50 reasons to vote against John Cornyn in 2020

With the Democratic primary runoff over, we’ve finally entered general election season. But as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate MJ Hegar begins a highly competitive battle to unseat John Cornyn, millions of Texans are learning about Cornyn’s record for the first time. 

Unlike junior senator Ted Cruz, Cornyn tends to stay out of the spotlight. So much so that 38% of Texans have no opinion of him, officially making him a “nonentity” in Texas, even after nearly 18 years in office. Add in those who already don’t support him, and you find that two-thirds of Texans either don’t know or don’t like him.

Consistently, Cornyn has shown he is anti-reproductive rights, anti-science, anti-civil rights, and anti-Texan. By contrast, Hegar has committed to progressive values that show she is ready to represent our diverse state in the U.S. Senate. Her stances on health care, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigration rights, and reproductive rights stand in stark contrast to Cornyn’s shameful record that is out-of-touch with everyday Texans.

If you don’t know who John Cornyn is, let him show you. And then vote him out of office in November. 

Here are 50 times Cornyn has acted against the best interests of Texans during his time in the Senate.

2020

• 7/10 - Questioned whether or not children can catch and spread COVID-19. (They can.)
• 7/2 - Called additional unemployment assistance during a pandemic a “mistake.”
• 6/9 - Rejected the concept of systemic racism in a Senate hearing.
• 6/3 - Said legislation addressing racism in law enforcement is “outrageous.”
• 6/2 - Defended Trump’s photo-op at a church in response to #BlackLivesMatter protests.
• 5/21 - Promoted Medicaid while supporting judges who want to kill it and a lawsuit that would end the program if successful.
• 3/19 - Blamed Chinese culture for coronavirus.
• 3/17 - Made light of COVID-19 by visiting a bar as the virus spread across the U.S.
• 2/5 - Voted against impeaching Trump for soliciting foreign interference in the 2016 election.

2019

• 11/19 - Opposed a bipartisan effort to lower drug prices.
• 11/7 - Advocated to increase oil and gas production in the face of climate change.
• 10/25 - Said that the U.S. should step aside to allow ethnic cleansing.
• 10/25 - Released a gun violence plan that didn’t actually address guns.
• 10/2 - Called Trump’s “biggest ally” by Donald Trump Jr.
• 9/30 - Tweeted criticisms of the impeachment inquiry more than 50 times in one week.
• 8/16 - Dismissed the hottest month on record as “summer,” denying climate change.
• 8/27 - Came out against antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.
• 8/5 - Didn’t condemn white nationalism after the El Paso shooting.
• 7/16 - Implied that Texans don’t care about racism.
• 3/19 - Voted against a resolution that would block Trump’s racist border wall.
• 2/24 - Tweeted a bizarre tweet quoting Mussolini with no context.

2018

• 10/7 - Made light of Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual assault allegation by tweeting “#BubblyForBrett.”
• 7/9 - Supported Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
• 6/18 - Supported a federal judge who called trangender people “delusional.”

2017

• 12/19 - Adjusted a tax bill last minute to give huge breaks to oil and gas companies.
• 10/19 - Voted for a budget resolution with major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
• 10/5 - Defended endorsement of Roy Moore after Moore said homosexuality should be illegal.
• 8/1 - Said that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug, meaning it would be classified the same as heroin, methamphetamines, and other deadly drugs.
• 5/26 - Co-sponsored a bill with Ted Cruz to dismantle net neutrality.
• 2/17 - Voted for an EPA Administrator who spent his career trying to dismantle the agency.
• 2/9 - Called millions of calls from Texans against Betsy DeVoss an “establishment conspiracy.”

2016

• 10/11 - Stood behind Trump after his “locker room talk” comments.
• 3/16 - Refused to approve Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

2015

• 8/3 - Tweeted false attacks against Planned Parenthood.
• 6/17 - Voted against an anti-torture amendment.
• 1/23 - Used his power as Senate Chairman to drop civil rights from committee name.

2014

• 6/16 - Received the most amount of money from lobbyist-bundlers out of any politician.
• 5/8 - Said that the federal government should not try to address climate change.
• 4/9 - Appeared alongside an anti-Obamacare doctor who said gay rights lead to child abuse.

2013

• 6/19 - Received three government pensions at once while advocating against gov. spending.
• 2/12 - Voted against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

2012

• 5/13 - Said discussions on gay marriage were a “distraction” from real issues.

2011

• 10/14 - Was named one of the “biggest enemies of the Earth” in Congress by the LA Times.
• 7/22 - Voted for a spending plan that necessitated deep cuts to social security.
• 6/29 - Opposed the DREAM Act, which allows DACA recipients to remain in the U.S.
• 4/04 - Voted for the Ryan Budget, which would “essentially end Medicare.”

2010

• 7/20 - Voted against the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

2009

• 7/24 - Voted against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

2007

• 8/23 - Opposed bringing 5,000 troops home from Iraq and ending the war in the Middle East.
• 6/28 - Voted against a bipartisan immigration reform act after months of negotiation.