WESTERN MARYLAND — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) spoke with Townhall on the drive to Hagerstown, Maryland where he planned to meet with the People's Convoy protesting the remaining COVID-19 mandates. The Senator rode shotgun in a truck to the U.S. Capitol building.
Cruz explained why he was driving more than an hour away from Washington, D.C. to the convoy's basecamp at a speedway race track.
"I want to listen to the truckers and hear why they came out, why they're speaking, hear their concerns. Two, I want to lend my voice in support. I think they are giving voice to the frustrations of millions of Americans who want to have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and their own lives. The idea that some government bureaucrat can force you to make a personal healthcare decision about your life and force you to take a COVID vaccine against your wishes, that's fundamentally wrong."
Cruz added that people should take the vaccine willingly, or not, and that it should be a personal health care choice.
"They have to the right to make that choice [not taking the vaccine] as well. In the wake of this pandemic, we have seen petty tyrants at all levels of government trying force people to comply and threatening to fire them from their jobs if they don't obey [to vaccine mandates], that's fundamentally wrong," Cruz said.
Cruz expressed disappointment over the fact that after he forced a vote on ending COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools, it did not pass due to several Senate Republicans no-showing to the vote. Republicans, if they had shown up, could have outvoted Democrats since a few of them also were not present. Cruz promised that if Republicans take back the Senate this year, he will reintroduce the amendment.
In addition, Cruz said he understood why the People's Convoy are reluctant to shut down traffic in the nation's capital.
"We have seen, with the Biden administration, the willingness to abuse government power...just a week ago at the State of the Union, the Democrats erected fences around the Capitol...the fences were clearly designed for political theatre. Part of their justification for putting them up was they were afraid 'the truckers are coming!' It is really is absurd to see the corporate media lying about these truckers. This is a peaceful protest. They're not engaged in acts of violence."
After giving a brief speech to the truckers and the crowd at their base camp, Cruz rode in the lead truck and it was driven to the west side of the Capitol building while the remaining convoy continued around the Beltway.
Cruz will be riding in one of the trucks for today’s convoy. pic.twitter.com/7Q8bp2SrYc
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) March 10, 2022
Cruz held a press conference with convoy leader Brian Brase:
People’s Convoy Leader Brian Brase says it’s time to remind the American government “they work for us.” pic.twitter.com/yQcSy5oTEx
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 10, 2022