Hall of Shame: John Cornyn
2007-08-13
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rss feedThe latest inductee to the hall of shame is Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn who ended the Senate session with not one, but two incredibly irresponsible votes. First up is Senator Cornyn's vote against the Senate Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization bill (SCHIP). The bipartisan bill which passed the Senate will help provide insurance to over 500,000 children in the state of Texas alone - but apparently Senator Cornyn doesn't support improving healthcare for his state's kids.
Cornyn's vote is especially egregious given Texas' relatively poor record when it comes to providing quality healthcare to children. The San Antonio Express-News reports that "Texas' rate of uninsured children [is] still the highest in the country."
This is not the first time Cornyn has stood in opposition to providing basic health services to children. The San Antonio Express-News goes on to report:
Cornyn has an additional vulnerability on children's health care, Democrats believe, because, as state attorney general, he tried to undo an agreement to improve Medicaid health services for thousands of Texas' poorest children.
And if that weren't enough, Cornyn added yet another irresponsible vote to his record by voting against ethics and lobbying legislation that was opposed by a fringe minority of only 13 other Senators.
As Senator Cornyn heads back to Texas over the Senate recess he's going to have a tough time defending both of his votes. Texans want their children to receive quality healthcare. And Texans want their elected officials to be held to higher standards when it comes to ethics and lobbying. But John Cornyn doesn't support SCHIP or tougher ethics reform. And that's why when Texans head to the polls next November they just might decide they don't want John Cornyn representing them in the Senate.
