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In an interview during the Texas Tribune’s virtual festival, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said that should Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) leave his role as the Republican leader in Congress’ upper chamber, Cornyn would want to take his place. “It’s been my honor to work with Sen. McConnell, who’s been in the Senate a lot longer than I have,” said Cornyn when asked about the possibility of a future majority or minority leader from Texas. -snip- “But should he decide to step down and no longer serve as leader, I’ve made it no secret that I would like to succeed him,”...

@JohnCornyn "After reviewing the CBO’s analysis, which estimates the bill will increase the deficit by a quarter trillion dollars, and because of the failure to include my bipartisan amendment, I cannot support the final bill.”

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans began to look at our national security in a different light. No longer were the lines of battle neatly drawn and enemies easily identified. In the 21st century, threats would be constantly evolving and growing even more complex. The crisis in Syria and Iraq has illustrated just how dangerous these threats are, both abroad and at home. In February, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center estimated more than 20,000 foreign fighters had joined the Islamic State or other related groups in Syria — among them, some 3,000 were from Western countries. More than...

Incumbent Republican John Cornyn remains a near certainty for reelection to the U.S. Senate in Texas. The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Texas Voters shows Cornyn with 50% support to Democratic challenger David Alameel’s 29%. Six percent (6%) like another candidate in the race, and 15% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) (Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. The survey of 840 Likely Voters in Texas was conducted on October 1-2, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports....

We do not always agree with Texas Sen. John Cornyn, and, as he is in Senate leadership, it’s difficult not to lay some of the blame at his feet for the gridlock that has seized Congress. We recommend him for re-election nonetheless, based on a long record of achievement — but also on a hope. Through his decades of public service to Texas as a state district judge, a state Supreme Court justice and attorney general, we’ve seen a John Cornyn who might not have been as comfortable as he appears today in the Beltway’s toxic politics. This, of course,...

PADUCAH, Ky. — Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) can almost taste becoming Senate majority leader, but first he has to make sure he isn’t the Republican who costs the GOP its shot at chamber control. His strengths and weaknesses were on full display in his battle against Alison Lundergan Grimes this weekend, underscoring just how tough his race is against the Democrat. Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/214431-mcconnell-faces-toughest-test#ixzz39cwSApxA Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

Sen. John Cornyn criticized President Obama for creating a “human magnet” with his unlawful approach to immigration enforcement, but admitted that Americans had a duty to care for the children that were flooding into the country. “They need to be taken care of, I mean they’ve been left, basically dumped at America’s doorstep, and we need to treat them compassionately we need to make sure they get the care they need,” Cornyn explained to reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon.

Legislation to aid Ukraine and punish Russia will never become law if it includes reforms to the International Monetary Fund, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. McConnell supported a procedural vote to advance the Senate’s bill aiding Ukraine on Monday evening, but he said it is fruitless to proceed any further without Democrats relenting on IMF language requested by President Barack Obama. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset Advertisement Latest on POLITICO Boehner: Reid 'sacrificing' Dems Perry, Haley back Web gaming ban Panel: Redefine 'women's issues' Perry: Equal pay 'nonsense' in Texas Willimon lauds 'incredible' Clinton Paul on...

A Republican hopeful for the U.S. Senate who used a racial slur to describe undocumented immigrants has defended the language as “normal” in South Texas. Chris Mapp, a Port O'Connor businessman, stood by his comments that “wetbacks” should be shot by ranchers and that President Barack Obama is a “socialist son of a bitch” — remarks that have created a national stir among both parties. “That kind of rhetoric is discouraging from anybody,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said during a visit to a San Antonio charter school Friday. “I recognize this is a free country but that's not the...

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, facing a field of GOP primary candidates running at him mainly from the right, set the bar low for next Tuesday’s election, telling Texas reporters that his main goal is to avoid a runoff. “My goal is to win the election without a runoff, and I think we’ll achieve that goal,” he said in a phone conference Wednesday. He added: “I realize runoffs are a unique animal unto themselves, and my goal is to win without a runoff, and of course I’ll enjoy every vote I get above that.” Cornyn reminded the press corps that he’s...

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, spoke to students of KIPP San Antonio's University Prep high school during a short visit Friday and told them the most difficult part of his job is his schedule. Trying to organize fellow Republicans in Texas might be a bit tougher. Fellow Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has not publicly endorsed him for re-election. "This is all more or less to be expected and it's manageable, but I hope after the primary is over we can all come together and be unified, because then we're much more likely to be successful," said Cornyn. "The Republican...

A dozen members of the Texas congressional delegation reaped state retirement benefits while collecting their federal paychecks over the last two years — a much higher rate than other states’ lawmakers. Thirty-five percent of the 34-member delegation reported dipping into state pension funds in 2012 or 2011, according to recently filed financial disclosure forms. That is nearly twice the one-fifth of all members of Congress members who reported drawing public retirement benefits last year, according to an analysis by the National Journal released Friday. Texas Sen. John Cornyn dipped into three retirement funds in 2010 — more than any other...

A new Gravis Marketing poll (conducted Feb. 10 – 12; sampling 729 likely Texas Republican primary voters) may be a harbinger of trouble for establishment Republican Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). He faces Rep. Steve Stockman, Tea Party favorite Dwayne Stovall, and five others in a March 4 Republican primary election. If no candidate receives an absolute majority (50 percent plus one vote), the top two will face off in a May 27 run-off contest. The eventual Republican nominee will be a prohibitive favorite in the 2014 general election. The run-off system is designed to ensure that the winning candidate receives...

Each of the four Republican candidates for U.S. Senate for Texas who attended Monday night’s College Republican debate showed opposition to current Texas Sen. John Cornyn. “Our own Senator has violated his own constitutional oath,” candidate Reid Reasor said. “I just want students to read our Constitution. Look at what our Senator has done and look at what the Constitution says. If you read the Bill of Rights, you’ll see our own senator has messed up.” Four of the eight Republican candidates for U.S. Senate attended the debate hosted by the College Republicans in the University Center. Reasor, Dwayne Stovall,Chris...

Quantity is not necessarily quality. For example, take the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Texas. There are eight candidates for the GOP spot (and five more on the Democratic side). Combined, that’s 13 candidates, but only one has the experience and track record that best reflects the state’s conservative values — and that is the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn, the Senate Minority Whip first elected to the Senate in 2002, is the logical choice from a field of mostly nondescript (and some might say extreme) candidates. Cornyn has a history of support for the Second Amendment (primarily...

Here it is, for posterity. Trying to find out why Sen. John Cornyn did not vote: Triumph of the Turncoat Caucus. *** I’ve just e-mailed Sen. Cornyn’s office and asked why he missed the vote. Heard from a NYC conservative that Cornyn is there now speaking to the Republican “Monday Meeting” group — made up of wealthy GOP donors. Bizarre display of priorities. Several Washington Hill folks note, of course, that the number of no votes isn’t important on cloture votes. But it matters to many of Sen. Cornyn’s tax-paying constituents, who have e-mailed wondering where he was.

The National Federation of Independent Business, Texas’ and the nation’s leading small-business association, today endorsed John Cornyn for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate. NFIB announced its support for Sen. Cornyn at a campaign event at Hotshot Delivery, an NFIB member business based in Houston. “Our members support the candidates who support small business, and Senator Cornyn’s record speaks for itself,” said Lisa Goeas, NFIB vice president for Political and Grassroots. “Over the past 12 years, John Cornyn has voted with small business on key issues 100 percent of the time.” Goeas said Cornyn understands burdening small businesses with...

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn’s bid for re-election got a boost this week from a GOP colleague and one of the top newspapers in his state. Mr. Cornyn, Texas Republican, will try to defend his seat against seven opponents in the party primary on March 4. He is taking heat from conservatives for supporting a procedural motion last week that cleared the way for an up-down vote to extend the nation’s borrowing authority, even though he voted against the actual measure. But Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican, told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that voters will still come out in droves for...

Dear John (Conyers…oops, my mistake. I mean Cornyn), I hate that I have to say this in a letter, rather than face to face, but it's over. As George Strait once sang, so long, farewell, Vaya con dios goodbye. It's not me. It's you. You lost me at the word cloture. No, now shush. You can't talk your way out of this one with your sweet talk about how you voted against the debt ceiling increase in the end. The fact remains is you got in bed with Harry Reid, stabbed Ted Cruz in the back and prevented his filibuster...

U.S. Senator John Cornyn will visit Estacado High School this week to showcase a new web-based financial literacy curriculum. The curriculum, which was underwritten by Prosperity Bank, uses the latest in new media technologies, including video, animation, 3-D gaming, avatars and social networking, according to a news release from the Lubbock Independent School District. The program is designed to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital generation. It will assist hundreds of students each year in understanding money management principles.