Republican Senator John Cornyn is currently running for re-election against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Gazette reached out to his office for comment on key issues and here are the responses we received..
Garland, TX – Republican Senator John Cornyn has been representing the State of Texas since 2002 and is now running for re-election against embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Garland Gazette has interviewed Jasmine Crockett, who is running in the Democratic primary against James Talarico, whose office we have also reached out to, and after requests for interviews, Cornyn’s office did respond. They did not grant an interview, but his office did send the following statements in response to our questions. Answers have been copied verbatim.
Question 1: Texas has the highest number of uninsured residents of any state, and it is anticipated that the One Big Beautiful Bill will exacerbate that. How would you work to reverse this trend?
Answer: For too long, Texans have faced rising premiums and fewer choices under Obamacare, a program that was sold to Americans through lies. Simply pouring more taxpayer dollars into a broken system won’t solve the problem. We need to lower costs by increasing competition, expanding access to HSAs, and giving patients – not insurance companies or Washington bureaucrats – more control over their healthcare decisions. I’ve worked to promote price transparency and crack down on anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry to bring down prescription drug costs. We should empower Texas with greater flexibility to innovate and tailor solutions that fit our state, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington. My focus is on making healthcare more affordable and accessible by driving down costs, strengthening the private market, and ensuring federal dollars are spent responsibly so Texans can obtain coverage that works for them.
Question 2: What are you doing with your colleagues to address the imbalance of power between Congress and the Executive branch?
Answer: America’s founders were brilliant in designing a system of checks and balances, with a natural push and pull between the three branches of government. That tension is not a flaw, but an intentional feature of the system. While it may not always look tidy, it is still working as intended. In recent years, we’ve seen an expansion of executive power, much of which can be attributed to President Obama when he told Republicans in Congress, “I’ve got my pen, and I’ve got my phone,” signaling a willingness to bypass Congress rather than work with it. Restoring balance requires good-faith cooperation, and too often Democrats have chosen partisan obstruction over collaboration, grinding the legislative process to a halt like we’ve seen during multiple Democrat-led government shutdowns in the last six months instead of engaging in the hard work of governing.
Question 3: What are some of the things you are proudest of during your lengthy tenure representing Texas in the Senate?
Answer 3:It has been the honor of my lifetime representing Texas in the Senate, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, though we have much more to do – which is why I’m running for re-election. One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is helping President Trump pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which delivered historic tax relief to hardworking Texas families and small businesses and unleashed economic growth across our state. I also voted to make those provisions permanent in the One Big Beautiful Bill this past summer, so Texans wouldn’t face a massive tax hike, and so our economy can continue to thrive. I’ve worked closely with President Trump to secure our southern border, standing with him to strengthen enforcement and restore the rule of law. For Texas taxpayers, I was proud to secure $11 billion in reimbursement for Operation Lone Star, ensuring our state is repaid for stepping up when the federal government under Joe Biden failed to do its job.
Question 4: With more tax cuts being a part of your platform, how do we fund infrastructure, education, and power/electricity – especially for ICE detention centers and AI data centers – if not from increasing taxes?
Answer 4: Taxes aren’t the only way to raise revenue, and more money flowing into Washington is often not the right answer. Sometimes the first step is to tighten the belt and demand greater efficiency from the federal government. We also need to continue addressing affordability issues for Americans. We have a spending problem as much as a revenue problem, and Congress has a responsibility to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse before asking taxpayers for more of their hard-earned money. President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a good example of how we can raise significant revenue by holding foreign nations accountable, ensuring countries that have been ripping off the United States for far too long finally pay their fair share. By combining pro-growth economic policies, responsible trade enforcement, and disciplined spending, we can fund critical priorities like border security, infrastructure, and reliable power without burdening hardworking Americans with more taxes.
Question 5: Since the release of the latest Epstein files, we are seeing an upsetting performance by candidates endorsed by President Trump. Turning Point just hours ago announced its endorsement of the Hon. Ken Paxton for the race. However, in light of recent events, what would you do differently to bring justice and accountability to DC?
Answer 5: What is outlined in the Epstein Files is abhorrent, and the public is rightly outraged. People should be brought to justice for these crimes, and I have led the charge to push legislation to combat human trafficking and child sexual abuse operations and passed funding for the testing of rape kits, which serve as critical evidence to get justice for survivors of violence. President Trump has put a great team of people in charge of our top law enforcement agencies, and I have faith that they will carry out justice and uphold the rule of law – something President Biden’s administration did not do.
The Garland Gazette has reached out to the campaign of Ken Paxton, but has not heard back as of this writing.
To read our exclusive interview with Texas’ US Senatorial candidate Jasmine Crockett, click here!
