On Saturday I wrote that Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is proposing legislation to give “lawmakers a dedicated security escort at airports, along with expedited screening outside of public view.”
He doesn’t want to have to go through airport security, wants to be VIP’d, and effectively says it’s for his safety and the safety of a political class that’s more important than you are.
And he’s succeeded in attaching this benefit as a rider to the Senate’s FAA Reauthorization bill.
The Senate is moving ahead with a proposal by Sen. Ted Cruz that would allow political VIPs to be whisked through airport security lines, reducing the chances of embarrassing snapshots going viral.
Cruz’s amendment, which he says is needed to ensure public officials’ safety amid a rise in threats, was appended on Thursday to a major aviation policy bill. Though the bill still has more steps before it becomes law, its inclusion at this stage was a win for the Texas Republican, who was infamously photographed by a gawker while en route to Cancún during a brutal winter storm in 2021.
Airports and airport police say that the requirement to afford private screenings and escorts to politicians distracts them from airport security and safety duties. The benefit would extend to “lawmakers, federal judges, Cabinet members and some of their family and staff” (emphasis mine). Mel Brooks said it best in History Of The World, “it’s good to be king.”
In the past, Senator Cruz has shown up late for the airport and missed his flight, without special services, declaring “don’t you know who I am?”
Famously, Senate Cruz flew to Cancun when his home state’s power grid failed and residents experienced widespread outages for days (people died). The photographs of him were a huge political blunder. Avoiding public areas of airports would keep him out of the spotlight when he flies.
Re: the Ted Cruz/Cancun thing, this is the photo that unlocks the whole thing. He's in a United terminal. In the top left you can that it's 4:10 pm (or 4ish PM at least). To the left of that, you can see that he's near gate E11, with its destination being Ft. Lauderdale. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/hUuUqSNBze
— Nesler (@thatnesler) February 18, 2021
Just confirmed @SenTedCruz and his family flew to Cancun tonight for a few days at a resort they've visited before. Cruz seems to believe there isn't much for him to do in Texas for the millions of fellow Texans who remain without electricity/water and are literally freezing. pic.twitter.com/6nPiVWtdxe
— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) February 18, 2021
In my view politicians need to eat their own dog food. Until they stand in long security lines, go through the shoe carnival, and have their water bottles confiscated they’re not in a position to exercise their oversight obligations of the federal Transportation Security Agency. And since airports in the U.S. are generally owned by governments, and receive federal funding, they should experience those airports the same way their constituents do.
(HT: Paul H)
Appalled.
Not: How he can make better for all… But: How he can make better for one.
Let me guess: he also gets to include unlimited guests. Of his choosing.
He should be reminded on how many of the aristocracratic blood lines came to end.
I agree wholeheartedly on no privilege and elected officials must experience what the put upon us
Ted creates the ugly mood and threats then gleefully argues he needs protection
The repugs runs this con time and again.
Not sure how this contributes to safety other than Ted’s snowflake ego 🙁
is this any surprise?
He asked his colleagues – who would also benefit – if this was a good idea and they also gave a thumbs up.
Don’t worry, though. Washington DC is so functional that this bill or anything attached to it might not even be approved for another decade while the high-paid children that we support can’t figure out how to get along and work together any better than Mrs. Smith’s 3rd graders
Y’all voted for him.
It’s either on you or democracy actually sucks.
Always proud to see our elected officials looking out for the little guy.
He continues to amaze (appall) me. Don’t see what voters see in him.
I emailed by representative to vote against the bill and/or have the benefit removed.
<5 = number of Democrats that vote against this bill.
Same as they have done for insider trading, raises, lifetime healthcare, etc.
That said pretty much all politicians R/D/I are corrupt, the higher the office the deeper the corruption and payoffs.
Sheila Jackson Lee could not be reached for comment.
Does he know the special perks don’t apply at CUN however?
Ted Cruz makes me crimge, just the sight of him.
How awful. Tar and feathers.
It’s ok. Texans will forget everything and gleefully vote this useless leech on society back into office.
If I lived in Texas, I’d vote for him over the alternative.
I mean, let’s be honest. This is horribly elitist. Yet, I don’t see any Democrats or Republicans actually opposing it. They all support this. Cruz is just the guy to put his name on it.
Unfortunately what Mangar says is very accurate…
It’s elitist BS, but did you see any other legislators stopping it?
I don’t know why everybody is so upset. The Constitution says that “all men are created equal,” but it doesn’t say anything about politicians. Laws and pesky things like the Constitution do not, and have not ever, applied to them. I applaud this measure that Sen. Cruz has put forth. High ranking government officials shouldn’t have to get anywhere near the people they represent, and if this pushes through, they won’t. Another reason for Texans to be proud of their Senator!
the corrupt piggy wants to avoid getting photographed leaving for a vacation while Texas experiences a natural disaster…oh wait, that already happened?!
Manger nailed it. Don’t blame just Ted. They”re all corrupt.
His amendment needs to be removed from the bill.
Poor old millionaire Maxine Waters (D-Corruption) must be spinning in her wigs when she told the useful idiots “…when you see them, get in their face…”
Makes the job of the brown shirts (BLM, Antifa) more difficult confronting their opposition.
I’m all for republicans getting this after the dems sick their whackos on them. But dems should get in the non pre check line because, you know, equity.
sure, Chris…try and spin it….he runs to Cancun instead of supporting his constituents, and stands up blindly, now for the……man…who calls his wife ugly and claims his father was part of the JFK assassination….sure……but put it back on Maxine…..sure…..pure deflection…….ridiculous
Unlock lots of pearl clutching.
If this is what gets you sheeple upset at government then I’m all for it. When you decide to wake up cannot come fast enough. The Ds are kings of this type of stuff but also kings at convincing sheeple that they’re not doing it. The Rs just don’t have the propaganda savvy obviously.
Gary buying into the “outrage” is hilarious. Not fooling anybody.
Cruz is a particularly odious piece of s#!+ even for the current breed of Texas politicians. What disappoints me is that the weasel got others to go along.
@greg – you are so correct. Don’t forget that Cheetoh not only called his wife fat – but also ugly – and this spineless creature still supports Cheetoh. As a life-long Texan (unfortunate for me), this guy is the worst!! However, as another commentor said, Texans keep voting this idiot back into office. It’s on you STUPID Texans!!
It is America baby..Land of endless opprtunities. Where the Rich&Powerful have their priviledges. And the less fortunate like you, gets a snear and a police report for stalking them.
Rules for thee and and not for me
Knowing the wonderfully dysfunctional House, they will probably not have the votes to pass it regardless of whether or not it contains the Cruz clause.
@Eskimo: No, TEXAS voted for him, and the whole country is the worse for it. If he gets his way taxpayers everywhere will pay for this.
Banana republics tend to have their political lists of favorite establishment players and hanger-ons whom are granted all sorts of waivers and favors that are off-limits to the average citizen of such countries, and such dynamics showing up at airports is part and parcel of such systems where the governed are plagued by governing types who insulate themselves from problems the governing classes created for the governed subjects who are but in name treated as equals to the governing citizens. With this attempt to secure airport favors and waivers for himself, Senator Ted Cruz shows himself worthy of being a Putin-supporting Russian Duma member with too fond memories of the benefits of the Soviet Union nomenclatura system.
I really hope this Cruz item gets stripped out of whatever bill makes it to the President’s desk. Our politicians should suffer the same experience as their constituents at airports and it should be in plain sight for all with no extraordinary privileges at airports when flying common carriers.
Ted Cruz is quite literally pleased with himself being a troll and even being despised by his colleagues. But that is not why he did this. He’s all about what’s good for him, and he couldn’t care less about what’s good for the country. He is of the narcissistic psychopathic mentality and so delusional that believes everything good for him is good for all since he can do no wrong and everything that goes wrong is always someone else’s fault. He’s literally a junior league Trump, and I can only hope his kids don’t get their values from him, since he’s really a pitiful character at heart.