Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight Sunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates MORE (R-Texas) on Tuesday night declared that the "era of Obama lawlessness is over" as Republicans seized control of the Senate.

during a speech in Austin. "If and when we retake the majority nationally, it will be incumbent on Republicans to lead. To stand up with a bold positive, optimistic agenda to turn this country around, to bring back jobs and growth and opportunity." “The American people have risen up and frankly, at the national level, they have given Republicans another chance," he said. "If and when we retake the majority nationally, it will be incumbent on Republicans to lead. To stand up with a bold positive, optimistic agenda to turn this country around, to bring back jobs and growth and opportunity."

Cruz, who is seen as a likely presidential contender in 2016, offered up a laundry list of conservative goals for the next Congress.

He called for tax and regulatory reform, an end to "amnesty" for illegal immigrants and protection for religious liberty and gun rights.

The senator emphatically called for Republicans to "do everything humanly possible to repeal ObamaCare."