Tipsheet

John Cornyn Announces Support for Ending Silent Filibuster to Pass SAVE America Act

Senator John Cornyn has announced that he would support implementing the talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act in the Senate. The voter ID bill has taken center stage in the Texas Senate primary, as Cornyn’s run-off opponent Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that he would drop out of the race if the Senate would force the election integrity effort through.

Cornyn reiterated his support for the SAVE Act soon after Paxton announced his willingness to strike a deal with Senate leaders over the vitally important legislation. Paxton took the opportunity to claim that Cornyn lacked true commitment to the issue unless he pushed for an end to the silent filibuster.

Paxton then took a victory lap after Cornyn announced that he would support utilizing the talking filibuster to pass this key piece of the Trump agenda, stating that he “made Cornyn more conservative in the last 3 days than he's been in the last 24 years.” A pro-Paxton PAC has claimed that Cornyn's sudden support for up-ending the silent filibuster is opportunism.

Republican leadership has already spent tens of millions to stave off a loss for Cornyn, who view Cornyn as the party's best candidate to defeat Democrat nominee James Talarico in November. That number sure to grow quickly as the two enter the most watched GOP run-off this cycle. Many grassroots Texans and influencers have encouraged Paxton, saying that he is the candidate to mobilize the Trump base. A deal made to end the bloody primary could offer the potential to save funds for priority races in other states. Cornyn finished ahead of Paxton in the first round of voting by about 20,000 votes.

The primary showdown between the two titans of Texas politics will take place on May 26.