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Floor Speech

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Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of a dear friend, Alice Stewart. Her sudden passing last month was a profound loss to all who knew her. Alice was far too young with so much more to give in the world.

Alice began her career as a reporter in Georgia and eventually moved to Little Rock, AR, where she was an anchor for the NBC affiliate there. In 2008, she served as Mike Huckabee's communications director during his Presidential run. Then she later advised Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum during their Presidential runs. In 2016, Alice came to work for me during my run for President. I was very lucky to have her on my team.

Alice fought passionately for me on the campaign trail. She was a joy to be around, always smiling, both personally and professionally. Politics can be a harsh arena, but Alice engaged with a light touch. She never lost her southern charm, her class, or her respect for others. She was one of the last few old- school political operators who believed you can get along with anyone, regardless of political differences.

It is telling that many, many former colleagues and friends of Alice's have echoed the very same sentiment about her, that she was unfailingly kind and a rare gem in the tumultuous world of politics.

Alice and I remained friends after the Presidential run. This is a photo of the two of us when she came to my second swearing in here in the Senate in 2019.

Not only was Alice a talented communicator, she also served as Deputy Secretary of State in Arkansas and became a resident fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics, where she became a mentor for many students.

In 2016, Alice became a CNN commentator. Now, CNN isn't always known as a friendly place for conservatives, to put it mildly. But Alice never backed down from what she believed in. Instead, she navigated disagreements with kindness, whether it was at CNN or in her role as a political contributor on NPR.

If you knew Alice, you knew she was an avid runner. Another former communications director of mine and good friend, Cat Frazier, remembers the day that she met Alice on my Presidential campaign. Alice and my friend David Polyansky pulled her out into the freezing Iowa snow to go on a run with the two of them. That is how Cat got to know Alice, on a run in the bitter Iowa cold and snow. They also asked me to come on a run with them that morning. But it will not surprise you, Mr. President, I turned down that invitation. Alice and I had a lot in common, but running marathons was not one of them.

As a runner, it was fitting that Alice also loved Hebrews 12, especially the verse:

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Alice showed what it means to run the race well as a good and faithful servant. She has now finished her race, and she is today in the loving arms of her Creator.

I was immensely proud to have Alice on my team. She was wonderful and talented and a good friend. She loved America fiercely. She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply, deeply missed.

Her absence is deeply felt by me, by Heidi, and by the entire Cruz team. I pray for God's comfort and His peace on her loved ones. May God bless the memory of Alice Stewart. She will be missed. I will miss her. God bless you, Alice.

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