Republican senator, who flew to Mexico as Texas faced deadly cold snap, complains of ‘serious security threats’ to lawmakers

Republican senator, who flew to Mexico as Texas faced deadly cold snap, complains of ‘serious security threats’ to lawmakers

The Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz, who achieved viral infamy in 2021 when he was seen at Houston airport for a flight to Cancún even as his state faced a historic and deadly spell of cold weather, this week moved a step closer to securing police escorts for lawmakers at airports.

Under an amendment to the Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization bill introduced by Cruz, members of Congress and other prominent officials, and some family and staff members, will be offered security escorts if they are deemed “currently … or previously … the subject of a threat, as determined by such applicable federal protective agency”.

If passed by the House and Senate, the bill will fund the FAA for four years.

But given Cruz’s scrape with viral fame over his flight to Mexico in February 2021 – a trip to join a family vacation he abandoned after one day, admitting his “obvious mistake” as tweets and memes proliferated – the senator faces criticism and mockery over his attempt to secure security guards for future airport trips.

    • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
      3·
      9 months ago

      We don’t say the same thing about the president, right? At a certain point it would be harmful for the country if politicians were subject to physical intimidation. And while we might have feelings about assholes from other parties, what about people with the same views as us?

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        8·
        9 months ago

        Weird how he didn’t need this security detail last year. Seems like it only happened when he got publicly criticized.

        Most senators do not have a security detail. Ted is afraid of talking to the public unless it’s on TV.

        • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
          21·
          9 months ago

          How is it a ridiculous comparison?

          I wasn’t saying that a senator or congressman is of the same importance as a president. After all, you won’t see the president at an airport.

          What I’m saying is it’s in the public interest for our elected representatives not to be subject to physical threat.

          If a senator is eating at a restaurant, and a person or group comes in who they view as a threat, they always have the option to leave. Often there are multiple points of ingress/egress. And they have the option to bring in as much security as they want.

          At an airport you can’t just leave unless you want to miss your flight. There are by design limited points to come in/out at an airport, and the terminals are usually dead ends so even if you wanted to leave it might not be possible if confronted by a group. And even if a person wanted to bring private security they don’t let people in unless you also buy tickets.

        • RedWeasel@lemmy.worldEnglish
          18·
          9 months ago

          Generally you can ask if you can speak to them. If done in a respectful way they may talk to you. They may even be more willing to talk knowing there is security there. Each situation will very though.