Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Friday, February 13, 2009
President Obama has stated that we cannot rely on the same strategies that got our economy into this crisis to get us out of it. I agree. I voted against the economic stimulus bill because I believe it represents a missed opportunity to enact a stimulus package that will help small businesses create jobs and grow our economy. So, we must recognize the policies that haven’t worked – and get behind the ones that will.
 I believe that the first thing any economic stimulus must do is address the root of the problem, which is the housing market. Homeowners are struggling with high mortgage payments, and our financial system is burdened with bad debt. So I supported a plan to lower mortgage rates to as low as four percent for millions of homeowners. This would quickly cut a huge expense in many family budgets, and reduce the risk of more foreclosures – providing immediate relief to a troubled sector of our financial markets.
Second, we must deliver the kind of broad-based tax relief that works. I offered an amendment to the stimulus bill that would have reduced the 10 percent income tax bracket to 5 percent, and lowered the tax bill for everyone who files a tax return by April 15. Lowering marginal tax rates can be a game-changer for every taxpayer’s budget, and for our economy. This approach worked for John F. Kennedy, it worked for Ronald Reagan, and it can work for us.
 Third, we must support additional funding for programs that are delivering results, and for urgent national priorities. One such priority is national defense and border security. The National Guard Bureau reports that many units, after fighting wars and responding to natural disasters, have billions of dollars in unmet equipment needs. We need to give these brave men and women the tools they need to defend our country and our communities, while creating jobs at the same time.
As for Texas, we are promised many benefits in this bill, but we will also pay the costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the stimulus bill will actually reduce growth in the long term. Rest assured, though, that I will be fighting to ensure that Texas is treated fairly and gets its fair share of funding for important sectors like border security, defense, transportation, and education.
A better approach to the stimulus bill was available, and remains available. I pledge to work with the Administration to ensure that the accountability and transparency measures promised in the package are effective. I will also continue to build support for alternatives that will create more opportunity for our families and small businesses, and restore our economic strength.
For more information on these and other topics, go directly to my Web site. To view floor speeches, interviews and other video messages from me, please visit my YouTube Channel. To receive additional updates, please select the issues that interest you listed on the right. It’s an honor to serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator John Cornyn
More News
Sen. Cornyn Votes Against Wasteful Inflated Spending Plan That Penalizes Texas Taxpayers - 02/13/2009 Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today issued the following statement regarding his vote against the conference report on the Democrats’ spending plan: “A stimulus bill would have been a good idea if it had been focused on the right priorities—fixing housing first, providing taxpayers with meaningful, broad-based tax relief and eliminating redundant and ineffective Washington programs. Instead, we saw Democrats in both chambers redefine ‘stimulus’ to mean nearly anything any of them desired. Many programs in the bill are wasteful and unnecessary. The bill will use taxpayer money for things like golf carts, art projects and company cars for federal employees. “While proponents like to highlight that the bill will provide Texas with $10 billion in government programs, the bill spends money we don’t have--- in fact, Texans’ share of the national debt will increase by $90 billion. This doesn’t seem like a good deal to me… [more]
Sen. Cornyn Statement On President Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial Celebration - 02/12/2009
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today issued the following statement in commemoration of the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth: "I join all Texans in celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of one of America’s most memorable and influential leaders – President Abraham Lincoln. In my public service, I have sought to follow the principles of President Lincoln – particularly his commitment to an honest, transparent and open government. I firmly share his belief that our government should be ‘of the people, by the people, for the people.’ As we remember the ideals President Lincoln embodied, let us all strive to implement them into our work as citizens and leaders in our great nation." Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee... [more]
Cornyn Awarded National Guard’s Charles Dick Medal Of Merit Award - 02/11/2009
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today was awarded the Charles Dick Medal of Merit Award from the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), for his outstanding contributions in support of the National Guard. Sen. Cornyn was nominated by the National Guard Association of Texas (NGAT) and was presented the award today by Lieutenant General Charles Rodriguez, the Adjutant General of Texas, and Brigadier General (Ret.) Steve Koper, President of NGAUS, in his Washington office. "I am humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award from the National Guard Association. From disaster response efforts to defending and advancing freedom in two different theaters of combat halfway around the world, our National Guardsmen go above and beyond their call of duty to defend America... [more]
Sen. Cornyn Votes Against Democrats’ $1.2 Trillion Economic Plan - 02/10/2009
Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today made the following statement regarding his vote against the Democrats’ $1.2 trillion stimulus proposal: "I support President Obama’s call for swift action to revive the nation’s economy and put Americans back to work. Unfortunately, this proposal fails on both accounts and instead relies on bloated Washington programs, digging our country deeper and deeper into debt, and passing the IOUs to our children and grandchildren. This is unacceptable. "I am disappointed that what could have been a bipartisan success has resulted in a bill narrowly passed by the Senate with the support of only three Republicans. Overspending is what landed our nation in the economic turmoil we find ourselves in today, and the partisan spending bill passed by Senate Democrats only exacerbates this irresponsible behavior—increasing our nation’s debt limit by nearly two trillion dollars to $12.14 trillion... [more]
Sen. Cornyn Discusses The Stimulus On Fox News Sunday - 02/09/2009
John Cornyn, a member of the Finance Committee, was interviewed on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace to discuss the $1 trillion spending proposal by the Democrats and the administration’s plan to release the second half of TARP funds. Below are excerpts of his remarks. To view a full transcript of the interview, click here. Sen. Cornyn Explains His Opposition To The Plan Sen. Cornyn: "This Is Not An Economic Document. This Is A Political Document Drawn Up By Speaker Pelosi And Democrats In The House": "[I]t's important to understand … this is not an economic document. This is a political document drawn up by Speaker Pelosi and Democrats in the House... [more]
Sen. Cornyn: Fund The National Guard And Reserves, Not Acorn And STD Prevention - 02/05/2009
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Sen. Cornyn Meets With Mexican Ambassador - 02/05/2009
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Sen. Cornyn’s Amendment To Lower Income Taxes For All Texans Blocked By Democrats - 02/04/2009
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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today met with Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas and League City Mayor Toni Randall in his Washington office. Sen. Cornyn assured Mayors Thomas and Randall that he will continue to press for additional assistance from the federal government for Galveston, League City, and other cities still working to recover from Hurricane Ike. "I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Mayors Thomas and Randall today to discuss an issue that is of great importance for their two cities – Hurricane Ike recovery. These leaders have endured incredibly trying times, and they have sought to ensure the families and businesses they represent can make a full recovery and get back on their feet," Sen... [more]
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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today introduced legislation to protect U.S. military service members by strengthening safety standards for overseas military facilities, infrastructure and equipment. The Ensuring Safe Facilities and Equipment for American Troops Overseas Act would help eliminate preventable hazards posed to our troops by requiring the Pentagon to establish and enforce tougher safety standards on these overseas military compounds. Sen. Cornyn was joined by his colleagues - Sens... [more]
Texas Times Weekly Column
Wasteful Spending Dressed in "Stimulus" Clothing: While Texas has fared better than most states—largely due to our pro-business economic policies and the can-do spirit inherent to the Texas culture —we are not immune. According to Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Paulken, "Our state's economy has been fairly resilient during these months of economic uncertainty, but the national economic storm has reached Texas." In January, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs predicted a loss of 111,000 Texas jobs and announced a 10.5 percent drop in tax revenue in this fiscal year. In North Texas, the jobless rate has climbed to 5.6 percent—a significant ascent from one year ago, when the rate was 4.1 percent. The jobless rate for the entire state recently hit 6 percent—nearly two percentage points higher than a year ago. The housing crunch has taken its toll in Texas as well. In 2008, Texas was listed as one of the top ten states in foreclosure totals...
Texas Uncorked: Its presence pre-dates the arrival of the first Anglo-American settlers to Texas. And today, its industry pumps millions in revenue into the Texas economy each year. While crude oil may first come to mind, this liquid is Texas wine. More than three centuries ago—long before the first wine grapes arrived in Napa Valley— Franciscan priests brought grapevines from Mexico and planted the first North American vineyard at Ysleta, perhaps the oldest town in Texas, along the Rio Grande near present-day El Paso. These grapes provided the priests and missionaries with sacramental wine for the Eucharist. Over the next 200 years, the El Paso Valley would be recognized by travelers for its grape-growing capabilities and wine production...
Note: To read previous Texas Times weekly columns, click here. To receive it in your inbox each week, click here.
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