RNLA to honor Sen. Cruz for standing up to liberals’ ‘slings and arrows’

Cruz to receive the Hon. Edwin Meese III Award at the 2024 National Policy Conference

The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) is pleased to present the 2024 Hon. Edwin Meese III Award to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at this year’s National Policy Conference on May 17, in Arlington, Va. The Hon. Edwin Meese III Award is bestowed upon an individual who has upheld the rule of law in the face of adverse political challenges.

Click here to register for the May 17, National Policy Conference.

"This award honors an individual who has stood up to the slings and arrows of false accusations from liberals,” said RNLA Chair Marc Ellinger. “Sen. Cruz has demonstrated undaunted courage, and I can think of no individual more deserving of this honor.”

Cruz was one of the first elected officials to condemn the recent mayhem and violence on college campuses, telling Fox Business News’ Maria Bartiromo, “This tragically is Cultural Marxism. Our universities are indoctrinating young people. Cultural Marxism breaks the world into oppressors and victims. And they have defined Jews as oppressors. This is the leftist ideology of our universities in the Democratic Party. Sadly, it's really ugly manifestation we're seeing on the streets of New York and across the country and universities.”

In a recent episode of his popular podcast, Verdict,  Cruz defended the First Amendment right to free speech of the student protesters. Still, he urged conservatives to speak out against the antisemitic speech.

“They're not immune to counter speech,” Cruz said. “I think anyone has an obligation if you see a Nazi, if you see a Klansmen or if you see a pro Hamas bigot, to respond with truth, to respond with facts to counter the hate.”

Cruz also noted the university leaders do not have to allow these protests on their campus. “Just because the Constitution allows you to say it does not mean a university has to allow it on their campus.”

In that same podcast, Cruz challenged the widespread mischaracterization of the protests as peaceful.

 “When you have threats of murder and violence and death as you had at Columbia, that is not peaceful,” he said, adding, “But Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a sitting Member of Congress, is praising what's happening at Columbia and Yale. She supports this vicious antisemitism.  And there is Joe Biden happily sitting there. This is unfortunately today's Democrat Party. The White House is utterly tepid, unwilling to condemn specifically what is happening at Columbia and Yale. And the radicals in their party explicitly endorse it and celebrate.”

RNLA Co-Chair Patricia Paoletta praised Cruz, saying, “He speaks for the vast majority of Americans who support law and order, individual liberty, a secure border, and honest elections.”

“Senator Cruz serves with distinction on two of the most important committees to lawyers in the Senate,” added RNLA President and Executive Director Michael Thielen.  “On the Judiciary Committee, his questioning has exposed Biden administration nominees’ disdain for the rule of law and revealed liberals’ true agenda.  On the formerly sleepy Rules Committee, the Senator has fought for free speech and against the woke agenda.  Senator Cruz has never wavered despite the constant attacks from the liberal media.” 

Click here to register for the May 17, National Policy Conference.