Cornyn Played An “Instrumental Role” In The 2017 Attempt To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. According to the San Antonio Express News, “Cornyn has an instrumental role in writing and working out the kinks in the health care bill along with the state's other senator, Ted Cruz. As Senate majority whip, Cornyn ensures there are enough votes to pass legislation by stringing together alliances within the Republican caucus.” [San Antonio Express News, 7/14/17]
Politco: Cornyn Faced “His Toughest Test” As The “Chief Vote-Counter For The Senate GOP: Rounding Up 50 Votes To Dismantle Obamacare.” According to Politico, “Senate Republicans are in a grumpy mood these days. Then there’s John Cornyn, who’s almost unfailingly optimistic about the GOP’s chances of passing its Obamacare repeal bill despite the increasingly long odds. […] Whether he’s wringing his hands in private is another matter, but the Texas Republican is facing his toughest test yet in his 4 1/2 years as chief vote-counter for the Senate GOP: rounding up 50 votes to dismantle Obamacare.” [Politico, 7/16/17]
Politico: Cornyn “Emerged As The Chief Salesman For The GOP’s Beleaguered Health Care Plan.” According to Politico, “With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell typically tight-lipped, Cornyn has emerged as a chief salesman for the GOP’s beleaguered health care plan.” [Politico, 7/16/17]
Cornyn Held Private Meetings With Wavering Senators To Try And Convince Them To Back The Attempt To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. According to Politico, “He’s held private one-on-one meetings with a slew of wavering senators to try to persuade them to back the party’s controversial bill, which would overhaul one-sixth of the U.S. economy and could mean that more than 20 million fewer Americans have health insurance. Cornyn said his offerings are not “state-specific” deals to convince the likes of Nevada Sen. Dean Heller or Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, although the latest drafts of the bill include some carve-outs for Florida, Alaska and Louisiana.” [Politico, 7/16/17]
2017: Cornyn Endorsed The Graham-Cassidy Bill To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. According to the Houston Chronicle, “U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, gave a strong endorsement of the latest plan, saying the concept of block granting money back to states would benefit Texas. ‘Texans will benefit in a dramatic sort of way,’ Cornyn said. The Graham-Cassidy bill is already in a tough spot after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., announced on Twitter that he will oppose the bill, just like he disapproved an earlier attempt to repeal ObamaCare that failed in the Senate last month.” [Houston Chronicle, 9/24/17]
2017: Cornyn Voted For The So Called “Skinny Repeal” Version Of Trumpcare Which Among Other Things, Repealed The Individual Mandate, Repealed The Employer Mandate Through 2024 And Defunded Planned Parenthood For One Year. In July 2017, Cornyn voted for the Health Care Freedom Act, also known as “skinny repeal.” According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have “repeal[ed] the individual mandate, repeal[ed] the employer mandate through 2024, delay[ed] the implementation of the medical device tax through 2020, and block[ed], for one year, federal funding from going to certain medical providers that provide abortions. The amendment would [have] ease[d] the waiver process for states to opt out of the requirement that their health insurance providers include certain benefits on their health care plans. Additionally, the amendment would [have] increase[d] the maximum allowable contribution to health savings accounts and would defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in 2019.” The vote was on the amendment. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 49 to 51. [Senate Vote 179, 7/28/17; Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/17; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 667; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 267; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1628]
2015: Cornyn Voted For A Bill That Repealed Portions Of The Affordable Care Act, Including Eliminating The Act’s Medicaid Expansion In 2018. In December 2015, Cornyn voted for a bill that according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “scrap[ed] in 2018 the law’s Medicaid expansion, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges.” Additionally, according to Congressional Quarterly the bill would have “repeal[ed] portions of the 2010 health care law and block[ed] federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. As amended, the bill would zero-out the law’s penalties for noncompliance with the law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance.” The vote was on passage of a reconciliation bill. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 52 to 47. The bill was later passed by the full Congress, which the president then vetoed. The House was not able to override the veto. [Senate Vote 329, 12/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/3/15; Real Clear Politics, 12/4/15 Congressional Actions, H.R. 3762]
2015: Cornyn Effectively Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In July 2015, Cornyn effectively voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, the vote was on a “Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on [the amendment] […] that would repeal the 2010 health care law.” The underlying bill was a three-year highway funding bill. The vote was on a motion to invoke cloture. The Senate rejected the motion 49 to 43; 60 Senators voting yes would have been required to invoke cloture. [Senate Vote 253, 7/26/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/26/15; The Hill, 7/26/15; Congressional Actions, S. 2328; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 2327; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 2266; Congressional Actions, H.R. 22]
2015: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of The FY 2016 Conference Report Budget Resolution. In May 2015, Cornyn voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act as part of the FY 2016 Conference Report budget resolution. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Adoption of the conference report on the concurrent resolution that would reduce spending by $5.3 trillion over the next 10 years, including $2 trillion in reductions from repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul.” The vote was on the Conference Report; the Conference Report, which also passed the House, was passed by a vote of 51 to 48. [Senate Vote 171, 5/5/15; Congressional Quarterly, 5/5/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
2013: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act, As Part Of Senator Rand Paul’s Proposed Budget. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for repealing the Affordable Care Act, as part of Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2023. The vote was on an amendment to the Senate budget resolution replacing the entire budget with Paul’s proposed budget; the Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 18 to 81. [Senate Vote 69, 3/22/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 263; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]
2013: Cornyn Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act And The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. In March 2013, Cornyn voted for an amendment that, according to HuffPost, “sought to ‘establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.’” The amendment was to the Senate Budget for FY 2014. The vote was on the amendment, which the Senate rejected by a vote of 45 to 54. [Senate Vote 51, 3/22/13; HuffPost, 3/22/13; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 202; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 8]
2012: Cornyn Voted To Consider Sen. Pat Toomey’s Proposed Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. In May 2012, Cornyn voted to consider repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as part of Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2022. The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the resolution; the motion failed by a vote of 42 to 57. [Senate Vote 99, 5/16/12; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 37]
2012: Cornyn Effectively Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act As Part Of The FY 2013 Ryan Budget. In May 2012, Cornyn effectively voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as part of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2013 to 2022. According to the House Budget Committee, the budget would “repeal the President’s health care law.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to consider the House-passed budget resolution, which the Senate rejected by a vote of 41 to 58. [Senate Vote 98, 5/16/12; House Budget Committee, 3/20/12; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 112]
2011: Cornyn Voted For A Republican Jobs Proposal Known As The “Jobs Through Growth Act” That Included A Provision To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. In November 2011, Cornyn voted for an amendment that would have put in place a number of Republican policy priorities. According to The Hill, “The ‘Jobs Through Growth Act,’ penned by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) […] included a Sense of the Congress that a balanced budget to the Constitution is needed, a provision to make it easier for the government to rescind unspent funds and a reduction in taxes for individuals and companies. It also would have repealed last year’s healthcare law and the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.” The amendment was a second-degree amendment to a bill to end the withholding requirement for payments to government contractors. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 40 to 56. [Senate Vote 202, 11/10/11; The Hill, 11/10/11; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 928; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 927; Congressional Actions, H.R. 674]
2011: Cornyn Voted For Repealing The Affordable Care Act. In February 2011, Cornyn voted for an amendment that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act. The amendment would have been made to the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) had made a point of order that the amendment would increase the federal deficit, the vote was on a motion to waive those budgetary requirements. The motion failed by a vote of 47 to 51. [Senate Vote 9, 2/2/11; Congressional Record, 2/2/11; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 13; Congressional Actions, S. 223]
2010: Cornyn Effectively Voted Against The Reconciliation Act Modifying And Finalizing The Affordable Care Act. In March 2010, Cornyn effectively voted against the reconciliation act modifying the Affordable Care Act. The legislation, according to Congressional Quarterly, “ma[d]e changes to the 2010 health care overhaul law, revise student lending procedures and provide new revenue-raising provisions.” The vote was on a motion to proceed to the bill. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 56 to 40. The legislation was later passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president. [Senate Vote 63, 3/23/10; Congressional Quarterly, 3/23/10; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4872]
2009: Cornyn Voted Against The Affordable Care Act. In December 2009, Cornyn voted against the ACA. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would “overhaul the nation's health insurance system and require most individuals to buy health insurance by 2014. It would create a system of national private insurance plans supervised by the Office of Personnel Management and create state-run marketplaces for purchasing health insurance. Those that do not obtain coverage would be subject to an excise tax. Excluded from the mandate would be those exempt from filing income tax and others with a hardship waiver, religious objection or those who cannot afford coverage. Employers with 50 or more workers would have to provide coverage or pay a fine if any employee gets a subsidized plan on the exchange. The bill would provide tax credits to certain small businesses for providing coverage and provide subsidies to individuals making up to four times the federal poverty level, excluding illegal immigrants. It would bar the use of federal funds to pay for abortions in the new programs created under the bill, except in the cases of rape, incest or if the woman's life is in danger. It would bar insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions beginning in 2014, and also bar them from dropping coverage of people who become ill. It would expand eligibility for Medicaid, shrink the coverage gap under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and create an advisory board to reduce the per capita growth rate in Medicare spending.” The vote was passage. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 60 to 39. The House later passed the legislation, which was then signed into law by the president. A reconciliation bill later amended the law. [Senate Vote 396, 12/24/09; Congressional Quarterly, 12/24/09; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3590]