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
    32·
    9 months ago

    Agree.

    Many politicians suck, and it’s not good that they’re insulated from public feedback. I think some people feel like harassing Ted Cruz at the airport is the only way he’s ever going to hear what they have to say, so they don’t want to have taxpayer money going to protect him.

    But for those people imagine the flip side: some Jan 6er assholes harassing AOC or Bernie at the airport. There are enough people from any walk of life or viewpoint to mob a politician at an airport.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      2·
      9 months ago

      But for those people imagine the flip side: some Jan 6er assholes harassing AOC or Bernie at the airport.

      I am absolutely fine with that. They are citizens. They should have the right to approach elected officials in public. Just because they say things I don’t like doesn’t mean those officials should be immune from the public.

      If you don’t want people to talk to you, maybe politician isn’t the right job for you.

      And I would not be at all surprised if that has happened to both AOC and Sanders more than once and they handled it with grace and aplomb. Do you really think they have security details? Does that sound like Bernie Sanders?

      • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
        1·
        9 months ago

        I think the people in this thread are focused on speech - you’re right that politicians should be available to the public, that they shouldn’t be insulated from public sentiment.

        What I’m talking about is violence - like January 6. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean the necessary elements aren’t all there. Some people are getting information from crazy sources, completely untethered from reality.

        And sure, people aren’t supposed to be able to get guns through, but I’ve accidentally brought knives through security more than once. There’s also just plain old physical force. We’ve seen news stories of people dying from a single punch, maybe their head hits the floor too hard.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          4·
          9 months ago

          If you’ve accidentally brought weapons through security, that is partially Ted Cruz’s fault. He is part of what controls the TSA’s budget. Why should he be insulated from the consequences when none of the rest of us are?

          Any of us could be a victim of violence at any time. Most people, even very famous people, do not walk around with security details. I know because I used to live in L.A. and saw famous people just walking around plenty of times.

          I’m sorry, but this is Ted Cruz just being a coward. On our dime.

          • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
            21·
            9 months ago

            Ted Cruz is a coward. And maybe that’s why he’s proposing this. I’m saying regardless of his reasons for proposing it or how shitty he is, I think it’s a reasonable policy.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
              5·
              9 months ago

              And I’m saying it is not a reasonable policy for someone who controls the TSA’s purse strings to not trust them to stop weapons from coming into an airport.

              It’s his fault it happens. He needs to deal with the consequences if there are any.

              And again, this is not a common thing for federal politicians. It simply isn’t. Yes, the president and his family have a security detail. But only after a ton of presidents got assassinated. William McKinley got assassinated because Leon Czolgosz just walked up to him and shot him. But back then, we didn’t have airports or security screenings. And most senators and congresspeople still don’t walk around with a security detail.

              Only the cowards.

              You mentioned AOC.

              AOC got sexually harassed on the capitol steps and does not have a security detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMeF_jwnHMA

              Here she is being confronted by angry pro-Palestinian protesters. In public without a security detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oMkaJ73D7E

              As for Bernie Sanders? Here’s BLM protesters getting on the stage with him while he was running for president. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2iMM7m12zE

              Bernie Sanders and AOC are not cowards and are not afraid to be around people who are harassing them in public. Not even when there is no security scanner around.

              Ted Cruz is.