| John Cornyn | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 2, 2002 Serving with Kay Bailey Hutchison |
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| Preceded by | W. Philip Gramm |
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| Born | February 2, 1952 Houston, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sandy Cornyn |
| Alma mater | Trinity University |
| Religion | Church of Christ |
John Cornyn III (born February 2, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. William Philip Gramm (born July 8 1942, in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA is an American politician who served as a Democratic Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Trinity University is an independent primarily Undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. He is a Republican and was elected to his first term in November 2002, having defeated Democrat Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas, Texas. November 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Ronald "Ron" Kirk (born June 27, 1954) was the first African American Mayor of Dallas Texas; he also ran for the United [1][2]
Contents |
Early life and law career
Cornyn was born in Houston, Texas to Atholene Gale Danley and John Cornyn II. [3] He graduated from Trinity University in 1973, where he majored in journalism and was a member of the local fraternity Chi Delta Tau. Trinity University is an independent primarily Undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people [4][2][5] He earned a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1977, and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional St Mary’s University is a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution located on 135 acres northwest of historic downtown San Antonio St Mary's University School of Law has the distinction of being the oldest Catholic law school in the American Southwest The Master of Laws is an advanced Academic degree, or research degree and is commonly abbreviated LL The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his [6][7]
From 1999 to 2002, John Cornyn was the Texas Attorney General. He served in San Antonio for six years as a district judge before being elected in 1990 to the Texas Supreme Court, where he served for seven years. The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters (including Juvenile delinquency which the law considers to be a civil matter and not criminal [2] In 2005, Cornyn's name was mentioned among possibilities to replace Supreme Court justices Sandra Day O'Connor or William Rehnquist. A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American Jurist. William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1 1924 – September 3 2005 was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure who served as an Associate Justice [8]
Senate career
In 2004, Cornyn co-founded and became the co-chairman of the U. S. Senate India Caucus. [9] Cornyn was selected by his colleagues in December 2006 to be a member of the five-person Republican Senate leadership team as Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Senate Republican Conference is the formal organization of the (currently 49 Republican Senators in the United States Senate. [10]
While in the Senate, Cornyn has received various awards and recognitions, including the 2005 Border Texan of the Year Award; the National Child Support Enforcement Association’s Children’s Champion Award; the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Friend of Farm Bureau Award; the Texas Association of Business’s (TAB) Fighter for Free Enterprise Award; the National Federation of Independent Business’s (NFIB) Guardian of Small Business Award; the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders’s (CONLAMIC) Latino Leadership Award; and the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce’s (TAMACC) International Leadership Legislative Award; among others. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF and commonly referred to as the Farm Bureau is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting protecting and representing The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB is a lobbying organization with offices in Washington D [2]
On May 18, 2007, Cornyn was involved in an altercation with fellow (and Senior) Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. "During a meeting Thursday on immigration legislation, McCain and Sen. John Cornyn got into a shouting match when Cornyn started voicing concerns about the number of judicial appeals that illegal immigrants could receive, according to multiple sources — both Democrats and Republicans — who heard firsthand accounts of the exchange from lawmakers who were in the room. In Law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country McCain cursed at Cornyn after he told McCain, "Wait a second here. I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line. "[11]
Cornyn faces re-election in 2008. He is considered politically vulnerable because he was elected with less than 55 percent of the vote in a Republican year. His Democratic opponent is Rick Noriega of Houston, a member of the Texas House of Representatives and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. Richard Joel "Rick" Noriega (born January 8 1958 is a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 145 in eastern Houston, first elected The Texas House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Texas Legislature. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on the Budget
- Select Committee on Ethics (Ranking Member)
Political views
Cornyn was ranked by National Journal as the fourth-most conservative United States Senator in their 2006 rankings. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate, the The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Refugees and Border Security is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. The United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism Technology and Homeland Security is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution is one of seven subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee on Armed Services is a Committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Sea Power is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee. The United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The US Senate Select Committee on Ethics is a select committee of the United States Senate charged with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics National Journal is a weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined [12] He is considered by the Dallas Morning News to be a reliable ally of President George W. Bush on most issues. The Dallas Morning News is the major daily Newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas ( USA) area with a circulation of around a half-million George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. [13]
Environment and energy
In 2005, Cornyn voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum He voted against factoring global warming into federal project planning, and against banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. He voted against reducing oil usage by 40%, rather than by 5%. He also voted against removing oil and gas exploration subsidies. [14] During his tenure in the Senate, Cornyn has scored 0% on the League of Conservation Voter's environmental scorecard, a system of ranking politicians according to their voting record on environmental legislation. [15] Cornyn has been described by Jim Jubak of MSN Money as one of "Big Oil's ten favorite members of Congress," as he has received more money from the oil and gas industry than all but six other members of Congress. MSN (The M icro' s' oft N etwork is a collection of Internet services provided by Microsoft. The term supermajor illustrates the six largest non state-owned energy companies as seen in popular financial mediums around the world [16]
Civil rights and law enforcement
In the 2004 debate surrounding the Federal Marriage Amendment, Cornyn released an advance copy of a speech he was to give at the Heritage Foundation. The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA (also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. In the speech, he wrote, "It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. The box turtle or box tortoise is one of several Species of Turtle. But that does not mean it is right . . . [N]ow you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife. " He removed the reference to the box turtle in the actual speech, but the Washington Post ran the quote, as did The Daily Show. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Daily Show (known in its current incarnation as The Daily Show [17][18]
In September 2005, Cornyn sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement to force anyone arrested or detained to provide samples of their DNA, which would be recorded in a central database. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known [19] He voted to recommend a constitutional ban on flag desecration and for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Flag desecration is a term applied to various acts that intentionally deface a Flag, most often a National flag (though other flags can be defaced as well He also voted for the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and extending its wiretap provision. The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the Patriot Act, is a controversial Act of Congress that U The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns Surveillance of persons within the United States incident to the collection of Foreign intelligence by the He is rated an A by the National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the [14]
Surprisingly for a Senator from the Alamo state, Senator John Cornyn said on December 20, 2005: "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead" in a speech supporting reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the Patriot Act, is a controversial Act of Congress that U [20]
Abortion and stem cell research
John Cornyn was rated 0% by NARAL Pro-Choice America, which indicates a pro-life voting record. NARAL Pro-Choice America (pronounced "NAY-ral" is a Pro-choice organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-life individuals generally believe that human life should be valued either from conception or Implantation He voted to ban partial-birth abortions except in cases where the mother's life was in danger and for criminal penalty for harming a fetus while committing another crime. Intact dilation and extraction ( IDX or intact D&X) also known as intact dilation and evacuation ( intact D&E) dilation and extraction A fetus (or foetus or fœtus) is a developing Mammal or other Viviparous Vertebrate, after the Embryonic stage and He also voted in favor of notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. Parental consent laws (also known as parental involvement or parental notification laws in some countries require that one or more Parents He voted against expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. Embryonic stem cells (ES cells are Stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage Embryo known as a Blastocyst. [14] He voted to prevent contributions to organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning, and to prevent funding of organizations that support coercive abortion. Family planning is frequently used to mean that people plan when to have children using Birth control, preconceptional counseling. [21]
War, peace, and homeland security
Cornyn voted against removing troops from of Iraq by July 2007, and he later voted against removing them by March 2008. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. July 2007 is the seventh month of that year It began on a Sunday and 31 days later ended on a Tuesday. International holidays March 2 - Mothering Sunday (Britain March 7 - Nyepi (Indonesia He voted against implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report and restoring $565 million for states' and ports' first responders. 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report of the events leading up to First responder is a term used to describe the first medically-trained responder to arrive on scene of an emergency accident natural or human-made disaster or similar event He also voted against restricting businesses with ties to terrorism. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion He voted against preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo Cornyn was one of only 22 Senators to vote against the 2008 GI Bill that would expand the educational benefits for soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. [22]
Economy and taxes
Cornyn is a cosponsor of the Fair Tax Act of 2007. The FairTax is a proposed change to the federal tax laws of the United States that would replace all federal income taxes with a single national retail [23] He voted to permanently repeal the estate tax and for raising the estate tax exemption to $5 million. Estate tax and Death duty redirect here Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which He voted in favor of $350 billion in tax cuts over 11 years, and supports making President Bush's tax cuts permanent. [14]
Judicial nominations
John Cornyn voted to confirm Samuel Alito as a Supreme Court Justice and John Roberts for Chief Justice. Samuel Anthony Alito Jr (born April 1, 1950) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. John Glover Roberts Jr (born January 27 1955) is the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the U [14] In September 2005, during the Supreme Court hearings for Roberts, Cornyn's staff passed out bingo cards to reporters. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. Bingo is a Game of chance in which randomly selected numbers are drawn and players match those numbers to those appearing on 5x5 matrices which are printed or electronically He asked them to stamp their card every time a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee used terms such as "far right" or "extremist". The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group Extremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society or otherwise claimed to violate [24]
Electoral history
| Texas U.S. Senate Election 2002[1] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | John Cornyn | 2,480,991 | 54. The 2002 United States Senate election featured a series of fiercely-contested elections that resulted in a victory for the Republican Party, which gained two seats and 7 | ||
| Democratic | Ron Kirk | 1,946,681 | 43. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Ronald "Ron" Kirk (born June 27, 1954) was the first African American Mayor of Dallas Texas; he also ran for the United 3 | ||
| Libertarian | Scott Jameson | 35,538 | 0. The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11 1971 78 | ||
| Green | Roy Williams | 25,051 | 0. One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party 55 | ||
Personal life
Cornyn and his wife, Sandy, have two daughters, Haley and Danley.
See also
United States Senate election in Texas, 2008
References
- ^ a b "Office of the Secretary of State". Texas will elect a member of the United States Senate in 2008 Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ a b c d "United States Senator John Cornyn, Texas: About Senator Cornyn". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "1". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "U.S. Senator To Address Trinity University Undergraduates". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Alumni Association Foundation - Chi Delta Tau". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "U.S. SEN. JOHN CORNYN TO SPEAK AT OPENING OF CENTER FOR TERRORISM LAW AT ST. MARY´S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Alumni in the News, 2002". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Possible Nominees to the Supreme Court", The Washington Post, July 1, 2005.
- ^ "India Caucus formed in US Senate". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Senate Republican Conference :: About the SRC". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ McCain, Cornyn Engage in Heated Exchange Washington Post Capital Exchange. May 18, 2007 Retrieved June 21, 2007
- ^ "NATIONAL JOURNAL: 2006 Vote Ratings (03/02/2007)". Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Bush rallies immigration bill's GOP foes" Dallas Morning News June 13, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e "John Cornyn on the Issues". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Big Oil's 10 favorite members of Congress". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ Romano, Lois. "In Oklahoma, GOP Race Not a Given", The Washington Post, July 12, 2004.
- ^ "The Boys in the Ban". Retrieved on November 14, 2007.
- ^ Washington Post Article, 9/23/05
- ^ "The GOP's 'Give Me Death' Defense on Domestic Spying".
- ^ "Votes by John Cornyn. Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ Retrieved on May 23, 2008 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00137
- ^ "S. 1025: Fair Tax Act of 2007 (GovTrack.us)". Retrieved on September 19, 2007.
- ^ Milbank, Dana. ""Final Day of Nomination Hearings: Yawn."", The Washington Post, September 16, 2005.
External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- New York Times — John Cornyn News collected news and commentary
- SourceWatch Congresspedia - John Cornyn profile
- John Cornyn at the Open Directory Project
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dan Morales |
Attorney General of Texas 1999 – 2002 |
Succeeded by Greg Abbott |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Phil Gramm |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Texas 2002-12-02 – present Served alongside: Kay Bailey Hutchison |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Kay Bailey Hutchinson |
Vice-Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Cornyn, John, III |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | junior United States Senator from Texas |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 2, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Houston, Texas |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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