The RGV can always #CountOnCornyn!

South Texans also know what a vital role Senator Cornyn has played in delivering disaster relief in the wake of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes and, now, COVID-19. Below are more ways Texans who call the RGV home know that they can #CountOnCornyn!

BORDER SECURITY

A physical barrier is one part of securing our border, but it is not the whole story. We must use all the tools in our toolbox, which also includes boots-on-the-ground and surveillance technology. Any physical borders must also take into consideration cross-border trade, wildlife preserves, and landowner rights. 

Last month, the senator co-sponsored the Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act, which would analyze technological needs and gaps along the southwest border. Filling such gaps could improve national security by curbing trafficking, smuggling and other cross-border criminal activity.

Senator Cornyn also sponsored the Building America’s Trust Act, which increases the number of federal agents at ports of entry and on the border. The bill also adds more immigration judges and prosecutors, and would also pour more resources into state and local efforts to fight drug trafficking. 

This legislation was endorsed by the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition, National Association of Police Organizations, National Sheriffs’ Association, and the National Border Patrol Council. It was also lauded as a “Texas-friendly” approach to border security and the McAllen Monitor said: “Cornyn has a respected understanding of our Valley and the economics of our region, which relies on cross-border trade and eco-tourism.”  

INTERNATIONAL TRADE/USMCA

Earlier this year, Senator Cornyn supported the passage of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA), which is an economic boon for Texas — especially in the Rio Grande Valley, bringing greater investment in highways and bridges and more jobs. The senator has always been a strong proponent and advocate for the importance of our country’s trade with Mexico, and has fought for funding to ensure international bridges and other infrastructure are adequate to support our robust economic partnership. Together with Congressman Henry Cuellar, Senator Cornyn works to encourage public-private partnerships at ports along the border, boosting trade and creating more jobs.

COMBATTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As a district judge, Texas Supreme Court justice, Attorney General and U.S. Senator, Cornyn has played critical roles in delivering justice to victims, survivors and their loved ones. In the Senate he’s sponsored the:

• Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which cracks down on human trafficking and provides help for victims by:
  • Creating new law enforcement tools to fight human traffickers and the criminal networks that support them
  • Punishing pimps for buying and selling trafficked victims
  • Using fines from perpetrators to create a Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund to pay for victims’ services and law enforcement programs
  •  Treating exploited children as the victims they are – not as criminals.
• Abolish Human Trafficking Act, which toughens penalties on criminals and strengthens survivor support by:
  • Funding victims’ services and law enforcement
  • Empowering and restoring victims’ lives
  • Fighting human traffickers
  • Increasing awareness and prevention
• Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act, which modifies taxable income from including civil damages, restitution, or other monetary awards given to victims of peonage, slavery, or human trafficking.

SCHOOL CHOICE

School choice empowers parents to choose the setting that best fits their child’s unique interests, learning style and educational needs. While education is rightfully managed at the local and state level, our entire country has a stake in ensuring we are raising highly educated, analytical, well-rounded citizens. 

Thousands of students and families in the Rio Grande Valley are served by charter schools. Designed to be educational laboratories, charter schools have a unique role to play in pushing the envelope and bringing innovative teaching strategies into the classroom. Charter schools are public schools, and should be held to the same level of achievement accountability and fiduciary responsibility as ISDs.

Senator Cornyn is a strong proponent of school choice, which benefits low-income families especially. In the last year, he introduced a bipartisan bill called the “GEAR UP for Success Act” to help low-income and historically underrepresented students achieve college and career readiness, improve high school graduation rates, and raise awareness of postsecondary options among students and families. 

A child should never be mandated to attend a failing or low-performing school because of their zip code. School choice is a resource to aid in breaking generational cycles of poverty, and yields positive competition that raises the tide for all schools.

DACA

Recognizing we are a nation of immigrants, Senator Cornyn has voted in support of a permanent legislative solution for the 124,000 Dreamers who call Texas their home. The senator cosponsored the Secured and Succeed Act in 2018, which proposed a solution for DACA recipients that provides a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million young adults. He also spoke in support of a legislative solution for Dreamers earlier this summer, when the Supreme Court issued its ruling on DACA.

Senator Cornyn worked closely with the Texas Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, LULAC, Catholic Bishops and a number of other individuals and organizations that share his commitment to providing certainty for these young people. 

SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AMERICAN LATINO MUSEUM

“Close to 40% of all Texans identify as Hispanic, and their history is an integral part of Texas history that must be recognized and remembered,” says Senator Cornyn. “By creating a new museum in the Smithsonian Institution, we can honor American Latino contributions and highlight their stories for future generations.”

Senator Cornyn is the Senate’s lead sponsor, along with House members Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar, Veronica Escobar, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzales and Filomon Vela, to push forward legislation authorizing the Smithsonian Institution to create a museum honoring American Latinos. Once passed and signed into law, the museum will be built along the Washington Mall, flanked by the National Gallery of Art, National Air & Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and more.