Sen. Ted Cruz talks cotton at Lubbock's Farmers Cooperative Compress

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Senator Ted Cruz didn't let the drama in Washington overshadow his trip to the South Plains on Friday.

"It's easy for Washington to get consumed by the back-and-forth of personalities, of who's up and who's down and who's fighting with whom," Senator Cruz said. "My standard approach is that I don't worry about that."

Senator Cruz visited Farmers Cooperative Compress in Lubbock to talk cotton with South Plains farmers and producers.

However, he said his own issues for Congress to tackle to benefit Texans and the United States are repealing the Affordable Care Act, enacting tax reform, as well as regulatory reform. He also hopes to see more confirmation of who he calls strong, constitutionalist judges.

"My focus every day is working on those four priorities," Cruz said. "My message to the President, the administration, to the Senate, to the House, 'Let's do what we said we would do.'"

With those four goals accomplished, Cruz believes job and economic growth will come to the United States. Farmers expressed their desire to make cotton the priority in the next Farm Bill. They requested Cruz work to make cotton a main beneficiary.

Folks in the audience told the Senator they are worried about falling commodity prices, the protection of farmers in trade negotiations and the future availability of crop insurance.

"I'm focused on fighting for cotton farmers, that we can have food and fiber stability and strength and that cotton shouldn't be treated as a second class citizen," Cruz said. "It ought be treated fairly just like other crops."

While in Lubbock, Cruz also touted Texas' work in the energy industry and said he's pressing the administration and Congress for more oil exploration and opportunities for exports.

"We are a state of energy entrepreneurs," Cruz said. "We know how to generate energy. We know how to innovate. Whether it's oil and gas or new forms of energy, it will be Texas leading the way."

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