 SAN ANTONIO — Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzObama praises Beto O'Rourke: 'Impressive young man' Dem bundler: Donors waiting on 2020 commitments until Beto O'Rourke makes decision The Hill's Morning Report — GOP victorious in Florida while Dems say `Sunbelt strategy’ looks bright for 2020 MORE (R-Texas) and Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) clashed in a heated second debate on a cold and bitter night in San Antonio, less than three weeks out from the midterm elections. “Our junior senator won’t stand up to President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump: WHCA picking non-comedian for headliner a 'good first step' Five takeaways from Mississippi's Senate debate Watergate’s John Dean: Nixon would tell Trump 'he's going too far' MORE.” 
 
 The attacks only got more heated throughout the night.  Mr. Cruz said he had supported legislation to do more to protect American voting, but also focused on “political bias of big tech, of Facebook and Google” and said he was concerned that social media was not protecting free political speech on social media. “He voted against safeguarding the integrity of our election box,” O’Rourke said of Texas’ junior senator. Cruz said that “a robust energy sector is good for all of Texas” and accused O’Rourke of voting for aggressive regulations of fracking and natural gas exports. “O’Rourke supports Bernie Sanders’s socialized medicine,” Cruz said, adding that it would “triple your taxes.” The GOP senator pointed to examples of other countries who use that system, arguing that it would lead to long wait times and that the costs would be “immense.” 
 
 But O’Rourke stood his ground for wanting affordable and quality universal health care, especially for working families. To be sure, this isn’t the first time this vote has been used as a line of attack by Cruz’s camp. “Respectfully, Sen. Cruz, in Iowa, you talked about how bad the deficit is.” 
 
 When asked if the tax law increases the deficit and debt, Cruz responded, “No, it wouldn’t. Cruz makes claims about O’Rourke’s PAC support 
 
 After O’Rourke accused Cruz of casting votes under the influence of PAC donations, Cruz shot back that a PAC, JStreetPAC, has “raised over $160,000” for O’Rourke and that O’Rourke “has a super PAC based up in Dallas that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, is spending them on ads attacking me and my family.” 
 
 The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. But Cruz continued to aggressively go after the Democratic congressman’s record, which he says doesn’t line up with deep-red Texas. O’Rourke brought back President Trump’s past pejorative nickname for Cruz from the 2016 Republican primary race, arguing that the GOP senator fits the name “Lyin’ Ted.” 
 
 "This is what you can expect over the course of debate," O'Rourke said. “That’s not what Texans want.” 
 
 Our fact check of the candidates’ attendance records finds Cruz has had one of the highest rates of missed votes in the Senate largely because of his 14-month campaign for president in 2015 and 2016. “Congressman O’Rourke doesn’t seem to understand that representing Texas is not doing a photo-op in each county in Texas with reporters in tow,” Cruz fired back at O’Rourke.
– Beto O'Rourke was relatively reserved in his first debate against Sen. Ted Cruz last month, the New York Times notes. In Tuesday night's debate in San Antonio, however: The congressman was "sharper and edgier," and the Hill notes that "seasoned debater" Cruz, whose Texas Senate seat is at stake, gave it right back. Some of the barbs that flew back and forth: On the possibility of impeaching President Trump if Democrats take the Senate: Cruz noted it would be "two years of a partisan circus." O'Rourke's response: "It's really interesting to hear you talk about a partisan circus, after your last six years in the US Senate." O'Rourke on Cruz's claim he has a "special relationship" with Trump: "Where is the result of that? You are all talk and no action." Cruz on O'Rourke: "Have you noticed in this debate he doesn't talk about what he has accomplished in Congress? Because he has scored political points rather than accomplishing victories for the people of Texas." During a segment on climate change and oil taxes: "Senator Cruz is not going to be honest with you," O'Rourke said. "He's dishonest, and it's why the president called him Lyin' Ted, and it's why the nickname stuck—because it's true." Cruz's retort: "It's clear Congressman O'Rourke's pollsters have told him to come out on the attack." Cruz during a discussion on civility in politics, addressing one of the moderators: "There is an anger, there is a rage on the far left," then becoming impatient when local reporter Jason Whitely tried to interject: "Don't interrupt me, Jason." A Texas Tribune fact-check of the debate tries to suss out whose insults hold water. (O'Rourke has raised a stunning amount of money, but it may not matter.)