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Transcript of Sen. Ted Cruz's Remarks at the Heritage Foundation

Cargado por Senator Ted Cruz

Annual Helms Lecture: The Vital Role of the Senate in Foreign Policy

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SenatorTedCruz

AnnualHelmsLecture:TheVitalRoleoftheSenateinForeignPolicy

September11,2013Well,Robert,thankyouvery,verymuch.Thatwasextraordinarilypowerful.Thatwasmoving.ThatwasapowerfultestamenttoSenatorHelms’sleadership.AndIamhumbledtobeabletojoinwitheachofyouinworkingtocontinuethatleadershiptojoinwithSenatorJimDeMintwhoistrulyanotherwarriorwhofollowedinthefootstepsofSenatorJesseHelms,andinparticularwaswillingandiswillingtoenduretheridiculeofthosewhowillquicklytellyouarehisintellectualbetterswhilespeakingthetruth.Heritagehasalongandwonderfultraditionofspeakingthetruth,whenoursocalledintellectualbetterswouldrathernotbebotheredwithit.SoIamsogratefultobehere.Iamgratefulthateachofyouarehere.AndIamgratefultotheHeritageFoundation.Today,asallofusknow,isSept11.12yearsago,someofy’allinthefrontrowmaynotasclearlyrememberitassomeoftherestofus,butformanyofthepeopleinthisroomwe’llneverforgetwherewewereonSeptember11,2001.MywifeHeidiandIwereherelivinginWashington.Wewerenewlyweds.WeworkingintheBushadministration.AndactuallyHeidiwasintheWhiteHouse,theU.S.traderepresentative’soffice,themorningof9/11.WhenthefirstplanehitthefirsttowerinNewYork,theSecretServicecamethroughtheWhiteHouseandtoldeveryonetostaywhereyouare.Wedon’tknowwhat’shappenedbutstayrightwhereyouare.Shortlythereafterthe2

planehit.Secretservicebegansprintingdownthehallways,saying“Getoutnow.Run.Don’twalk.”SoHeidiranoutoftheWhiteHouse.Youcouldn’tgetthecar.Becauseyourcarwasparkedinagarage,theywouldn’tletyougetthecar.SoHeidiproceededtopulloffherheelsandwalkhometoVirginiainherbarefeetacrossMemorialBridge.WelivedjustsouthofthePentagoninPentagonCity,whereyoucouldsmelltheashandthesmokefromthattragicattack.Cellphonesweren’tworkingthatwell,sowedidn’tknowexactlywhatwashappeningwitheachother.IamremindedofadearfriendofoursandadearfriendofmanyofthepeopleinthisroomwasBarbOlson.AsweallknowBarbarawasonthatplanethatultimatelyhitthepentagon.Andshemanagedtocallherhusband,TedOlson,andtoconnectwithTed.HewasattheDepartmentofJusticeastheU.S.SolicitorGeneral.ShewasonthephonewithhimwhenthatplanestruckthePentagon.Andherlastwords,asweunderstandit,were,“Ted,whatcanwedotostopthem?”Which,forthoseofuswhoknewBarbara,wasexactlywhoshewasandwhatshewouldbesayingandwantingtodo.IrememberthenextnightHeidiandIdidwhatsomanyAmericansdid,whichisweinvitedfriendsoverforaprayervigil.Anditwasanecumenicalprayervigil.Wehadfriendsfromdifferentfaiths,ChristiansandJews.Wereadscriptures,wesang,andwejustprayedforournation.Itwasamomentofextraordinaryclarity;extraordinaryunityforthisnation.

Nowinthe12yearssince,theyhavedecidedthattheAmericanpeopleshouldn’twatchimagesofthatdayanymore.Thatthoseimagesaretoodisturbingtoappearontelevision.Butyouknowthatday,it’sinterestingtorememberthatbeforethatdayveryfewpeoplehadheardthenameOsamabinladen.VeryfewpeopleinthisroomknewwhatAlQaedawas.OnthatdayradicalIslamicterroristsdeclaredwarontheUnitedStatesofAmerica.NowPresidentObamahastoldtheworldthatthatwarisover.WiththewinddownofhostilitiesinIraq,withthedrawdowninAfghanistan,thatAlQaedaisreceding.Andyetsomehowsomeonedidn’t’telltheterrorist.Thatwarcontinues.Thoseattackscontinue.WesawinmyhomestateofTexasinFortHoodthatsameevilraiseitsheadandmurderthirteenAmericanservicemenandservicewomen.Andyetthisadministrationcharacterizesthatnotasterrorismbutas“workplaceviolence.”Thatwasn’tworkplaceviolence;thatwasradicalIslamicterrorism.Andwe’renotgoingtostandupanddefeatterroristswhowouldkillussolongasthepresidentremainsunwillingeventoutterthewordsradicalIslamicterrorism.WesawitagainjustthislastspringupinBoston,astwohome-grownterroristusedpressurecookerstomurdercivilians.ThisthreatcontinuesandweneedtheclaritytocontinuetodefendtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Youknow,IknowifJesseHelmswasstillwithushewouldnotshyawayfromthespotlight.I’lltellyousomethingRobert,thatIamcertainyoudon’tknow.TheveryfirstpoliticalcontributionImadewastoJesseHelms.WhenIwasakid,IsenttendollarstoJesse.Becausetheywerebeatinguponhim,theywerecomingafterhimhard,andIthoughtitwasn’tright.Andatthetimemyallowancewas50centsaweek,sothatwas20weeksincome.ImaybewillingtoventureaguessIamJesseHelmssinglelargestdonor,asapercentageofannualincome.Butyouknowthere’sanotherstoryIheardofJesseHelmswhenhefirstran.Thatheopenedthemail,andoutfellacheckfor$5,000fromJohnWayne.Thisisapparentlyatruestory.Andhelookedatthischeckandhedidn’tknowJohnWayne.TheJohnWayne.TheaddresswasCalifornia.Sohedecidedhewasgoingtocallhimandthankhimforthis.Sohespentsometimetryingtotrackdown.Andit’snoteasytofigureout.HowdoyoucallJohnWayne?Buthemanagedtofigureouthowtodoso.Andheplacedthecall.AndtheDukeansweredthephone.AndapparentlyJesseHelmssaid,“Mr.Wayne,thisisJesseHelms,Ijustwantedtothankyouforyourtremendoussupportinthisrace.”ApparentlyJohnWaynesaid“Who?”Hesaid“JesseHelms,IamrunningforSenateinNorthCarolina.”AndapparentlyWaynesaid,“Ohyeah,you’rethatguysayingallthosecrazythings.Weneed100morelikeyou.”Thewillingnesstosayallthosecrazythingsisarare,rarecharacteristic.Andyouknowwhat,it’severybitastruenowasitwasthen—weneed100more,likeJesseHelms.Now,thetopicoftheseremarkstodayisUSforeignpolicyandtheroleoftheUnitedStatesSenate.AndIthinktheSenatehasapowerfulrole.Arolethatwehaveseendirectlyinthelastfewweeks.Now,thetopicoftheseremarkstodayisU.S.foreignpolicyandtheroleoftheU.S.Senate.AndIthinktheSenatehasapowerfulrole,arolewehaveseeninthepastfewweeks,tofocusattentiononprioritiesandtolistentothepeople.

U.S.foreignpolicyshouldbeguidedbythreesimpleprinciples.Numberone,weshouldfocusdirectlyonprotectingU.S.nationalsecurityandtheinterestoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Numbertwo,weshouldspeakwithmoralclarity.Numberthree,weshouldalwaysfighttowin.ThoseareprinciplesthatwhentheU.S.hasfollowed,haveprotectedtheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Andwhenwehavedeviated,whenwehaveembracedso-called“pieintheskyinternationalism”thingshavenotworkedoutwell.WethinkofPresidentRonaldReaganwhohadtheextraordinarycouragetospeakthetruth.WhohadtheextraordinarycouragetodescribetheSovietUnionasan“evilempire.”Marxism,Leninismasadoctrinethatwouldendupbeingdiscardedontheashheapofhistory.Andalloftheintelligencia,alloftheDemocrats,allofthemedia–althoughIrepeatmyself–allcollectivelysaid,“Whatanignorantcowboy.Whatanignorant,uneducatedPhilistine.EvilEmpire?Whatcouldpossiblybeevilaboutgulagsandmurderingandtorturingyourcitizens?You’renotnearlysophisticatedenoughtounderstandthesubtlety.”I’llconfesstothatsamelackofsophistication.Ithinkeviltyrantsareeviltyrants.Andyet,youthinkaboutthecourseofmodernhistory,RonaldReaganmanagedsomethingthatistrulyextraordinary:RonaldReagan,arm-in-armwithMargaretThatcherandPopeJohnPaulwontheColdWarwithoutfiringashot.Whatanextraordinarylegacythatis.Inthe1970’s,tosuggestyoucouldwintheColdWarwasprimafacieevidenceofinsanity.You’llrecallReagan’sexplanationofhisstrategyontheColdWar.Hesaid,“It’sverysimple:wewin,theylose.”Oh,theAcademywashorrified.“Youcan’tsaysuchathing!Winningissostark.Wemuchpreferdétente,”whichI’mprettysureistheFrenchwordfor“surrender.”OurcurrentpresidentwontheNobelPeacePrize.Ithinkforwakingupinthemorningandbrushinghisteeth.AndIwouldsuggest,ifyouwouldlookatthelasthundredyears,itishardtofindsomeonewhomoredeservedtheNobelPeacePrizethanRonaldWilsonReaganforwinningtheColdWar.NowIwanttotalkabouttheseprinciplesastheyapplytonumerousareasofchallengearoundtheworld.Whatdoesitmeantofocusonournationalsecurityandournationalinterest,tospeakwithmoralclarity,andtoalwaysfighttowin?And,ofcoursetheobviousplacetobeginiswithSyria.AllofushavebeenfocusedonSyria.Anditseemstome–well–letmesayattheoutset,IwanttocommendPresidentObamafortwodifferentthings.Numberone,IwanttocommendPresidentObamaforlisteningtothebipartisancalltosubmittotheconstitutionalauthorityofCongress.Thatwassignificant,itwastherightthingtodo,andI’mgladhedidso.Andsecondly,oncetheissuecametoCongress,thatgavetheAmericanpeopleachancetospeakup.Itellyou,I’vespentthelastsixweekstravelingthestateofTexasdoingtownhalls,doingroundtablesalloverthestate.ItdidnotmatterwhereinTexasyouwere.EastTexas,WestTexas,thePanhandle,downintheRioGrandeValley,therewasalmosttotalunanimitythattheUnitedStateshadnobusinessgettinginthemiddleofasectariancivilwarinSyria.AndItellyou,ourofficeinthelastseveralweekshashadover5,000callsopposingmilitaryinterventioninSyria.We’vehadroughlyfiftyinsupport.Infact,thepercentage,Ibelieve,was99.13%ofthecallsopposedmilitaryintervention.Now,howwouldyouapplythoseprinciplestoSyria?BecauseIthinkthePresident’sapproachmanagedtoviolateallthree.