Candidate Comparison
Senate
Colin Allred (D)
Ted Cruz (R)
| Allred cosponsored the PRO Act, which will strengthen the right to organize and protect workers who fight for better wages, benefits, and safer workplaces. [1] | Cruz has not commented on the PRO Act. He supports nationwide legislation that could lead to decreased wages, benefits, and workplace safety for hard working people. [4] |
| Allred voted for the American Rescue Plan, which protects the pensions hard working people, including more than 200,000 UFCW members. He also voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which reduced prescription drug prices and capped seniors’ monthly insulin costs at $35. [2] | Cruz voted against the American Rescue Plan. He also voted against the Inflation Reduction Act. [5] |
| Allred cosponsored the Food Secure Strikers Act, which ensures that striking workers receive access to SNAP benefits and prevents strikers and their families from being discriminated against. He also sponsored a bill to create a food worker emergency fund to support grocery and meatpacking workers when disaster strikes. [3] | Cruz has not taken a position on number of key bills that would help food workers. [6] |
CHECK THE FACTS:
- U.S. House, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023, HR 20, 118th Cong., introduced 2/28/23, Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/20/all-actions?s=4&r=2&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22protecting+the+right+to+organize+act%22%7D;
“How the PRO Act restores workers’ right to unionize”, EPI, 4/4/2021, https://www.epi.org/publication/pro-act-problem-solution-chart/;
- U.S. House, Roll Call 72, American Rescue Plan Act, HR 1319, 117th Cong., 3/10/21, Clerk.House.gov, https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202172;
“FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Historic Relief to Protect Hard-Earned Pensions of Hundreds of Thousands of Union Workers and Retirees”, The White House, 12/8/22, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-historic-relief-to-protect-hard-earned-pensions-of-hundreds-of-thousands-of-union-workers-and-retirees/;
UFCW Internal Calculation;
U.S. House, Roll Call 420, Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, HR 5376, 117th Cong., 8/12/22, Clerk.House.gov, https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022420;
“On the First Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, Millions of Medicare Enrollees See Savings on Health Care Costs”, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 8/16/23, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/08/16/first-anniversary-inflation-reduction-act-millions-medicare-enrollees-savings-health-care-costs.html;
- U.S. House, Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023, HR 4845, 118th Cong., introduced 7/25/23, Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4845/cosponsors;
“New: Adams, Fetterman, and Casar Introduce Bill to Provide SNAP Benefits for Striking Workers”, https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-adams-fetterman-and-casar-introduce-bill-provide-snap-benefits;
U.S. House, Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Stabilization Grant Program Act, H.R. 6720, 118th Cong., introduced 12/12/23, Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6720/cosponsors?s=1&r=39;
“Brown leads legislation to help secure food supply chains during a disaster,” 12/12/23, Brown.Senate.gov, https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-leads-legislation-to-help-secure-food-supply-chains-during-a-disaster;
- “Proven record,” accessed 9/6/24, TedCruz.org, https://www.tedcruz.org/proven-record/;
“Cruz supports nationwide ‘right to work’ law,” 3/31,16, Fox11Online.com, https://fox11online.com/news/state/cruz-supports-nationwide-right-to-work-law;
“Pros and Cons of Right-to-Work Laws”, The Alliance for Citizen Engagement, 9/5/23, https://ace-usa.org/blog/research/labor-policy/pros-and-cons-of-right-to-work-laws/;
“How the PRO Act restores workers’ right to unionize”, EPI, 4/4/2021, https://www.epi.org/publication/pro-act-problem-solution-chart/;
- U.S. Senate, Roll Call 110, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, HR 1319, 117th Cong., 3/6/21, Senate.gov, https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00110.htm;
“FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Historic Relief to Protect Hard-Earned Pensions of Hundreds of Thousands of Union Workers and Retirees”, The White House, 12/8/22, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-historic-relief-to-protect-hard-earned-pensions-of-hundreds-of-thousands-of-union-workers-and-retirees/;
U.S. Senate, Roll Call 325, Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, HR 5376, 117th Cong., 8/7/22, Senate.gov, https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00325.htm;
“On the First Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, Millions of Medicare Enrollees See Savings on Health Care Costs”, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 8/16/23, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/08/16/first-anniversary-inflation-reduction-act-millions-medicare-enrollees-savings-health-care-costs.html;
- “Proven record,” accessed 9/6/24, TedCruz.org, https://www.tedcruz.org/proven-record/.
“New: Adams, Fetterman, and Casar Introduce Bill to Provide SNAP Benefits for Striking Workers”, https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-adams-fetterman-and-casar-introduce-bill-provide-snap-benefits;
“Brown leads legislation to help secure food supply chains during a disaster,” 12/12/23, Brown.Senate.gov, https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-leads-legislation-to-help-secure-food-supply-chains-during-a-disaster;