that large numbers of conservative voters will return him to office in November.
Addressing free trade, Cruz said he hopes the White House will look at all options before moving forward with renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, and any talks should include helping Mexico expand its energy industry.
“That would produce thousands of high-paying jobs in Mexico. It would be good for the Mexican middle class. But not only that; the place they would naturally turn for the expertise to develop that oil and gas would be Texas,” said Cruz.
Cruz also said this fall he will push to make permanent the middle-class tax cuts adopted as part of the 2017 GOP reform package.
“What I’ve urged is, let’s bring up budget reconciliation again this year, and use that to make the individual tax cuts permanent. The reason that matters is, budget reconciliation can’t be filibustered,” he said.
Senatorial use of “reconciliation” provisions allows for passage of budget-related measures with a "yes" vote from 50 lawmakers, not the usual 60 votes required for other legislation.
PHOTO: CRUZ RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN