CORNYN FAILED IN RESPONDING TO THE COVID PANDEMIC AND WORKED TO RIP AWAY TEXANS’ HEALTH CARE

JOHN CORNYN AND HIS D.C. POLITICAL ALLIES HAVE UTTERLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY FAILED IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

CORNYN SAID HE SHOULD BE JUDGED BY HIS COVID-19 RESPONSE IN HIS 2020 RE- ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Cornyn: “The One Issue In This Campaign – This Particular Election – Is Going To Be How Did We Respond To This Crisis? I Think All Other Considerations Are Going To Be Secondary.” “Republican senators are trying to assert the powers of incumbency — contending they are doing their jobs effectively for constituents during the pandemic — as they run public-service-announcement style campaigns. […] 'I think the one issue in this campaign — this particular election — is going to be how did we respond to this crisis? I think all other considerations are going to be secondary,' said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), who twice ran the Senate GOP’s campaign arm and is on the ballot this fall. 'If you’re an incumbent, you can demonstrate how you would react to the crisis by actually doing it.'” [Washington Post, 5/10/20]

THE US GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 WAS AN UNMITIGATED DISASTER, COSTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN LIVES…

The Atlantic: “Almost Everything That Went Wrong With America’s Response To The Pandemic Was Predictable And Preventable. A Sluggish Response By A Government Denuded Of Expertise Allowed The Coronavirus To Gain A Foothold.” “Since the pandemic began, I have spoken with more than 100 experts in a variety of fields. I’ve learned that almost everything that went wrong with America’s response to the pandemic was predictable and preventable. A sluggish response by a government denuded of expertise allowed the coronavirus to gain a foothold. Chronic underfunding of public health neutered the nation’s ability to prevent the pathogen’s spread. A bloated, inefficient health-care system left hospitals ill-prepared for the ensuing wave of sickness. Racist policies that have endured since the days of colonization and slavery left Indigenous and Black Americans especially vulnerable to COVID‑19. The decades- long process of shredding the nation’s social safety net forced millions of essential workers in low-paying jobs to risk their life for their livelihood. The same social-media platforms that sowed partisanship and misinformation during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Africa and the 2016 U.S. election became vectors for conspiracy theories during the 2020 pandemic.” [The Atlantic, 8/3/20]

The Atlantic: “Despite Ample Warning, The U.S. Squandered Every Possible Opportunity To Control The Coronavirus.” “Despite ample warning, the U.S. squandered every possible opportunity to control the coronavirus. And despite its considerable advantages—immense resources, biomedical might, scientific expertise—it floundered. While countries as different as South Korea, Thailand, Iceland, Slovakia, and Australia acted decisively to bend the curve of infections downward, the U.S. achieved merely a plateau in the spring, which changed to an appalling upward slope in the summer. ‘The U.S. fundamentally failed in ways that were worse than I ever could have imagined,’ Julia Marcus, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School, told me.” [The Atlantic, 8/3/20]

As Of October 2, 2020, The United States Had Recorded 7.3 Million Cases Of COVID-19. [Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center, accessed 10/3/20]

HEADLINE: “200,000 People Have Died From Covid-19 In The US. That’s More Than The US Battle Deaths From 5 Wars Combined.” [CNN, 9/22/20]

As Of October 3, 2020, Texas Had Recorded 782.306 Cases Of COVID-19. [Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center, accessed 10/3/20]

As Of October 3, 2020, Texas Had Recorded 16,224 Deaths From COVID-19. [Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Coronavirus Resource Center, accessed 10/3/20]

…BUT CORNYN REPEATEDLY PRAISED TRUMP’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE, INCLUDING HIS DECISION TO DOWNPLAY THE KNOWN THREAT OF THE CORONAVIRUS

March 22, 2020: Cornyn Said Trump Had “Led Well” Through The Coronavirus Pandemic. CORNYN: “The President has, I think, led well. This is an unprecedented crisis. Nobody has encountered anything like this before, but it requires some cooperation and really putting our patriotism and our common American citizenship before we put our partisan political or ideological agendas.” [Fox News via YouTube, 3/22/20] (1:06 – 1:30)

March 29, 2020: KPRC: Cornyn Commended Trump For “Prioritizing The Health Of Texans.” ANCHOR: “A federal grant of more than $230 million on the way to help Texans get through these very tough times. Senator John Cornyn making that announcement today saying the state will receive nearly $237 million to aid in the response against the coronavirus. The funding, we're told, will come from the department of homeland security along with FEMA and the senator went on to say he commends the Trump Administration for prioritizing the health of Texans, as well as local leaders in Texas working to fight this pandemic” [KPRC, 3/29/20] (VIDEO)

September 2020: Cornyn Said He Understood “On The Human Level” Why Trump Intentionally Downplayed The Severity Of COVID-19 During The Early Months Of 2020. “Sen. John Cornyn said he understands ‘on the human level’ why President Donald Trump intentionally downplayed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic during the early months of this year, but added that Trump could have handled it better ‘in retrospect.’ The Texas Republican still brushed aside criticism of Trump from Democrats following the Wednesday release of taped interviews between the president and journalist Bob Woodward where Trump admits he downplayed the severity of the virus as to not cause ‘panic.’ ‘I understand the intention that he didn’t want to panic the American people [because], that’s not what leaders do,’ Cornyn said of Trump’s actions. ‘In retrospect, I think he might have been able to handle that in a way that both didn’t panic the American people but also gave them accurate information.’” [Dallas Morning News, 9/10/20]

• Dallas Morning News: “Cornyn’s Comments On The Woodward Tapes Make Him One Of The Earliest GOP Lawmakers To Offer A Defense Of The President.” “Sen. John Cornyn said he understands “on the human level” why President Donald Trump intentionally downplayed the severity of the coronavirus pandemic during the early months of this year […] Cornyn’s comments on the Woodward tapes make him one of the earliest GOP lawmakers to offer a defense of the president. Many of Cornyn’s fellow Republican senators, who were in town Thursday to vote on further coronavirus relief legislation, dodged questions from reporters on Capitol Hill when asked about the tapes.” [Dallas Morning News, 9/10/20]

October 2020: After Trump Tested Positive For COVID-19, Cornyn Again Defended Trump’s Pandemic Response: “We’ve All Tried To Do Our Best.” “Asked if Trump has taken the coronavirus seriously enough, both in providing Americans clear guidance on how to best protect themselves and in then following that advice himself, Cornyn said, ‘We’ve all tried to do our best.’ ‘The president and Congress all sincerely hoped that what we were doing on a public health front and an economic front would mitigate the problem while we are racing to get a vaccine,’ he said, lamenting that ‘everybody wants to blame everybody else for their response to this.’” [Dallas Morning News, 10/2/20]

IN DECEMBER 2019, CORNYN WAS ONE OF ONLY 23 SENATORS TO VOTE AGAINST A BILL FUNDING THE STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE, WHICH INCLUDED SUPPLIES OF MASKS, GLOVES AND VENTILATORS

December 2019: Cornyn Voted Against The Final Motion To Concur HR 1865, The Fiscal 2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, With Amendments From The House. In December 2019, Cornyn voted against Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1865 by Yea-Nay Vote. 71 - 23. Record Vote Number: 415.” The motion passed by a vote of 71-23. [CQ, 12/19/19; HR 1865, Vote #415, 12/19/19]

• Cornyn Criticized The Domestic Spending Bill Which He Claimed Was Made By “Just A Handful Of People Negotiating Behind Closed Doors” And Called It “Reminiscent Of The Smoke-Filled Back Room Deals Congress Has Long Been Criticized For.” “Cornyn, Cruz’s fellow Texas Republican, offered a similar critique in explaining his opposition to the part of the spending bill related to domestic agencies. ‘Rather than having an open debate and votes on spending, as we had planned, the process fell to just a handful of people negotiating behind closed doors,’ he said. ‘This is reminiscent of the smoke-filled back room deals Congress has long been criticized for.’” [Dallas Morning News, 12/19/19]

• FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Increased Funding For CDC By $636.8 Million. “an appropriations package that included $2.6 billion more for the NIH and $636.8 million more for the CDC.” [Cedar Rapids Gazette, 3/16/20]

• FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Increased Funding For NIH By $2.6 Billion. “an appropriations package that included $2.6 billion more for the NIH and $636.8 million more for the CDC.” [Cedar Rapids Gazette, 3/16/20]

• FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Increased Funding For The Strategic National Stockpile By $95 Million. [Senate Appropriations Committee, 12/16/19]

• Senate Appropriations Committee: The Strategic National Stockpile Was Meant “To Continue Ensuring That The Right Medicines And Supplies Are Available And Can Get To Those Who Need Them Most During An Emergency.” ““Public Health Prevention, Surveillance, and Preparedness – The bill includes $10.8 billion, an increase of $778 million, for programs including: […] Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) - $705 million, an increase of $95 million, to continue ensuring that the right medicines and supplies are available and can get to those who need them most during an emergency” [Senate Appropriations Committee, 12/16/19]

HHS: “If A Community Experiences A Large-Scale Public Health Incident In Which The Disease Or Agent Is Unknown, The First Line Of Support From The Stockpile Is To Send A Broad-Range Of Pharmaceuticals And Medical Supplies.” “If a community experiences a large-scale public health incident in which the disease or agent is unknown, the first line of support from the stockpile is to send a broad-range of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Contents are pre-packed and configured in transport-ready containers for rapid delivery anywhere in the United States within 12 hours of the federal decision to deploy. Each package contains 50 tons of emergency medical resources.” [US Department of Health and Human Services, accessed, 4/1/20]

The Strategic National Stockpile Included Masks, Ventilators, And Other Medical Equipment. “Dire shortages of vital medical equipment in the Strategic National Stockpile that are now hampering the coronavirus response trace back to the budget wars of the Obama years, when congressional Republicans elected on the Tea Party wave forced the White House to accept sweeping cuts to federal spending. Among the victims of those partisan fights was the effort to keep adequate supplies of masks, ventilators, pharmaceuticals and other medical equipment on hand to respond to a public health crisis. Lawmakers in both parties raised the specter of shortchanging future disaster response even as they voted to approve the cuts.” [ProPublica, 4/3/20]

The Strategic National Stockpile Also Included Protective Equipment. “The stockpile’s mission has steadily expanded as it confronts new public health emergencies. With limited resources, officials in charge of the stockpile tend to focus on buying lifesaving drugs from small biotechnology firms that would, in the absence of a government buyer, have no other market for their products, experts said. Masks and other protective equipment are in normal times widely available and thus may not have been prioritized for purchase, they said. ‘It just was never funded at the level that was needed to purchase new products, to replace expiring products and to invest in what we now know are the really necessary ancillary products,’ said Dara Lieberman, director of government relations at the Trust for America’s Health, a nonpartisan public health advocacy and research group.” [ProPublica, 4/3/20]

AS A MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, CORNYN WAS BRIEFED ON THE THREAT POSED BY COVID-19 IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2020…

CORNYN WAS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE

Cornyn Was A Member Of The U.S. Senate Select Committee On Intelligence. “Republicans James Risch – Idaho Marco Rubio – Florida Susan Collins – Maine Roy Blunt – Missouri Tom Cotton – Arkansas John Cornyn – Texas Ben Sasse – Nebraska.” [U.S. Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, accessed 3/24/20]

JANUARY 2020: THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE BEGAN RECEIVING BRIEFINGS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS

January 2020: Intelligence Agencies Began Warning Members Of Congress And The Trump Administration About The Danger Posed By Coronavirus. “U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen, according to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting. The intelligence reports didn’t predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take, issues outside the purview of the intelligence agencies. But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak. Taken together, the reports and warnings painted an early picture of a virus that showed the characteristics of a globe-encircling pandemic that could require governments to take swift actions to contain it. But despite that constant flow of reporting, Trump continued publicly and privately to play down the threat the virus posed to Americans. Lawmakers, too, did not grapple with the virus in earnest until this month, as officials scrambled to keep citizens in their homes and hospitals braced for a surge in patients suffering from covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Intelligence agencies ‘have been warning on this since January,’ said a U.S. official who had access to intelligence reporting that was disseminated to members of Congress and their staffs as well as to officials in the Trump administration, and who, along with others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information. ‘Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it,’ this official said. ‘The system was blinking red.’” [Washington Post, 3/20/20]

DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY, THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WAS WARNED THAT THE CORONAVIRUS POSED A “SERIOUS” THREAT AND COULD “DISRUPT” AMERICANS’ DAILY LIVES

Feb. 4th Or 5th, 2020: Assistant HHS Secretary Robert Kadlec And Intelligence Officials Warned Senate Intelligence Committee In Classified Briefing That Coronavirus Posed “Serious” Threat That Would Require Americans To “Disrupt Their Daily Lives.” “‘I think it’s going to work out fine,’ Trump said on Feb. 19. ‘I think when we get into April, in the warmer weather, that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus.’ ‘The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,’ Trump tweeted five days later. ‘Stock Market starting to look very good to me!’ But earlier that month, a senior official in the Department of Health and Human Services delivered a starkly different message to the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a classified briefing that four U.S. officials said covered the coronavirus and its global health implications. The House Intelligence Committee received a similar briefing. Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response — who was joined by intelligence officials, including from the CIA — told committee members that the virus posed a ‘serious’ threat, one of those officials said. Kadlec didn’t provide specific recommendations, but he said that to get ahead of the virus and blunt its effects, Americans would need to take actions that could disrupt their daily lives, the official said. ‘It was very alarming.’” [Washington Post, 3/20/20]

• Classified Briefing From Kadlec Took Place In February, Earlier Than Feb. 19th. [Washington Post, 3/20/20]

• Senate Intelligence Committee Hearings In February 2020 Took Place On Feb. 4th, Feb. 5th And Feb. 25th. [Senate Intelligence Committee, Hearings, accessed 3/20/20]

BY EARLY FEBRUARY, THE MAJORITY OF DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORTING WAS ABOUT COVID-19, AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH, THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WAS RECEIVING DAILY UPDATES ON THE CORONAVIRUS SPREAD

Coronavirus Warnings From Intelligence Agencies Increased Toward The End Of January; By Early February, Majority Of Daily Intelligence Reporting Was About COVID-19. “The warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies increased in volume toward the end of January and into early February, said officials familiar with the reports. By then, a majority of the intelligence reporting included in daily briefing papers and digests from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA was about covid-19, said officials who have read the reports. The surge in warnings coincided with a move by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to sell dozens of stocks worth between $628,033 and $1.72 million. As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr was privy to virtually all of the highly classified reporting on the coronavirus. Burr issued a statement Friday defending his sell-off, saying he sold based entirely on publicly available information, and he called for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate.” [Washington Post, 3/20/20]

Feb. 27, 2020: Reuters Reported Senate Intelligence Committee Was Receiving Daily Updates On Coronavirus Spread. “A source familiar with the activities of the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Republican Senator Richard Burr and Democratic Senator Mark Warner, said the panel was receiving daily updates. The role of U.S. intelligence agencies in responding to the coronavirus epidemic at this point principally involves monitoring the spread of the illness around the world and assessing the responses of governments. They are working closely with health agencies, such as the U.S. Center for Disease Control, in sharing information they collect and targeting further intelligence gathering. One source said U.S. agencies would use a wide range of intelligence tools, ranging from undercover informants to electronic eavesdropping tools, to track the virus’ impact. (This story corrects paragraph 9 to say the committee receives daily updates, not Senators Burr and Warner)” [Reuters, 2/27/20]

AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE RECEIVED THE INCREASINGLY ALARMING REPORTS, COMMITTEE CHAIR RICHARD BURR DUMPED STOCKS, INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIAL SALE OF HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS

Richard Burr Was The Chairman Of The U.S. Senate Select Committee On Intelligence. “Richard Burr North Carolina Chairman.” [U.S. Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, accessed 3/24/20]

Burr Sold Between $628,000 And $1.72 Million Worth Of His Stock Holdings In Mid February. “Soon after he offered public assurances that the government was ready to battle the coronavirus, the powerful chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, sold off a significant percentage of his stocks, unloading between $628,000 and $1.72 million of his holdings on Feb. 13 in 33 separate transactions. As the head of the intelligence committee, Burr, a North Carolina Republican, has access to the government’s most highly classified information about threats to America’s security. His committee was receiving daily coronavirus briefings around this time, according to a Reuters story.” [ProPublica, 3/19/20]

Burr Sold Up To $150,000 In Stock In Wyndham Hotels And Resorts, Which Lost More Than 2/3rds Of Its Share Value Since Mid-February Due To Coronavirus. “His biggest sales included companies that are among the most vulnerable to an economic slowdown. He dumped up to $150,000 worth of shares of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a chain based in the United States that has lost two-thirds of its value. And he sold up to $100,000 of shares of Extended Stay America, an economy hospitality chain. Shares of that company are now worth less than half of what they did at the time Burr sold.” [ProPublica, 3/19/20]

Burr Sold Up To $100,000 In Stock In Extended Stay America, Which Lost More Than Half Of Its Share Value Since Mid-February Due To Coronavirus. “His biggest sales included companies that are among the most vulnerable to an economic slowdown. He dumped up to $150,000 worth of shares of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, a chain based in the United States that has lost two-thirds of its value. And he sold up to $100,000 of shares of Extended Stay America, an economy hospitality chain. Shares of that company are now worth less than half of what they did at the time Burr sold.” [ProPublica, 3/19/20]

…BUT INSTEAD OF WARNING TEXANS OF THE THREAT, CORNYN REPEATEDLY DOWNPLAYED THE RISK TO PUBLIC HEALTH, SPREAD FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE THREAT OF COVID-19 AND DISREGARDED HEALTH AND SCIENCE EXPERT OPINION

CORNYN JOKED ABOUT AND MINIMIZED THE DANGER COVID-19 POSED TO TEXANS

March 14, 2020: Cornyn Tweeted A Picture Of A Corona Beer Captioned: “Be Smart; Don’t Panic. We Will Get Us Through This #Coronavirus.”

[Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 3/14/20]

March 16, 2020: Cornyn: With “Appropriate Social Distancing And Good Hygiene,” Coronavirus Was “A Piece Of Cake.” “My flight to DC has 35 passengers on a plane that holds 170+ […] With appropriate social distancing and good hygiene this is a piece of cake” [Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 3/16/20]

[Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 3/16/20]

Cornyn On Coronavirus: “We're Lucky This Isn’t A More Lethal Virus. As Bad As It Is It Could Be A Lot Worse.” CORNYN: “We're learning a lot of things about the vulnerabilities that we have in our supply chain for medical equipment or prescription drugs and the like, and a lot more that we should’ve, lessons we should’ve learned about how China exports these viruses from using these so-called wet markets, where wild animals would come in contact with people and ultimately these viruses jump from the animals to people and become these pandemics, so this is a, we're lucky this isn’t a more lethal virus. As bad as it is it could be a lot worse.” [WIBC, The Dana Show, 3/24/20] (AUDIO)

CORNYN FALSELY CLAIMED IT WAS UNKNOWN WHETHER CHILDREN COULD GET AND TRANSMIT COVID-19 AND THAT NO CHILDREN HAD DIED OF THE VIRUS

July 9, 2020: Cornyn Claimed That “We Still Don’t Know Whether Children Can Get [COVID-19] And Transmit It To Others.” ANCHOR: “Today we asked Senator John Cornyn for his thoughts on opening schools. Here is what he had to say.” CORNYN: “I think the most important thing is safety, but the schools can open but if parents don't feel comfortable sending their children back, then they won't go. So I think we've got a long way to go to regaining their confidence. The good news is, if you look again at the numbers, no one under the age of 20 has died of the Coronavirus. We still don't know whether children can get it and transmit it to others.” ANCHOR: “Now, we asked the senator's office for clarification on that last statement, on whether children can catch and transmit covid. They've not provided any answers. The state health website lists more than 1,700 confirmed coronavirus cases in the zero to 19 age range. 550 of those are under the age of 10. Now when it comes to deaths under the age of 20, the senator clarified that he was only referring to Texas. While children dying of covid is extremely rare, we know of at least one such case here in north Texas. A 17-year-old girl from Lancaster, Jamila Barber, died after contracting covid-19 in April. we asked Senator Cornyn's office if learning of a child's death changed his stance on school reopenings. The senator’s office did not respond directly to that question. They called this an honest misunderstanding because the percentage of cases is so low, it does not show up in the statistics Senator Cornyn sees.” [KXAS, 7/9/20] (VIDEO)

• CDC Guidelines: “Children Can Pass This Virus Onto Others.” “If children meet in groups, it can put everyone at risk. Children can pass this virus onto others who have an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 is to limit contact as much as possible. While school is out, children should not have in-person playdates with children from other households. If children are playing outside their own homes, it is essential that they remain 6 feet from anyone who is not in their own household.” [Centers for Disease Control, 6/28/20, accessed 7/10/20]

• CDC Guidelines Said Children Should Follow Same Social Distancing Practices As Adults To Prevent Transmission Of COVID-19. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children should follow the same social distancing guidelines as adults and it recommends that children over the age of 2 wear face coverings.” [KXAS, 7/9/20]

July 9, 2020: Cornyn Claimed That “No One Under The Age Of 20 Has Died Of The Coronavirus” Despite The Fact That A 17-Year-Old Girl In Texas Died Of COVID-19 In April. ANCHOR: “Today we asked Senator John Cornyn for his thoughts on opening schools. Here is what he had to say.” CORNYN: “I think the most important thing is safety, but the schools can open but if parents don't feel comfortable sending their children back, then they won't go. So I think we've got a long way to go to regaining their confidence. The good news is, if you look again at the numbers, no one under the age of 20 has died of the Coronavirus. We still don't know whether children can get it and transmit it to others.” ANCHOR: “Now, we asked the senator's office for clarification on that last statement, on whether children can catch and transmit covid. They've not provided any answers. The state health website lists more than 1,700 confirmed coronavirus cases in the zero to 19 age range. 550 of those are under the age of 10. Now when it comes to deaths under the age of 20, the senator clarified that he was only referring to Texas. While children dying of covid is extremely rare, we know of at least one such case here in north Texas. A 17-year-old girl from Lancaster, Jamila Barber, died after contracting covid-19 in April. we asked Senator Cornyn's office if learning of a child's death changed his stance on school reopenings. The senator’s office did not respond directly to that question. They called this an honest misunderstanding because the percentage of cases is so low, it does not show up in the statistics Senator Cornyn sees.” [KXAS, 7/9/20] (VIDEO)

• July 10: KRIV Reported On Cornyn’s Comments, Noting A 6-Week-Old Baby Had Died In Corpus Christi Potentially After Contracting COVID-19 In-Utero. ANCHOR: “Texas Senator John Cornyn said that we don’t know if kids get covid or transmit it, responding to a concern about returning to classrooms this fall, but Texas has documented 1700 covid cases in children and teens, 500 of them being in children ten and under. Now a six- week old baby in Corpus Christi died after premature birth is being looked at as a possible case of an in-utero covid transmission.” [KRIV, 7/10/20] (VIDEO)

• At Least 42 Deaths Of Children Under Age 15 Had Been Reported To the National Center For Health Statistics As Of July 25. [Centers for Disease Control, accessed 8/3/20]

PolitiFact: Cornyn’s Claims About Young People And Coronavirus Were “False” And “Wrong On Multiple Counts.” “Cornyn said that 'no one under the age of 20 has died of the coronavirus. We still don’t know whether children can get it and transmit it to others.' Cornyn’s claim is wrong on multiple counts: First, numerous children across the country and in Texas have contracted the coronavirus and some have died as a result. Research indicates that children are able to transmit the coronavirus, but there has been little research into how the rate of transmission may vary compared to adults. Transmission involving children does not appear to make up the bulk of the spread. We rate this claim False.” [PolitiFact, 7/10/20]

Dallas Morning News: Cornyn Questioned Whether Children Could Catch And Spread COVID-19, “A Statement Contradicted By Experts And Data.” “U.S. Sen. John Cornyn questioned in a television interview whether children can catch and spread the coronavirus, a statement contradicted by experts and data. His remarks brought another round of criticism from his Democratic opponents, who said his statements showed Cornyn wasn’t taking the virus seriously enough. ‘We still don’t know whether children can get it and transmit it to others,’ the Texas Republican said during an interview with KXAS-TV (NBC5) on Thursday.” [Dallas Morning News, 7/10/20]

McClatchy DC: Cornyn’s Claim That It Was Unfound If Children Could Transmit COVID-19 Was “Incorrect.” “Most recently, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told NBC5 in a televised interview Thursday that ‘we still don’t know whether children can get [coronavirus] and transmit it to others.’ Cornyn was responding to questions regarding the reopening of schools this fall. ‘I think the most important thing is safety. The schools can open, but if parents don’t feel comfortable sending their children back then they won’t go,’ he told the outlet. ‘The good news is if you look again at the numbers, no one under the age of 20 has died of the coronavirus,’ in the state of Texas. But that’s incorrect; a 17-year-old girl died of COVID-19 in Dallas County in April, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.” [McClatchy, 7/10/20]

CORNYN REPEATEDLY DOWNPLAYED THE NEED FOR EXTENSIVE TESTING AND TESTING OF ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS

Cornyn Argued It Wasn’t “A Good Use Of Resources To Test People Who Are Not Symptomatic.” “’It doesn't strike me to be a good use of resources to test people who are not symptomatic,’ he said. ‘You could literally do that for 330 million people.’” [Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 3/18/20]

April 19, 2020: Cornyn Said That For People Without Coronavirus Symptoms “There Is Not A Great Reason To Get Tested.” JASON WHITELY: “Why aren't there more tests in Texas? And specifically, when will someone like me, who obviously doesn't have any symptoms, I’m not sick, when can I get tested in the state?” CORNYN” “Well, if you don't have any symptoms of the coronavirus, there is not a great reason to get tested. You could test clear today and get it tomorrow, and so then you have the question of how broad spread the nasal test quick test should – How many of those are really needed to begin to get back to normal? Perhaps, the one that will provide the greatest opportunity will be a serology test, which will be a little pinprick on your finger, and be used more or less like a home pregnancy test. I talked to the folks at Abbott Labs yesterday, that is one of the things they think has the greatest capacity to scale up and provide people some knowledge that ‘yeah, I have the anti-bodies, I'm not likely to get the coronavirus again.’” WHITELY: “When will that happen, Senator?” CORNYN: “Pardon me?” WHITELY: “When will that happen, that pinprick test? How quickly might that be widespread?” CORNYN: “Well that is a $64,000 question. It’s now been approved on an emergency basis by the Food and Drug administration, as you know, all of this has had to surge and we are a big country, so it’s been prioritized to the healthcare professionals and law enforcement, but, eventually it will be more broadly available.” [WFAA, 4/19/20] (VIDEO)

Cornyn Tweeted That “Not Everyone Needs To Be Tested For COVID-19,” Specifically Claiming Young And Asymptomatic People Should Not Be Tested. [Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 4/26/20]

May 5, 2020: Cornyn: “If You Are Feeling Fine There Is No Reason To Get A Test.” CORNYN: “Right now the Center For Disease Control says that you should get test if you have symptoms. In other words you need to talk to you doctor or health care provider, and they can then recommend you. So it is not something that you would qualify for ordinarily if you don't have any symptoms. If you are feeling fine there is no reason to get a test, but eventually we may find that we want to broaden the range of testing and make it more available so we can find out who may have some immunity to reinfection from this virus. The challenge has been that this has come upon us so quickly, and there is so much being done right now that we are simply taking it one day at a time.” [KRGV, 5/5/20] (VIDEO)

Cornyn Tweet Suggested Large-Scale Testing And Contact Tracing Was Implausible, Would Not Halt The Spread Of COVID-19, And Was Not “A Requisite Condition” To Reopen The Economy. [Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 5/13/20]

Cornyn Tweeted Out An Editorial Titled “Testing Isn’t Everything,” Attacking Focus On Widespread Testing As Necessary To Reopen The Economy. [Twitter, John Cornyn, 5/2/20]

CORNYN REPEATEDLY SUGGESTED THAT “YOUNG PEOPLE” AND “OTHERWISE HEALTHY” PEOPLE WERE NOT AT RISK FROM COVID

March 14, 2020: Cornyn Tweeted “For Vast Majority Of Americans The Risk Is Low” From Coronavirus. [Twitter, John Cornyn, 3/14/20]

March 17, 2020: Cornyn Called The Coronavirus A “So-Called Pandemic,” Saying “Most Of Us If Infected Would “Get Flu Like Symptoms, And You’ll Get Over It In A Relatively Short Period Of Time.” CORNYN: “well I think part of it is just sort of the polarization of our, you know, of our country. Anything President Trump is for, then there is about half the population that’s reflexively against that and vice versa, but you know, in those examples you mentioned, we came together as a country, and we tackled this together, and that's the way we're going to solve this. And we’ll get through this. It's going to be a lot, there's a lot of not only public health concerns if you’re a part of a vulnerable population, you have underlying medical conditions, but most of us if you're exposed to the coronavirus, you'll get flu like symptoms, and you’ll get over it in a relatively short period of time. But I think the quickness with which this has swept the world, that’s created a so-called pandemic, is something we haven’t seen before, and I think it’s freaking people out. And obviously the markets aren't helping, even though they come back some today, I think you're gonna continue to see a lot of volatility. In the end, if we do what the public health officials tell us we need to do, which is exercise good personal hygiene, maintain social distancing, and the like, I think we're gonna get through this, and the economy, as bad as it is right now, and as much pain some people were feeling who were on hourly wage and tips for their income, it will bounce back, so what we're dedicated to doing here in Congress is try to get the public health officials and the public health needs met, and then we're going to deal with this huge economic challenge we have, and we’ll get by this and we’ll come through this together.” [KRLD- AM, 3/17/20] (AUDIO)

March 24, 2020: Cornyn On Coronavirus: “If You're Otherwise Healthy, You Won't Need To Be Hospitalized, And You Probably Won't Have Any Serious Problems.” DANA LOESCH: “The President was talking today that he would like to see, he didn't say that that was what he wanted to do, but that he would love to see everybody back out by Easter, does that seem feasible you?” CORNYN: “well I hope he's right I think that's more his optimism than data-based. you know I think about where we are today in terms of the numbers that we've seen in places like New York where they've had a doubling in 3 days of the number of cases. with additional testing you're going to see additional cases but the truth is, if you're otherwise healthy, you won't need to be hospitalized, and you probably won't have any serious problems, but it does attack people who are elderly and who have underlying health conditions, so it is a very serious matter. I think what we're going to have to do is make that call we see the curve bend. In other words as long as it keeps going up at an exponential level, then we've got a problem because it's continuing to spread.” [WIBC, The Dana Show, 3/24/20] (AUDIO)

Cornyn: “If You Are A Normal Otherwise Healthy Person, If You Wash Your Hands And Don’t Touch Your Face And You Maintain Social Distancing, You’re Very Low Risk.” [KFYO, 4/1/20] (AUDIO 0:23-2:11)

Cornyn Tweeted “That 9 Of 10 [COVID-19] Patients Had An Underlying Medical Condition” Including Hypertension, Diabetes, Chronic Lung Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, And Obesity. [Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 4/21/20]

DEFYING PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS AND THE KNOWN RISK, CORNYN REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR REOPENING THE ECONOMY

HEADLINE: Newsmax: “John Cornyn: Time For Texas To Start Reopening.” [Newsmax, 4/28/20]

Cornyn Suggested That While Dr. Fauci And Dr. Birx Had “Done A Great Job […] Their Job Is Public Health” And Should Be Balanced With The Need To Reopen The Economy To Avoid “Enormous Personal And Economic Consequences.” “On Tuesday, he said plans to reopen the country are ‘close to being finalized, and we will soon be sharing details and new guidelines with everybody.’ […] But the president faces little pushback from a wide range of Republican elected officials. They want the president to be cautious, but also want him to keep economists on equal footing with scientists like Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator. ‘I’m a big fan of Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx. I think they’ve done a great job. But their job is public health,’ said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). ‘We also need to realize that we can't continue like this for a long time without there being enormous personal and economic consequences.’” [Politico, 4/15/20]

June 11th: Cornyn Said “We Were Told The Reason We Need To Shut Down The Economy Was To Bend The Curve And We Have Done That.” “When asked about his take on the over 2 million positive COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and the current state of the virus, Senator Cornyn says that everyone is learning more about the virus each day. ‘We were told the reason we need to shut down the economy was to bend the curve and we have done that and we've preserved surge capacity in our hospitals.’ As the state continues to reopen, Cornyn believes the public has learned how to conduct and live during a pandemic. ‘This virus is not going away anytime soon. We will develop treatment, there are about 100 clinical trials to develop a treatment. And obviously a vaccine is the ultimate goal. In the mean time, I think we all have to be personally responsible maintain that social distancing, good hygiene and wear mask.’” [KGNS, 6/11/20]

CORNYN PRIORITIZED HIS LARGE CORPORATE AND SPECIAL INTEREST DONORS OVER TEXAS SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE ECONOMIC RESPONSE TO COVID-19

CORNYN ACCEPTED MORE THAN $12 MILLION FROM SPECIAL INTEREST PACs, INCLUDING MORE THAN $6.5 MILLION FROM CORPORATE PACs

Over The Course Of His Senate Career, Cornyn’s Main Campaign Committee Has Accepted At Least $12,769,601 In Campaign Contributions From Business PACs And Ideological PACs. [Center For Responsive Politics, Accessed 10/4/20]

Between 2007 And 2020, Cornyn’s Main Campaign Committee Accepted At Least $6,543,158 In Campaign Contributions From Corporate PACs. [Maplight, accessed 10/4/20]

NOTE: Because Maplight’s database and analysis does not include contributions from prior to 2007 and does not include contributions to leadership PACs, Cornyn’s career-long total received from corporate PACs is likely significantly higher than $6.5 million.

CORNYN VOTED FOR THE ORIGINAL REPUBLICAN RELIEF BILL PRIOR TO THE CARES ACT, WHICH INCLUDED A $500B “SLUSH FUND” FOR CORPORATIONS WITH WEAK OVERSIGHT AND NO REQUIREMENT TO RETAIN WORKERS

Mar. 23, 2020: Cornyn Voted In Favor Of McConnell Motion To Proceed On Initial Version Phase 3 Coronavirus Legislation. On March 23, 2020, Cornyn voted in favor of “McConnell, R-Ky., motion to invoke cloture on the McConnell motion to proceed to the expected legislative vehicle for the third coronavirus stimulus and supplemental appropriations package, upon reconsideration.” The motion was rejected by a vote of 49-46. [CQ, 3/23/20; Vote 78, H.R. 748, 3/23/20]

Mar. 22, 2020: Cornyn Voted In Favor Of McConnell Motion To Proceed On Phase 3 Coronavirus Legislation. On March 22, 2020, Cornyn voted in favor of “McConnell, R-Ky., motion to invoke cloture on the McConnell motion to proceed to the expected legislative vehicle for the third coronavirus stimulus and supplemental appropriations package.” The motion was rejected by a vote of 47-47. [CQ, 3/22/20; Vote 77, H.R. 748, 3/22/20]

HEADLINE: “Dems Seize On ‘Slush Fund’ To Oppose Republican Rescue Package.” [Politico, 3/23/20]

The Hill: $500 Billion Bailout Package Included “Weak Restrictions On Corporate Buybacks” For Companies That Received Bailout Funding, Which Could Be Waived By Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. “Democratic leaders are objecting to an ambitious Republican proposal to spend up to $500 billion to leverage loans to a variety of industries, ranging from airlines and energy companies to car manufacturers, as part of a coronavirus stimulus package...They also are balking at the proposal’s weak restrictions on restricting corporate buybacks, which Mnuchin can waive. U.S. airlines, for example, spent tens of billions of dollars in recent years on stock buybacks to boost their share prices. American Airlines alone spent $12.4 billion on stock buybacks since 2014.” [The Hill, 3/22/20]

Large Companies That Received Assistance “Would Be Required Only To Keep Workers On The Payroll ‘To The Extent Possible,’ Which Means If Businesses Wanted, They Could Take The Money, Then Fire Their Workers Anyway.” “There were also specific provisions in the administration proposal that set off alarms for Democrats. Mnuchin would be able to keep the identity of the companies receiving assistance secret for six months, and companies would be required only to keep workers on the payroll ‘to the extent possible,’ which means if businesses wanted, they could take the money, then fire their workers anyway.” [Paul Waldman, Washington Post, 3/23/20]

EVEN AFTER OVERSIGHT MEASURES WERE ADDED TO THE LOANS FOR LARGE CORPORATIONS, THE CARES ACT PUT ASIDE MORE MONEY FOR THEM THAN FOR SMALL BUSINESSES…

The CARES Act Put Aside $500 Billion For “Loans And Other Money” For Big Corporations. “The bill sets aside roughly $500 billion in loans and other money for big corporations. These companies will have to pay the government back and will be subject to public disclosures and other requirements.” [NPR, 3/26/20]

The CARES Act Put Aside $377 Billion For Loans And Grants For Small Businesses. “The main features for small businesses are emergency grants and a forgivable loan program for companies with 500 or fewer employees. There are also changes to rules for expenses and deductions meant to make it easier for companies to keep employees on the payroll and stay open in the near-term. Emergency grants: The bill provides $10 billion for grants of up to $10,000 to provide emergency funds for small businesses to cover immediate operating costs. Forgivable loans: There is $350 billion allocated for the Small Business Administration to provide loans of up to $10 million per business. Any portion of that loan used to maintain payroll, keep workers on the books or pay for rent, mortgage and existing debt could be forgiven, provided workers stay employed through the end of June. Relief for existing loans: There is $17 billion to cover six months of payments for small businesses already using SBA loans.” [NPR, 3/26/20]

…AND LARGE, PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES GOT SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, SOME EVEN USING THEM FOR STOCK BUYBACKS

HEADLINE: “Hundreds Of Publicly Traded Companies Got More Than $1 Billion From PPP Small-Business Fund.” “Nearly 400 publicly traded companies received almost $1.3 billion in federal forgivable loans meant for small businesses desperately trying to survive the coronavirus crisis, an independent analysis of financial record filings found. The list of those public businesses that accessed Paycheck Protection Program money includes construction firms, tech companies and pharmaceutical corporations, according to the analytics firm FactSquared. Several large hotel groups and restaurant chains each obtained loans above the $10 million maximum level because they filed more than one application, which is allowable under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that Congress passed in March to rescue the plummeting U.S. economy.” [USA Today, 5/9/20]

HEADLINE: “Publicly Traded Firms Paid Dividends, Bought Their Own Stock After Receiving PPP Loans To Pay Employees.” “Some publicly traded companies that received taxpayer-backed small business loans to pay their employees during the early weeks of the pandemic paid out millions to Wall Street investors in dividends and share buybacks, publicly available financial disclosures reviewed by The Washington Post show. The findings reinforce long- standing concerns that the Paycheck Protection Program, an emergency stimulus fund offering low-interest, forgivable loans to businesses with fewer than 500 employees, was accessed by financially healthy companies that could have gone without a bailout.” [Washington Post, 9/24/20]

CORNYN ACKNOWLEDGED “PUBLICLY OWNED COMPANIES” WITH THEIR OWN LAWYERS AND ACCOUNTANTS GOT TO “THE HEAD OF THE LINE” FOR PPP AID, AHEAD OF SMALLER BUSINESSES

Cornyn Said Big Businesses Were “Obviously” Able To Benefit From The Paycheck Protection Program Because “More Aggressive, More Sophisticated Businesses Take Advantage Of That First,” And “We Don't Discriminate Between Businesses.” SALCEDO: “Initial funding for the PPP program saw money going to big businesses like Ruth’s Chris, who arguably had plenty of cash reserves. Was that fixed in this latest incarnation of the PPP funding?” CORNYN: “Well the line was 500 employees or less, in the initial PPP program, and obviously some of the more aggressive, more sophisticated businesses take advantage of that first, which is why it was so important for us to replenish that fund, which the Senate did yesterday finally after dawdling by Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi, but we don't discriminate between businesses. We've said anybody who is 500 or less could apply for and seek those loans in order to maintain their payroll. If they do that, then they could be eligible for a forgiveness of that loan. That was the whole point is to try to keep people connected with their employer if it was economically feasible.” [WBAP, Chris Salcedo Show, 4/22/20] (AUDIO)

• Cornyn Acknowledged The Small Business Loans “Didn’t Get To Some Of The Entrepreneurs Who Needed Them The Most,” Said “Sophisticated Smaller Businesses” With Lawyers And Accountants “Were Obviously First In Line” For The Loans. “Texas lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have acknowledged that the loans didn’t get to some of the entrepreneurs who needed them the most. ‘The sophisticated smaller businesses … with professional staff — lawyers and accountants and a robust relationship with a SBA-certified lender — they obviously were the first in line,’ Republican Sen. John Cornyn said. ‘But we can’t forget the mom and pops, who perhaps don’t have the lawyers and accountants and those sort of banking relationships, that are going to be left out in the cold unless we replenish this.’” [Houston Chronicle, 4/16/20]

• Cornyn On The Paycheck Protection Program: “Unfortunately, Some Of The More Aggressive, Better-Off, Publicly Owned Companies” Got To “The Head Of The Line” Ahead Of Smaller Businesses. “'We set up a threshold of 500 employees or less, and unfortunately, some of the more aggressive, better-off, publicly owned companies that could have weathered this much better than the mom-and-pops got to the head of the line,' Cornyn said. 'But that's why it's so important for us to replenish these funds in the vote that was cast in the Senate yesterday.'” [KHOU, 4/22/20]

Cornyn Said Despite PPP And Potential Future Legislation, “There Is Going To Be Many Small Businesses That Simply Will Cease To Exist.” “The PPP is intended to provide these loans through banks to businesses with 500 employees or less, but despite the program’s claim that sole proprietors and independent contractors are eligible, the self- employed are reportedly being rejected for loans for not having any employees. ‘What we need to do in the next installment is see if there are ways, if we haven't been able to help them yet, if they haven't been able to access resources, we need to try to find a way to throw them a lifeline too,’ Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said. ‘But I think the fact of the matter is there is going to be many small businesses that simply will cease to exist,’ Cornyn said. ‘Many of them have operated month to month, and with no demand, because of the mitigation efforts, it's going be very damaging. But the goal is to try to minimize the harm as much as we can, and then be prepared to reopen once the once we get the green light from public health guidance.’” [Washington Examiner, 5/5/20]

CORNYN HAS WORKED FOR A DECADE TO REPEAL OR OVERTURN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, WHICH WOULD BENEFIT HIS INSURANCE AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY DONORS WHILE STRIPPING HEALTH CARE PROTECTIONS FROM MILLIONS OF TEXANS

CORNYN TOOK MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE INSURANCE AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, WHICH WOULD RECEIVE BILLIONS IN TAX BREAKS IF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WERE REPEALED

Cornyn’s Campaign Committee And Leadership PAC Accepted $1,918,773 From The Insurance Industry:

• 2015-Present: Cornyn Accepted $798,690 From The Insurance Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 10/3/20]

• 2009-2014: Cornyn Accepted $658,128 From The Insurance Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 6/25/20]

• 2003-2008: Cornyn Accepted $461,955 From The Insurance Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 9/23/20]

Cornyn’s Campaign Committee And Leadership PAC Accepted $1,412,862 From The Pharmaceutical Industry:

• 2015-Present: Cornyn Accepted $652,966 From The Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 9/23/20]

• 2009-2014: Cornyn Accepted $518,800 From The Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 6/25/20]

• 2003-2008: Cornyn Accepted $241,096 From The Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry. [Center for Responsive Politics, accessed 7/16/19]

NOTE: The totals above include both PACs and individual contributions.

2017 Republican Health Care Plan Repealed ACA Taxes Saving Health Insurers $145 Billion And Saving Pharmaceutical Companies $25 Billion. “Among the health care taxes repealed in the bill: —Health providers pay an annual fee based on market share. Repealing the tax would save health insurers $145 billion over the next decade. — Prescription drugmakers and importers pay an annual fee. Repealing it would save pharmaceutical companies $25 billion over the next decade.” [AP, 3/7/17]

CORNYN VOTED UP TO 20 TIMES TO REPEAL, DEFUND OR BLOCK THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

HuffPost Called Cornyn Encouraging Texans To Enroll In ACA Coverage “Quite A Change Of Tune,” Noting His Twenty Votes To Repeal Or Defund The ACA, Or To Move Forward With Bills To Do So. “The good news is that if you lose your employer-provided coverage, which covers about a 180 million Americans, that is a significant life event, which makes you then eligible to sign up for the Affordable Care Act,’ Cornyn said in a PBS Austin interview. ‘As you know, it has a sliding scale of subsidies up to 400% of poverty. So that’s an option for people.’ […] It’s quite a change of tune for Cornyn, who voted to repeal or defund the ACA (or to move forward with bills to do so) here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.” [HuffPost, 5/13/20]

CORNYN VOTED AT LEAST 11 TIMES TO REPEAL, DEFUND, OR BLOCK THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

1. 2017: Cornyn Voted For The So Called “Skinny Repeal” Version Of Trumpcare Which Among Other Things, Repealed The Individual Mandate, Repealed The Employer Mandate Through 2024 And Defunded Planned Parenthood For One Year. In July 2017, Cornyn voted for the Health Care Freedom Act, also known as “skinny repeal.” According to CQ, the amendment would have “repeal[ed] the individual mandate, repeal[ed] the employer mandate through 2024, delay[ed] the implementation of the medical device tax through 2020, and block[ed], for one year, federal funding from going to certain medical providers that provide abortions. The amendment would [have] ease[d] the waiver process for states to opt out of the requirement that their health insurance providers include certain benefits on their health care plans. Additionally, the amendment would [have] increase[d] the maximum allowable contribution to health savings accounts and would defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in 2019.” The vote was on the amendment. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 49 to 51. [CQ, 7/28/17; S. Amdt. 667 to S. Amdt. 267 to H.R. 1628, Vote 179, 7/28/17]

• Some Republicans Said That The Purpose Of The Amendment Was To Move The ACA Repeal Process Forward. “Senate Republicans have framed this bill as a vehicle to simply move the health care process toward further negotiations with the House. But it doesn’t read like that at all. It reads like one meant to woo conservative Republicans. It makes careful tweaks to provisions to defund Planned Parenthood and allow states more flexibility, meant to comport with strict reconciliation rules. These are key issues that House Republicans in the conservative Freedom Caucus, for example, have raised that are reflected in this new draft.” [Vox, 7/27/17]

• Vox: “‘Skinny” Repeal Isn’t Skinny At All.” “‘Skinny’ repeal isn’t skinny at all. […] Here’s why: Skinny repeal isn’t really that skinny at all. Rolling back the individual mandate would cause an estimated 15 million to 16 million Americans to lose coverage, according to Congressional Budget Office analyses of that policy. The nonpartisan office expects that premiums would rise 20 percent in the individual market.” [Vox, 7/27/17]

2. 2017: Cornyn Voted For A “Repeal And Delay” Version Of Trumpcare That Would Have Repealed Significant Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Such As Sunsetting The Medicaid Expansion, Repealing The Individual Mandate And Defunded Planned Parenthood. On July 26, 2017, Cornyn voted for the "Enzi, R-Wyo., for Paul, R- Ky., amendment no. 271, to the McConnell, R-Ky., substitute amendment no. 267, that would sunset Medicaid expansion and certain taxes created under the 2010 health care overhaul, repeal the individual and employer mandates, would exclude health plans that cover abortion from certain tax credits and would ban federal funding for abortion providers that receive at least $1 million in federal funding annually." The underlying legislation, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act of 2017, was the reconciliation vehicle for Trumpcare. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 45 to 55. [CQ, 7/26/17; S.Amdt. 288 to S.Amdt. 267 to H.R. 1628, Vote 169, 7/26/17]

3. 2017: Cornyn Effectively Voted For The Better Care Reconciliation Act, Which Repealed Significant Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Resulting In 22 Million Additional Americans Without Insurance. On July 25, 2017, Cornyn voted for the "Cruz, R-Texas, motion to waive applicable sections of the Congressional Budget Act with respect to the Murray, D-Wash., point of order that McConnell, R-Ky., amendment no. 270, to McConnell substitute amendment no. 267, violates section 311(a)(2)(b) of the Congressional Budget Act. The McConnell amendment would repeal extensive provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul, including: the individual and employer mandates, the optional Medicaid expansion, subsidies given to individuals buying health insurance and some of the taxes that fund the law. It would create a health care tax credit based on income and age, and would authorize money to stabilize the health care market and for high-risk individuals." The Senate rejected the motion, thereby defeating the legislation, by a vote of 43 to 57. [CQ, 7/25/17; S.Amdt. 270 to S.Amdt. 267 to H.R. 1628, Vote 168, 7/25/17]

• The BCRA Would Result In 22 Million Additional Uninsured Americans. According to the Washington Post, “The CBO also says that the most recent version would cause a slightly slower erosion of health coverage — with 15 million fewer Americans predicted to be insured in 2018, compared with current law. That would be 2 million fewer losing insurance next year than under an earlier form of the legislation. As of 2026, however, the predicted 22 million increase in the ranks of the uninsured would be the same as under the bill’s previous version, the CBO says.” [Washington Post, 7/20/17]

• BCRA Could Cause Deductibles To Rise To More Than $13,000 Per Year. According to CNBC, “Under the Senate's proposed health plan, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, deductibles will rise to new heights, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Deductibles are the amount you as a consumer must pay each year before your health insurance coverage kicks in for services you receive beyond a certain minimum set of medical services. And they're far more common than they used to be. Nowadays half of Americans have health insurance that comes with a deductible of at least $1,000. That’s steep. But should the Senate repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass its replacement plan, the CBO warns that, by 2026, or only nine years from now, your deductible, if you buy health coverage on the individual insurance plan market, could reach $13,000 a year — or more.” [CNBC, 7/25/17]

4. 2015: Cornyn Voted For A Bill That Repealed Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Including Eliminating The Act’s Medicaid Expansion In 2018. In December 2015, Cornyn voted for a bill that according to CQ, would have “scrap[ped] in 2018 the law’s Medicaid expansion, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges.” Additionally, according to CQ the bill would have “repeal[ed] portions of the 2010 health care law and block[ed] federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. As amended, the bill would zero-out the law’s penalties for noncompliance with the law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance.” The vote was on passage of a reconciliation bill. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 52 to 47. The bill was later passed by the full Congress, which the president then vetoed. The House was not able to override the veto. [CQ, 12/3/15; Real Clear Politics, 12/4/15; H.R.3762, Vote 329, 12/3/15]

5. 2015: Cornyn Effectively Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In July 2015, Cornyn voted for “Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on McConnell, R-Ky., amendment no. 2328 to the Kirk, R-Ill., amendment no. 2327, that would repeal the 2010 health care law. The Kirk amendment would reauthorize the Export-Import Bank.” The underlying bill was a three-year highway funding bill. The vote was on a motion to invoke cloture. The Senate rejected the motion 49 to 43; 60 Senators voting yes would have been required to invoke cloture. [CQ, 7/26/15; The Hill, 7/26/15; S.Amdt. 2328 to S.Amdt. 2327 to S.Amdt. 2266 to H.R. 22, Senate Vote 253, 7/26/15]

6. 2013: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act And The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for an amendment that, according to Huffington Post, “sought to ‘establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.’” The amendment was to the Senate Budget for FY 2014. The vote was on the amendment, which the Senate rejected by a vote of 45 to 54. [Senate Vote 51, 3/22/13; Huffington Post, 3/22/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 202; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]

7. 2013: Cornyn Voted To Block Implementation And Enforcement Of The Affordable Care Act. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for an amendment to a bill funding the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2013, that, according to the Congressional Record, would have required that “[n]one of the funds made available in this Act may be used (1) to carry out any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act […] or title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 […], or the amendments made by such Act, title, or subtitle; or (2) for rulemaking under such Act, title, or subtitle.” The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 45 to 52. [Senate Vote 34, 3/13/13; Congressional Record, 3/13/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 30; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 26; Congressional Actions, H.R. 933]

• Opponents Of The Amendment Argued That It “Is Equivalent To Repeal” Of Health Care Reform. According to The Hill’s Floor Action Blog, “Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said the amendment ‘is equivalent to repeal,’ when speaking against Cruz’s amendment. ‘This is the 34th time that someone on the Republican side has tried to do away with the Affordable Care Act and it’s failed every time,’ Harkin said. ‘We’ve already made our decisions on that and we’re moving on. ‘It’s almost like there is an obsession with some people on the other side of the aisle with tearing down health reform.’” [The Hill’s Floor Action Blog, 3/13/13]

8. 2011: Cornyn Voted For A Republican Jobs Proposal Known As The “Jobs Through Growth Act” That Included A Provision To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In November 2011, Cornyn voted for an amendment that would have put in place a number of Republican policy priorities. According to The Hill, “The ‘Jobs Through Growth Act,’ penned by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) […] included a Sense of the Congress that a balanced budget to the Constitution is needed, a provision to make it easier for the government to rescind unspent funds and a reduction in taxes for individuals and companies. It also would have repealed last year’s healthcare law and the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.” The amendment was a second-degree amendment to a bill to end the withholding requirement for payments to government contractors. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 40 to 56. [Senate Vote 202, 11/10/11; The Hill, 11/10/11; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 928; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 927; Congressional Actions, H.R. 674]

9. 2011: Cornyn Voted For A Bill To Defund The Affordable Care Act. In April 2011, Cornyn voted for prohibiting any funds appropriated in the recently-passed bill funding the government through the end of fiscal year 2011 from being used to carry out any provision of the Affordable Care Act. The vote was on a concurrent resolution that, according to the Congressional Research Service, “[d]irect[ed] the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 1473 (Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011) to prohibit any funds under such Act or any previous Act from being used to carry out the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 or any amendments made by those Acts.” That change would have been made prior to sending H.R. 1473 – which had already passed both the House and the Senate – to the president. The Senate rejected the concurrent resolution by vote of 47 to 53. [Senate Vote 59, 4/14/11; CRS Summary, H Con Res 35, 4/14/11; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 35]

10. 2011: Cornyn Voted For Defunding HHS Implementation Of The Affordable Care Act. In March 2011, Cornyn voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly Today, “would prohibit using funds from the HHS portion of the measure to pay employees or contractors to implement the health care overhaul.” The provision was part of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government until the end of FY 2011. The bill was rejected by the Senate by a vote of 44 to 56. The bill number was later used as the vehicle for another piece of legislation. [Senate Vote 36, 3/9/11; Congressional Quarterly, 3/1/11; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]

11. 2011: Cornyn Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. In February 2011, Cornyn voted for an amendment that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act. The amendment would have been made to the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) had made a point of order that the amendment would increase the federal deficit, the vote was on a motion to waive those budgetary requirements. The motion failed by a vote of 47 to 51. [Senate Vote 9, 2/2/11; Congressional Record, 2/2/11; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 13; Congressional Actions, S. 223]

CORNYN VOTED AT LEAST 9 TIMES FOR BUDGET RESOLUTIONS AND DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUNDS THAT CALLED FOR OR INCLUDED SAVINGS FROM THE REPEAL OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

1. 2017: Cornyn Voted For A Budget Resolution Designed To Begin The Process Of Repealing The Affordable Care Act, Which Also Assumed A $9 Trillion Increase In The Federal Debt Over The Next Ten Years. On January 12, 2017, Cornyn voted for the "Adoption of the concurrent resolution that would set broad spending and revenue targets over the next 10 years. It would set budget authority at $3.3 trillion for fiscal 2017, increasing it to $4.1 trillion by fiscal 2022 and $4.9 trillion by fiscal 2026. The concurrent resolution would also include reconciliation instructions for the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees as well as the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees to come up with at least $1 billion each in deficit reduction over a 10-year period by January 27, 2017, which is expected to be used to repeal certain provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul." The vote was on passage. The Senate passed the budget resolution by a vote of 51 to 48. The House later passed the resolution. [CQ, 1/12/17; S.Amdt. 82 to S.Con.Res. 3, Vote 26, 1/12/17]

2. 2015: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act As Part Of The FY 2016 Conference Report Budget Resolution. On May 5, 2015, Cornyn voted for the "Adoption of the conference report on the concurrent resolution that would reduce spending by $5.3 trillion over the next 10 years, including $2 trillion in reductions from repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul. The concurrent resolution would reduce spending in the areas of Medicare, Medicaid and other mandatory programs. It would call for a deficit-neutral overhaul of the tax code that lowers rates and assumes $124 billion in additional savings through 'dynamic scoring.' It would increase the amount of uncapped funding for war and related activities in the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), allowing $96.3 billion in fiscal 2016. It also includes reconciliation instructions to the House and Senate committees to focus on repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and to report legislation by July 24, 2015." The vote was on the Conference Report; the Conference Report, which also passed the House, was passed by a vote of 51 to 48. [CQ, 5/5/15; S.Con.Res.11, Vote 171, 5/5/15]

• Budget Includes Reconciliation Language To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. According to CQ, “The budget contains reconciliation instructions directing the committees with jurisdiction over taxes and health care to draw up legislation to repeal the health care law and deliver their recommendations to the Budget committees by July 24.” [CQ, 5/5/15]

• Center For Budget And Policy Priorities: Budget Would Eliminate Health Coverage For Millions Of Americans. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, “The House-passed budget agreement that the Senate will consider next week would repeal health reform and cut Medicaid over the coming decade by roughly half a trillion dollars on top, making tens of millions more Americans uninsured.” [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/1/15]

3. 2013: Cornyn Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of Senator Rand Paul’s Proposed Budget. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2023. According to a press release from Sen. Paul, his budget resolution includes a provision that “Repeals Obamacare.” The vote was on an amendment to the Senate budget resolution replacing the entire budget with Paul’s proposed budget; the Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 18 to 81. [Senate Vote 69, 3/22/13; Senator Rand Paul press release, 3/22/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 263; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]

4. 2015: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of The Senate’s FY 2016 Budget Resolution. In March 2015, Cornyn voted for the Senate’s FY 2016 budget resolution, which, according to the Senate Budget Committee, included provisions that “provide[] for the repeal of Obamacare and support[] legislation to replace Obamacare with reserve funds for legislation that strengthens the doctor-patient relationship, expands choice, and lowers health care costs.” The Senate adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 52 to 46. A final budget resolution included the policy. [CQ, 4/30/15; Senate Budget Committee, 3/18/15; S. Con. Res. 11, Vote 135, 3/27/15]

• Budget Permitted Use Of Reconciliation Procedures To Repeal The ACA, Which Would Prevent Senate Democrats From Filibustering The Repeal Bill. According to Politico, “Senate Republicans want to use a powerful budget maneuver known as reconciliation to go after President Barack Obama’s health care law — particularly if the Supreme Court strikes down key provisions of Obamacare this June. Using the fast-tracking procedure offers some advantage for Republicans, largely because a reconciliation package can’t be filibustered. […] The plans were included in a budget blueprint rolled out Wednesday by the Senate Budget Committee — a governing document that calls for balancing the budget within a decade, extracting hundreds of billions in savings from Medicare and turning over more responsibility to the states to run Medicaid, reducing costs even further.” [Politico, 3/18/15]

5. 2013: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act As Part Of The FY 2014 Ryan Budget. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R- WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2014 to 2023. According to the House Budget Committee, the budget would “Repeal the President’s health-care law.” The vote was on the House Republicans’ fiscal year 2014 budget resolution, which Senate Budget Committee chairwoman Patty Murray offered as a substitute amendment to the Senate’s fiscal year 2014 budget resolution. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 40 to 59. [Senate Vote 46, 3/21/13; House Budget Committee, 3/12/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 433; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]

6. 2012: Cornyn Voted For Sen. Pat Toomey’s Proposed Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. In May 2012, Cornyn voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as part of Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2022. According to a press release from Sen. Toomey, his budget contained a provision that “Repeals Obamacare.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the resolution; the motion failed by a vote of 42 to 57. [Senate Vote 99, 5/16/12; Senator Pat Toomey press release, 4/18/12; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 37]

7. 2012: Cornyn Effectively Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act As Part Of The FY 2013 Ryan Budget. In May 2012, Cornyn effectively voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2022. According to the House Budget Committee, the budget would “repeal the President’s health care law.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the House-passed budget resolution, which the Senate rejected by a vote of 41 to 58. [Senate Vote 98, 5/16/12; House Budget Committee, 3/20/12; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 112]

8. 2011: Cornyn Voted For Sen. Pat Toomey’s FY 2012 Budget, Which Repealed The Affordable Care Act. In May 2011, Cornyn voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as part of Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2012 to 2021. According to a press release from Sen. Toomey, the budget contained a provision that “Repeals Obamacare.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the resolution; the motion failed by a vote of 42 to 55. [Senate Vote 79, 5/25/11; Office of Senator Pat Toomey, 5/10/11; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 21]

9. 2011: Cornyn Effectively Voted For The FY 2012 Ryan Budget, Which Would Have Repealed The Affordable Care Act. In May 2011, Cornyn effectively voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2012 to 2021. According to the House Budget Committee, the budget would “repeal[] the government takeover of healthcare.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the House-passed budget resolution, which the Senate rejected by a vote of 40 to 57. [Senate Vote 77, 5/25/11; House Budget Committee, 4/5/11; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 34]

2017: CORNYN WAS DESCRIBED AS THE “TOP SALESMAN” OF REPUBLICAN EFFORTS TO REPEAL AND REPLACE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WITH A PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE RAISED PREMIUMS, IMPOSED AN “AGE TAX,” AND GUTTED PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

HEADLINE: “Meet Obamacare Repeal’s Top Salesman” [Politico, 7/16/17]

2017: Cornyn Held Private, One-On-One Meetings With Wavering Senators To Persuade Them To Back A Bill To Repeal The Affordable Care Act And Take Health Insurance Away From 20 Million Americans. “He’s held private one-on-one meetings with a slew of wavering senators to try to persuade them to back the party’s controversial bill, which would overhaul one-sixth of the U.S. economy and could mean that more than 20 million fewer Americans have health insurance. Cornyn said his offerings are not 'state-specific' deals to convince the likes of Nevada Sen. Dean Heller or Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, although the latest drafts of the bill include some carve-outs for Florida, Alaska and Louisiana.” [Politico, 7/16/17]

May 2017: Cornyn Was Part Of Sen. McConnell’s Working Group That Drafted GOP Legislation To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. “So the Senate majority leader’s decision to create a 13-man working group on health care, including staunch conservatives and ardent foes of the Affordable Care Act — but no women — has been widely seen on Capitol Hill as a move to placate the right as Congress decides the fate of President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement. […] The Republicans’ working group includes Mr. McConnell and three other members of the Republican leadership: John Cornyn of Texas, the majority whip; John Thune of South Dakota, the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference; and John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, who has been a point man for the party on health care.” [New York Times, 5/8/17]

Texas Tribune: Cornyn Was The “Chief Salesman” Of The Effort To Repeal And Replace The Affordable Care Act. “The two Texas senators had much political capital invested in a GOP-led health care overhaul. Cornyn, the party whip, emerged as a chief salesman of the concept in recent weeks, a prominent defender of leadership's efforts on social media and on television.” [Texas Tribune, 7/18/17]

Kaiser Family Foundation Estimated That Texans On The Individual Market Would Pay 78% More In Premiums For A Benchmark Silver Plan Under The BCRA – An Increase Of Nearly $2,000 Per Year. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Premiums under the Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act, Texas, 6/26/17]

Cornyn-Backed ACA Repeal Bill Allowed Insurers To Impose An “Age Tax” On Older Texans By Charging Them Five Times More For Health Care Coverage. [CBS News, 7/25/17]

PolitiFact: “Coverage For People With Pre-Existing Conditions Would Have Been More Expensive And Less Accessible Under The Better Care Reconciliation Act,” The Cornyn-Backed ACA Repeal Bill. “There were several versions of the Senate bill depending on amendments. Regardless of which one we look at, Linda Blumberg, a health policy analyst at the Urban Institute, told us in June coverage for people with pre-existing conditions would have been more expensive and less accessible under the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017.” [PolitiFact, 8/20/18]

2018: An Estimated 4,794,000 Nonelderly Texans Had Pre-Existing Conditions That Were Declinable Under Pre- Affordable Care Act Practices. [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 12/18/19]