Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is denying that pressure from the MAGA movement was behind his decision to endorse the talking filibuster to secure passage of the SAVE America Act.
In a brief interview with the Washington Examiner on Monday, Cornyn said that pressure from runoff primary opponent Ken Paxton or a potential endorsement from President Donald Trump did not influence his decision to endorse a procedure he was once skeptical of.
“I’ve always been open to it,” Cornyn said of using the talking filibuster. “I think, because there were people misrepresenting my position, I felt like it would be good to just be very clear.”
Over the weekend, Cornyn set aside past reservations about a talking filibuster and announced on social media that he would support the procedure to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot. Cornyn noted he was a supporter of the legislation “from Day One.”
Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, advanced to a runoff election against Cornyn last week after neither garnered 50% of the vote. For weeks, Paxton has tried to make Cornyn’s noncommittal stance on a talking filibuster a political liability as MAGA World grows frustrated with the lack of Senate action, and both men aggressively court the president for an endorsement.
At times, Cornyn has echoed GOP leaders in expressing resistance to the talking filibuster tactic, which would require Democrats to physically hold the floor to block the bill. Critics say the talking filibuster could logjam floor proceedings indefinitely and divide Republicans over unlimited simple-majority amendments from Democrats.
Meanwhile, Trump has stepped up his pressure campaign, vowing not to sign any bills into law until the GOP-controlled Senate passes the measure. Trump has also prodded congressional Republicans to attach other conservative policies to the legislation, including bans on vote-by-mail, men participating in women’s sports, and gender transition surgery for children.
But Cornyn, an institutionalist who’s long defended preserving the traditional filibuster that only requires a senator to express opposition before 60 votes are needed, also has political cover from leadership.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) reiterated Monday the lack of support among Republicans for the talking filibuster, which many fear would forever weaken the 60-vote threshold. He downplayed the conservative backlash he’s faced over the SAVE Act, chalking it up to a “paid influencer ecosystem” that is amplifying calls for its passage.
“Having studied it, researched it pretty thoroughly, you have to show me how in the end it prevails and succeeds,” Thune told reporters. “Because I think what has been promised out there is that it would actually, in the end, get an outcome, and I find it very hard to see that based on actual past experience.”
THUNE CHALKS UP MAGA PRESSURE ON SAVE AMERICA ACT TO ‘PAID INFLUENCER ECOSYSTEM’
Shortly after, Trump doubled down on his threat “not to sign anything” into law until the SAVE Act passes during a House Republican retreat in South Florida, pitching the party that the legislation will be pivotal to success in the November midterm elections.
“If it takes you six months, I’m for not approving anything. I’m for not approving anything. I don’t think we should approve anything until this is approved, and they can’t win politically,” Trump said. “You have them in a corner, and they’re listening to every word I’m saying.”
