For decades, Sen. John Cornyn was one of the Senate’s staunchest defenders of the legislative filibuster. Now, he is officially walking away from it.
Facing a stiff primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and pressure from President Trump, Mr. Cornyn said his views have shifted on the 60-vote Senate rule — the procedural hurdle that lets the minority party block most legislation unless it has broad bipartisan support.
“For many years, I believed that if the US Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,” Mr. Cornyn wrote in a New York Post op-ed Wednesday. “My fellow conservatives and I have proudly used the 60-vote threshold to protect the country from all sorts of bad ideas and dangerous policies. But when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
Mr. Cornyn said the changes are needed to pass Mr. Trump’s chief priority, the SAVE America Act, and to provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The announcement comes days after Mr. Cornyn narrowly bested Mr. Paxton in the Texas Republican primary but fell short of the majority he needed to avoid a May 26 runoff.
Mr. Trump has remained neutral in the race but says an endorsement, which could help swing it, is coming “soon.”
SEE ALSO: Thune promises SAVE America Act vote next week, but not passage
A Texas Public Opinion Research poll released this week found Mr. Paxton leading Mr. Cornyn 49% to 41% among likely Republican voters, with 11% undecided. The survey found that a Trump endorsement of Mr. Coryn would make it a neck-and-neck race, while a Trump endorsement of Mr. Paxton would widen his lead to 58% to 32%.
Both men are now racing to win his favor, knowing a Trump endorsement in the reliably red state could prove decisive in a low-turnout runoff dominated by the party’s conservative base.
Mr. Trump has long chafed at the filibuster, which he blamed during his first term for stalling key parts of his agenda. Now, in his second term, the rule has again emerged as his chief obstacle — this time blocking the SAVE America Act, a federal voter ID bill he has called his “number one priority.”
His frustration has grown in recent weeks. He told Republican senators flatly that it is “time to end the filibuster” and threatened to withhold his signature from any legislation that reaches his desk until the bill passes.
Democrats have also used the filibuster to thwart funding for the Department of Homeland Security while demanding changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Responding to Mr. Cornyn’s change of heart, Senate Majority Leader John Thune threw cold water on the idea of scrapping the rule.
“Senator Cornyn is one of 53 Republican senators and the opposition to nuking the filibuster runs greater within our conference,” Mr. Thune told reporters Wednesday.
Among those opposed is Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Ms. Collins, who is also up for re-election, recently told The Washington Times she hopes the filibuster stays around “forever.”
“Presidents have got to recognize that what goes around comes around, and Republicans aren’t always going to be in control of the House and the Senate and the White House,” Ms. Collins said. “I think you do away with the filibuster at your peril.”
Mr. Thune is planning to hold a vote on the SAVE America Act next week. The bill passed the House in February mostly along party lines but faces a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats — short of the 60 votes needed to advance it. The White House has also pushed to add restrictions on absentee voting and limits on certain medical treatments for transgender minors to the legislation, which critics say would further complicate its path.
In a nod to Mr. Trump’s desires, Mr. Paxton sought to tie his candidacy directly to the bill’s fate, saying last week he would drop out of the runoff if the Senate passes it.
“No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me — fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare,” Mr. Paxton said on social media. “For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.”
Mr. Cornyn, in his op-ed, is warning that Democrats will scrap the filibuster the next time they take control of the Senate.
He said he now supports “whatever changes to the Senate rules” that will lead to passing the SAVE Act and DHS funding.
“I believe that Democrats, with their votes and statements, have already dealt the filibuster a fatal blow: The Senate rules will change eventually, whether Republicans like it or not,” he wrote. “This leaves conservatives with two options. We can either unilaterally disarm, or we can stand and fight.”
• Lindsey McPherson contributed to this report.
