John Cornyn

[Congressional biography]

Born: February 2, 1952 in Houston, TX

Education:

Career:

Elected Office:

Key Senate Vote Data for John Cornyn in 2017

Date	Subject	Result	Conserv. Position	Cornyn Voted
2017-01-09	Conservative Budget Proposal [SCONRES3]	Rejected (14-83)
Paul (R-KY) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 budget resolution presents a conservative budget alternative that balances the budget in five years, freezing federal spending while allowing congressional appropriations committees to decide where the spending would be cut. ACU supports proposals to tackle the massive annual deficit and a national debt that has grown to over 20 trillion dollars.
2017-02-07	Confirmation of Betsy DeVos	Confirmed (50-50)
This vote is to confirm the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. ACU supported the confirmation of DeVos, who has been a champion of school choice and less federal regulation of local schools.
2017-02-16	Confirmation of Mick Mulvaney	Confirmed (51-49)
This vote is to confirm the nomination of Mick Mulvaney as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. ACU supported the confirmation of Mulvaney, who, as a member of Congress, compiled a spectacular lifetime ACU rating and has been a leader in efforts to reduce government regulation and government spending.
2017-02-17	Confirmation of Scott Pruitt	Rejected (47-51)
A key vote on the confirmation of Scott Pruitt as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency came on a motion to extend debate indefinitely on the nomination. ACU supported the confirmation of Pruitt, who, as Attorney General of Oklahoma, was a nationwide leader in fighting the Obama Administration's attempt to bypass Congress and initiate a federal takeover of the nation's electric power system and control privately owned land through the Waters of the United States rule.
2017-03-07	Federal Land Management Regulations [HJRES44]	Passed (51-48)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that weakens state and local citizen participation as well as the legislative branch of government in federal land management decisions. ACU supports strengthening local input over land management regulation and reducing the power of unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch.
2017-03-09	Overturning Federal Control of Local Schools [HJRES57]	Passed (50-49)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that micromanages how states and local school districts meet the accountability standards set in the omnibus education bill of 2015. ACU opposes federal control over local education.
2017-03-23	FCC Privacy Rule [SJRES34]	Passed (50-48)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that mandates how internet service providers can store and use information from customers. ACU opposes executive agency mandates that ought to be handled through congressional legislation and, as with other Obama Administration rules, exempt companies such as Google and Facebook from similar regulation.
2017-03-30	Defunding Planned Parenthood Funding [HJRES43]	Passed (50-50)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that forces states to send taxpayer funds for "family planning," known as Title X funds, to Planned Parenthood.
2017-04-06	Blocking Lowering the Threshold for the Confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court	Rejected (48-52)
The pivotal vote on the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch came on this motion to change the rules of the Senate that required a supermajority of 60 votes to end debate and allow a simple majority of Senators to end debate. ACU supported the nomination of Gorsuch, who compiled an outstanding record on the federal bench in following the conservative principles of the late Antonin Scalia, who he was named to replace, and so supported this motion. The Senate voted against approving the decision of the liberal Senate parliamentarian that 60 votes were required (a "No" vote supported the ACU position). This vote was double-weighted due to the monumental role it played in shaping the U.S. Supreme Court.
2017-05-10	Overturning Federal Control Over Methane Emissions [HJRES36]	Rejected (49-51)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that puts controls on methane emissions from oil and gas drilling on federal lands. ACU opposes these regulations without congressional authorization that drive up the cost of oil and gas to promote a "global warming" agenda.
2017-07-26	Obamacare Repeal Bill of 2015 [HR1628]	Rejected (45-55)
This amendment to the House-passed bill to repeal and replace Obamacare contains the bill passed by Congress but vetoed by President Obama in 2015. It repeals major portions of Obamacare, including penalties for not buying government-approved health insurance, Medicaid expansion to able-bodied childless adults, and subsidies to buy insurance through government controlled exchanges. The bill also prevents Planned Parenthood from receiving much of its federal funding for one year. ACU supports the repeal of Obamacare, which has caused millions of Americans to lose their insurance plan and their doctor while dramatically increasing premiums and deductibles and supported this amendment as the most that can be accomplished under Senate rules. This amendment is double-weighted due to the fact six Senators changed their vote from "Yes" to "No" because, unlike the vote in 2015, this vote would have been signed into law.
2017-09-28	Confirmation of Ajit Pai	Agreed To (55-41)
This vote is to confirm the nomination of Ajit Pai as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. ACU supported the nomination of Pai, who compiled an outstanding record as a member of the FCC, supporting free market principles and keeping the internet free of federal control.
2017-10-19	Spending Cuts [HCONRES71]	Rejected (5-95)
Paul (R-KY) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution reduces discretionary spending by $43 billion. ACU supports reasonable spending reductions at a time of annual deficits heading back to $1 trillion and a national debt of over $20 trillion.
2017-10-19	Payment in Lieu of Taxes Funding [HCONRES71]	Agreed To (58-41)
Udall (D-NM) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution calls for the permanent funding of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program that reimburses states for "lost" revenue due to the federal government ownership of land. The program is currently subject to the annual appropriation process. ACU opposes tactics that force taxpayers in other states to pay for "lost" revenue.
2017-10-19	Allowing for a Larger Tax Cut [HCONRES71]	Rejected (7-93)
Paul (R-KY) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution increases the total tax cut to $2.5 trillion over ten years from $1.5 trillion over ten years. ACU supports this increase when combined with mandatory and discretionary spending reductions.
2017-10-19	Drilling in ANWR [HCONRES71]	Rejected (48-52)
Cantwell (D-WA) amendment to the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution eliminates the provision that will allow drilling for oil and natural gas in a small portion of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. ACU supports increasing domestic energy production to provide affordable energy for all.
2017-10-24	Repealing Federal Control Over Private Contracts [HJRES111]	Passed (50-50)
This resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an Obama Administration rule that prohibits private contracts that require arbitration to settle disputes. ACU supports the right of private citizens to decide what contracts they sign and to use arbitration to avoid costly litigation without the interference of the federal government.
2017-12-01	Education Savings Accounts [HR1]	Agreed To (50-50)
Cruz (R-TX) amendment empowers parents to choose the best schools for their children by expanding 529 savings accounts to elementary and secondary school education as well as homeschool students. Currently, they can only be used for higher education.
2017-12-02	Taxing College Endowments [HR1]	Agreed To (52-48)
Merkley (D-OR) amendment to the comprehensive tax reform bill reinstated a tax on college endowments for institutions that refuse to accept federal funds. ACU believes colleges should be encouraged to refuse federal funds, rather than be penalized for it.
2017-12-20	Comprehensive Tax Reform [HR1]	Agreed To (51-48)
This bill substantially reduces taxes on corporations and small business, reduces individual income tax rates from top to bottom, increases the standard deduction for individuals and the exemption for the Death Tax and repeals Obamacare's individual mandate beginning in 2019. Although the bill does not include provisions advocated by ACU, including simplifying the tax code, abolishing the Death Tax and abolishing the Alternative Minimum Tax, ACU supported the bill as a good first step in passing more comprehensive tax reform.
2017-12-21	Removing Automatic Spending Reductions [HR1370]	Agreed To (91-8)
This procedural motion allows the Senate to ignore the automatic spending reductions that go into effect because the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through January 19 busts the budget caps. ACU opposes busting the budget caps that have served as the only break on spending increases that have added to our national debt of over $20 trillion.

Represents a "Yes" vote.   Represents a "No" vote.   Indicates that this member voted against the conservative position on a particular vote. "No vote" means that this member did not cast a vote (or voted 'Present' instead of Yes or No).