Ted Cruz is very smart. He went to Princeton and Harvard and apparently did very well. I don’t think he doesn’t get this. I think he just wants to pander to the oil industry and climate deniers.
It is not really true that there has been no significant warming in 17 years. There are several points that need to be considered if this is the only data you’re going to use for your analysis:

1 – The data looks at surface temperature only. It doesn’t not consider the temperature of water below the surface.
2 – 1998 experienced a very strong El Niño with extraordinarily high water surface temperatures.
3 – He is cherry picking one single year for comparison. If you look over ANY other period before or after 1998 there is without a doubt warming.
4 – 2005 and 2010 were both warmer years than 1998
5 – 2014 was not only hotter than 1998 it was the hottest year on record.

It really angers me that the media lets people like Cruz get away with lying like this without calling them out on it.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-galileo-denier-climate-change

The source of much of my information that disproves his claim:

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/mar/17/patrick-moore/climate-change-skeptic-patrick-moore-says-earth-ha/