Cruz praises courage of US gymnasts testifying about FBI Larry Nassar investigation: 'System needs to change'

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, thanked Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols for appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to speak out against the failures of the FBI in investigating serial abuser Larry Nassar.

United States Olympic gymnast Simone Biles testifies during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Washington. Nassar was charged in 2016 with federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment when he worked for Michigan State and Indiana-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.  (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP) United States gymnasts from left, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Aly Raisman arrive for a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Washington. Nassar was charged in 2016 with federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment when he worked for Michigan State and Indiana-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.  (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP) U.S. Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols arrive to testify during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI handling of the Larry Nassar investigation of sexual abuse of Olympic gymnasts, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2021.  (Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS) U.S. Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols arrive to testify during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI handling of the Larry Nassar investigation of sexual abuse of Olympic gymnasts, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2021.  (Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS)

"I want to thank each of you for being here. Being here this morning was not easy," Cruz said. "Each of you inspire millions across the globe. Millions look to your athletic achievements, you have all stood on the biggest stages of the world and done extraordinary things. 

"And you were able to do that through tens of thousands of hours of incredible hard work," he continued. "And yet that work pales compared to the courage it took to come here today and to tell your story publicly."