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John Cornyn
John Cornyn.jpg
Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator
from Texas
Assumed office
December 2, 2002
Serving with Ted Cruz
Preceded by Phil Gramm
49th Attorney General of Texas
In office
January 13, 1999 – December 1, 2002
Governor George W. Bush
Rick Perry
Preceded by Dan Morales
Succeeded by Greg Abbott
Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
In office
January 2, 1991 – October 18, 1997
Preceded by Franklin Spears
Succeeded by Deborah Hankinson
Judge of the Texas 37th Judicial District Court
In office
January 1, 1985 – January 1, 1991
Preceded by Richard Woods
Succeeded by Ann-Marie Aaron
Personal details
Born
John Cornyn III

(1952-02-02) February 2, 1952 (age 73)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse
Sandy Hansen
​
(m. 1979)​
Children 2
Education Trinity University (BA)
St. Mary's University, Texas (JD)
University of Virginia (LLM)
Website

John Cornyn III, born on February 2, 1952, is an American politician and lawyer. He has been a U.S. Senator for Texas since 2002. As a member of the Republican Party, he previously served on the Texas Supreme Court from 1991 to 1997. He was also the attorney general of Texas from 1999 to 2002.

Early Life and Education

John Cornyn was born in Houston, Texas. His father was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. John lived in Tokyo, Japan, for a time and graduated from the American School in Japan in 1969.

He went to Trinity University, where he studied journalism and earned his bachelor's degree in 1973. Later, he studied law at St. Mary's University School of Law, getting his law degree in 1977. He also earned an advanced law degree (LL.M.) from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.

Becoming a Judge and Attorney General

Before becoming a senator, Cornyn worked as a judge. He served as a district judge in San Antonio for six years, starting in 1985. In 1990, he was elected as a Republican to the Texas Supreme Court, where he worked for seven years.

In 1998, Cornyn ran for Texas attorney general. He won the election, becoming the first Republican to hold that position in Texas since the Reconstruction period. He was sworn in by then-Governor George W. Bush. As Attorney General, he created the Texas Internet Bureau to fight cybercrime, including online fraud and child exploitation. He also investigated false claims related to Medicare and Medicaid.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

John Cornyn was first elected to the United States Senate in 2002. He has been reelected three times: in 2008, 2014, and 2020. In 2020, he won his fourth term, receiving more votes than any Republican Senate candidate before him. He has announced he will run for a fifth term in 2026.

Key Roles in the Senate

In 2004, Cornyn helped start the U.S. Senate India Caucus. This group works to improve relations between the United States and India. In 2006, his fellow Republican senators chose him to be Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

From 2009 to 2013, Cornyn led the National Republican Senatorial Committee. This group helps Republican candidates get elected to the Senate. He also served as the Senate Majority Whip from 2015 to 2019. The Whip is a leader who helps make sure party members vote together on important issues. In 2012, he was elected Senate Minority Whip.

In February 2024, Cornyn announced he would run for Republican leader in the Senate. He was one of three candidates for the role after Mitch McConnell stepped down. In November 2024, he lost the election to John Thune.

Important Votes and Actions

Cornyn has been involved in many important decisions in the Senate. He voted to confirm Samuel Alito and John Roberts to the Supreme Court. He voted against President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

In 2016, after Justice Antonin Scalia passed away, Cornyn said that the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the winner of the upcoming presidential election. He believed no hearings should be held for Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland. The Senate did not vote on Garland's nomination. Later, he supported voting on President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed.

In 2017, Cornyn was with President Trump and Senator Ted Cruz in El Paso, Texas. He also questioned James Comey during a committee hearing about the 2016 election.

In 2020, Cornyn commented on the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it was linked to cultural practices in China. These comments were criticized by some groups.

What are his Political Views?

John Cornyn is considered a very conservative politician. In 2013, he was ranked among the most conservative senators. However, in 2023, he was ranked fifth among senators for working with both political parties.

On the Economy

Cornyn has supported tax cuts. He voted to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. He also voted for the Troubled Asset Recovery Program (TARP) in 2008, which was a plan to help the economy during a financial crisis. He later voted to end this program.

On the Environment

Cornyn has voted against measures that recognize human activity causes climate change. He was one of several senators who urged President Trump to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, an international agreement on climate change. He has also scored low on environmental scorecards from conservation groups.

On Healthcare

Cornyn opposes the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. He voted against it in 2009 and worked to repeal it in 2017. He has said that government shutdowns are not the way to achieve healthcare goals.

On Gun Laws

Cornyn supports gun rights. He introduced a bill that would allow people with concealed weapons permits in one state to carry their weapons in other states. He has received high ratings from the NRA Political Victory Fund. In 2017, he helped pass a law to improve how federal agencies report gun purchases. In 2022, after a school shooting, he supported a bipartisan agreement on gun control. This agreement included stronger background checks for young buyers and funding for school safety.

On Civil Rights

Cornyn has sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement to collect DNA samples from people arrested by federal authorities. He has also spoken about the importance of history and has opposed the removal of statues relating to the Confederate States of America. He believes we cannot erase history by removing statues.

Committee Work

Senator Cornyn serves on several important committees in the Senate:

  • United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Committee on Finance
    • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
    • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
    • Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
  • Committee on the Judiciary
    • Subcommittee on the Constitution
    • Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism
    • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security (ranking member)
    • Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
    • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
  • Caucus on International Narcotics Control

He is also a member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus.

Personal Life

John Cornyn is married to Sandy Hansen, and they have two daughters. He receives pensions from different government jobs in addition to his Senate salary.

Images for kids

See also

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