Why is a U.S. senator from Texas demanding justice for victims of violent mob assaults in Portland, Oregon, instead of Oregon's U.S. senators?

Over the weekend, gay Vietnamese-American independent journalist Andy Ngo was brutally beaten by Antifa thugs in black masks. His injuries included a brain hemorrhage.

First skirmish I’ve seen. Didn’t see how this started, but @MrAndyNgo got roughed up. pic.twitter.com/hDkfQchRhG — Jim Ryan (@Jimryan015) June 29, 2019

Ngo was not the only victim, as two other men were assaulted by the mob in Portland, Oregon, Saturday.

The response to these violent assaults from many Democrats, including Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, is disgraceful silence. Neither senator could be bothered to release a statement condemning the violence in their state. In fact, Merkley spent the weekend tweeting about National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, failing to acknowledge Ngo's hospitalization, the three arrests for assault, or the disgusting chorus of progressive journalists cheering on the bashing of a gay journalist they hate because he reports on left-wing violence.

It was Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who represents Texas, who stepped in to demand justice for Wyden's and Merkley's Oregon constituents. Cruz has called for the assailants to be found and prosecuted, and he wants a federal criminal investigation into Portland's Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler for previously ordering police to stand down during Antifa mob rallies.

The bare minimum role of government is to secure people's rights, to protect them from violence. By failing to speak up for Ngo and the other victims, Wyden, Merkley, and other silent officials prove themselves derelict in their duty as representatives for Oregon and unworthy of their office.