Cornyn Highlights Accomplishments for Texans in 115th Congress

I spoke last week about Congress’s record of accomplishments under Republican control and highlighted economic gains for Texans, regulatory relief for small businesses, and the confirmation of new judges in particular. Excerpts of my remarks are below, and video can be found here. 

“I'm sure I'm not unique in the fact that when I go home, my constituents ask me, ‘what in the heck is going on up there?’ And the truth is, amid the polarization, the misinformation, the arguments, the disagreements we naturally will have because we represent different parties, different regions, different points of view, it’s really important to occasionally reflect on what it is we've actually done.”

GOP CONGRESS: RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

A Growing List of Achievements by the 115^th Congress

• DISASTER FUNDING: Appropriated nearly $147 billion in disaster-related funding for natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.
• TAX REFORM: Reformed America’s tax code for the first time in 31 years - putting more money in the American people’s pockets and creating more opportunity for them and their children.
• JUDGES: Set a record last year on circuit court confirmations. Now up to a total of 21 circuit court confirmations so far, which is one-eighth of all circuit court judgeships, and confirmed Justice Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
• REGULATORY REFORM: Used Congressional Review Act (CRA) a record-setting 16 times to roll back Obama-era regulations.
• ENERGY: Opened one of the largest untapped conventional oilfields in North America, in Alaska, to help keep energy affordable.
• VETERANS: Delivered real reform and real choice to American veterans with the VA MISSION Act, modernized the veterans appeals process, reformed G.I. bill benefits and further improved VA accountability. 
• DEFENSE: Helped restore America’s defense with the greatest investment in the military in 15 years and largest troop pay increase in 8 years.
• HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN: Enacted the longest S-CHIP extension in history.
• BANKING REFORM: Provided relief from burdensome Dodd-Frank red tape for Main Street borrowers and lenders for the first time.
• COMBATING OPIOID ABUSE: Enacted ‘a multibillion-dollar boost’ to combat a nationwide epidemic.
• HOPE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL: Provided terminally ill patients access to experimental treatments (Right to Try legislation).
• SCHOOL SAFETY: Enacted Fix NICS and STOP School Violence Act to help protect America’s children from gun violence.
• FIGHTING SEX TRAFFICKING: Enacted the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA) to combat trafficking.
• OBAMACARE: Repealed the individual mandate tax that forced Americans to buy something many didn’t want or couldn’t afford, and ended IPAB.
• FIGHTING TERRORISM: Enacted the Taylor Force Act to disincentivize payments to terrorists.
• SANCTIONS: Imposed on Iran, Russia, and North Korea.
• REINING IN THE REGULATORS: Changed the balance of numerous boards and commissions from Democrat to Republican control, including the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).