As he travels state, Cruz says he's not giving up on repealing Obamacare

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is seen following a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, in Houston. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is seen following a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, in Houston. Photo: Jason Fochtman Photo: Jason Fochtman Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close As he travels state, Cruz says he's not giving up on repealing Obamacare 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

With Congress on recess, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is taking full advantage of the time away from Washington, D.C. by crisscrossing Texas and focusing on a familiar message: it's past time to repeal Obamacare.

Even though the U.S. Senate in late July rejected the latest so-called "skinny repeal," Cruz is continuing to tell Texans during stops over the last two weeks that the fight goes on.

"We have to deliver on our promise to repeal Obamacare," the Republican said during a speech to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Earlier on Monday he had been in New Braunfels meeting with employees of Sysco Central Texas, Inc. And already on Tuesday, Cruz has delivered speeches to agriculture workers in Edinburg and to workers at a business in Mission. Later Tuesday, Cruz has stops planned for Pharr and Brownsville.

Last week Cruz made similar comments during stops in Lubbock, Amarillo, Katy and Addison. After touring a business in Amarillo Cruz said he's optimistic that the Senate can take another run at repealing Obamacare and succeed.

"I'm convinced we are going to do so," Cruz told reporters in Amarillo.

After attending the American Legion Convention 2017 in Nevada on Wednesday, Cruz is expected back in Texas again for events in El Paso on Thursday and Friday.

His touring of the state comes as his expected rival in 2018 is doing much of the same.

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, an El Paso Democrat, has been touring Texas all of August, making stops in many of the same places Cruz has been to or is heading for.

Of course, O'Rourke's approach on health care is vastly different. During his stops like in College Station on Sunday, O'Rourke has celebrated the survival of Obamacare saying it is better than what the nation had before. He also has advocated for a single-payer type system or universal system that would guarantee everyone a chance to get health coverage.