Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is praising Texas for passing a controversial elections bill, saying it shows states are the “proper place” to “establish election laws.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the Texas senator said, “Today, Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 1, a bill to safeguard our elections in Texas, despite immense pressure from Democrats and the liberal media. The bill protects the voting rights of 29 million Texans and would make our elections in Texas accessible and secure.”

“Texans don’t need Washington elites telling them how to safeguard and protect voting rights. When Texans go to cast a vote, that vote should count. I am grateful for the Republicans and the Leadership in the Texas Senate and House, especially state Sen. Bryan Hughes and state Rep. Andy Murr, who have been leading the fight to protect the integrity of elections in Texas,” he continued.

Finally, he said, “This should be a loud and clear message to Washington power-hungry politicians: states are the proper place to establish election laws and efforts by the federal government to take over our elections should never succeed.”

On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a controversial elections bill, as IJR reported.

“One thing that all Texans can agree and that is that we must have trust and confidence in our elections. The bill that I’m about to sign helps to achieve that goal,” Abbott said, adding, “The law does however make it harder for fraudulent votes to be cast.”

The new law bans drive-thru voting, 24-hour voting, and prohibits election officials from sending voters unsolicited ballot applications or encouraging mail-in voting. It also establishes new criminal and civil penalties for poll workers.

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Republican lawmakers advanced the bill late last month after Democrats tried to block it by fleeing the state over the summer.

Democratic leaders claimed the bill was “dangerous legislation that would trample on Texans’ freedom to vote.”

However, on Tuesday, Abbott highlighted a provision of the bill that expands the hours for early voting, “Texas provides 12 days of early voting, and this law even adds more hours during those early voting days. By comparison, the president’s home state of Delaware provides zero days and zero hours of early voting.”

“It ensures that Texas provides even more opportunities for people to engage in the voting process than the president’s home state of Delaware as well as many other states across the entire country,” he added.

Earlier this year, Congressional Democrats failed to advance a sweeping election overhaul bill, the For the People Act, after Senate Republicans blocked a motion to begin debate on the bill, as IJR reported.