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- Delaney Sawyer via FOX News
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Ted Cruz says fear of progressive wing is blocking bipartisan permitting reform
ReTed Cruz says fear of progressive wing is blocking bipartisan permitting reform
Sen. Ted Cruz said Democrats in Congress are too afraid of the party's progressive wing to strike bipartisan deals on permitting reform before the midterms. He pointed to socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani as the most powerful Democrat and cited recent primary victories by socialist candidates.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Thursday that fear of the Democratic Party's rising progressive wing is paralyzing potential bipartisan work on permitting reform, a rare area where the two parties have found common ground. Speaking at an energy summit hosted by the Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures, Cruz argued that Democratic leaders are unwilling to compromise because they are worried about primary challenges from the left.
“That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high,” Cruz said. He added that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “is truly terrified right now.”
Cruz’s assessment highlights how progressive momentum in the 2026 midterm cycle is affecting more establishment figures in the Democratic Party, including sitting members of Congress, and the policy areas lawmakers may still want to address before the November elections. “They’re in the middle of a revolution,” Cruz said. “Their problem is that they’re very driven by their interest groups. They’re captured by their activists.”
The event centered on permitting reform, an area where Democrats and Republicans have found some overlap despite lingering differences over how far to scale back regulations. Lawmakers at the summit stressed that bipartisan work on cutting red tape could meaningfully expand American access to domestic energy projects.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted how regulatory bodies have prevented the expansion of nuclear energy, a power source that is drawing support from both parties. “We have built three new nuclear reactors in like the last 40 years. It went quickly from: we didn’t even know about the technology, to 20% of U.S. electric generation from nuclear reactors,” Wright said. “We created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission… in the name of safety, no malintent. But since that creation, we’ve built almost no reactors in the United States since. If it’s so uncertain and so long to permit something, it’s just not worth investing in. That’s awful! Nuclear is just an awesome energy technology.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said many discussions around reform have come down to practical details rather than political positioning. “There's a lot of conversations going on not about who's going to fight with whom or who is going to take credit for it, but rather what is the mechanics of getting it done,” Moreno said at the event. “When it comes to permitting reform, if we can actually pull this off, Scott, what does it mean? It means lower energy prices for all Americans, us taking better care of our environment, being good stewards for the next generation. Those are worthy goals that should unite all of us, and I'm hopeful that we can get that done,” he added, speaking to conservative commentator Scott Jennings, who moderated the event.
Despite a sense of optimism among several speakers, Cruz warned that progressives already have a real presence inside the Capitol that casts a shadow over permitting reform and other areas. “It is not the case that every Senate Democrat is a Marxist or Islamist. What is the case is that every Senate Democrat is terrified of the Marxists and Islamists. Because that’s where the energy is in their party, that’s where the power is, that’s where the money is; it's where the young people are. I think Mamdani is the single most powerful Democrat in the country,” Cruz said, referring to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist.
Since Mamdani came to power earlier this year, a series of progressive candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have won key primary races and even toppled veteran incumbents. Notable races include New York socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier’s victory over incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the veteran chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Melat Kiros, a socialist in Colorado, who unseated 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
Cruz argued that with such pressures, it is difficult to find legislators willing to separate themselves from progressives, and he believes there is no leadership pushing back against that momentum. “Look, Schumer is known for a lot of things but acts of principle and courage are not among them,” Cruz said.
