John Cornyn

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn supports low taxes, deregulation, and free market economic policies. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) and consistently opposes legislation he views as expanding government's role in the economy. He has been a strong advocate for Texas's energy sector and opposes federal policies he argues harm Texas businesses.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn has generally opposed the Affordable Care Act and supports replacing it with market-driven reforms. He has backed expanding health savings accounts and reducing regulatory barriers for insurers. He has engaged on prescription drug pricing, supporting some targeted reforms to lower costs for seniors.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn has been one of his party's leading voices on border security given Texas's long border with Mexico. He has proposed border security legislation and generally supports strong enforcement measures, completion of border barriers, and ending policies he argues incentivize illegal crossings. He has also engaged on legal immigration reform, particularly for agricultural workers.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn supports school choice and local control over education decisions, opposing federal curriculum mandates. He has backed workforce development and technical training programs as pathways for Texans to access economic opportunity without four-year college degrees.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn was the lead Republican negotiator of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022), which he helped shepherd to passage after the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. The law enhanced background checks for younger buyers, funded state crisis intervention programs, and closed the so-called boyfriend loophole in domestic violence firearm prohibitions. He has otherwise consistently supported Second Amendment rights.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn supports Texas's oil and gas industry and opposes federal regulations he argues harm energy production and raise costs for consumers. He supports an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes continued fossil fuel development alongside renewable investment, and has opposed climate provisions he views as government overreach.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn supports a strong U.S. military and robust defense spending as the foundation of American foreign policy. He has backed military assistance for Ukraine and Taiwan and supports maintaining U.S. alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing influence.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn has expressed support for examining structural reforms to Social Security to ensure long-term solvency. He opposes benefit cuts to current retirees but has discussed potential adjustments for younger workers and opposes payroll tax hikes as the primary solution.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

John Cornyn

Senator Cornyn co-authored the First Step Act (2018), a landmark bipartisan criminal justice reform law that reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent federal offenses and expanded reentry and job training programming. He supports law enforcement and has also focused on combating human trafficking and fentanyl smuggling.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.