HOUSTON — Three years after Sen. Ted Cruz was criticized for taking a trip to Cancun during the deadly freeze that caused statewide power outages, he's again facing backlash related to air travel.
The senator from Houston is proposing an amendment that would give members of Congress special treatment at airports, POLITICO reports. They say Cruz wants security escorts and private screening for lawmakers, White House Cabinet members and federal judges.
Cruz's amendment calls for TSA to provide security escorts for the entire time the politicians and judges are at the airport. If it's passed, they would also be able to skip the security lines. The special privileges would also apply to some family members and staff.
There are “serious security threats facing public officials,” Cruz told POLITICO. “It’s important that we take reasonable measures to keep everyone safe.”
Cruz was asked about the proposal during an appearance in Houston Monday, but he told the reporter, "Do better."
The Capitol Police reported 8,008 threats against lawmakers in 2023, up 500 from the previous year but lower than 2021 and 2020.
- 7,501 in 2022
- 9,625 in 2021
- 8,613 in 2020
- 6,955 in 2019
- 5,206 in 2018
The cases included threatening statements sent via the mail, by email, phone or social media/internet.
They included threatening statements sent through the mail, email, by phone and on social media/the internet.
Cruz's idea may not fly with the TSA, which is already dealing with staff shortages and budget cuts, according to Annie Russo, chief political and congressional strategy officer for the Airports Council International-North America.
“Many airports do not have the resources that would be required to facilitate this sort of operation on a full-time basis," Russo told POLITICO.
It also didn't land well with Kevin Murphy, executive director of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network, who echoed those concerns. He said the proposal would also tie up police who are there to provide security to all passengers, not just VIPs.
Ted Cruz and his trip to Cancun
If Cruz's proposal had been in effect in 2021, he could have avoided the political storm surrounding his family vacation to the tropical paradise of Cancun.
Someone got a photo of the senator at the airport and it went viral.
Cruz was roasted on social media for jetting off to Mexico as Texans suffered through a deadly winter storm crisis. Dozens of people died and millions coped with no power during bitter cold weather, followed by busted pipes and low -- or no -- water pressure.
Cruz got a chilly reception from a handful of protesters who greeted him outside his Houston home when he returned.
Cruz admitted he flew to Cancun but said he was just being "a good dad" by taking his daughters and their friends on the trip since school was canceled.
“I have to admit, I started having second thoughts almost the moment I sat down on the plane because, on one hand, all of us who are parents have a responsibility to take care of our kids, take care of our family. That’s something Texans have been doing across the state," Cruz said outside his home. "But I also have a responsibility I take very seriously and that’s fighting for the state of Texas and frankly, leaving when so many Texans were hurting didn’t’ feel right, so I changed my return flight and returned back."
Some Houston constituents weren't happy.
"My thinking was the captain of a ship, you know, the last guy that leaves the ship is the captain," one man told us back then. "Him leaving to Mexico in this situation, that's not good at all. Doesn't tell me he's a guy who's interested in the people of his town."
"I can't even say what I want to say," another Houston resident said. "It is what it is, but 'hey bro, we need help down here. You're out there having fun in Cancun and we're out here freezing. If you want to be elected, better do something.'"
KHOU 11 confirmed that he was originally scheduled to return with his family before deciding to cut the trip short.
