John Cornyn Backs Debate on SAVE America Act, Ken Paxton Fires Back

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) announced his support for the Senate moving forward with debate on the SAVE America Act -- a bill aimed at strengthening election security requirements -- while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) pushed back against the senator's stance.

Sen. Cornyn released a statement announcing that he voted in favor of the motion to proceed with the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and present photo identification before casting ballots in federal elections.

"I was proud to cast my vote in favor of the historic SAVE America Act, and I support using the talking filibuster and making any changes necessary to the Senate rules to get it passed and signed into law by President Trump as soon as possible," said Cornyn.

He added that moving the bill forward would allow lawmakers to publicly debate election security requirements.

"I'm glad the Senate will debate this bill and hold Democrats' feet to the fire to see who is willing to go on the record opposing voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote- things that an overwhelming majority of Texans and Americans support," said Cornyn. "Let's get it done."

The SAVE America Act is a top priority for President Donald Trump and many congressional Republicans. However, AG Paxton responded sharply to Cornyn's announcement, accusing the senator of shifting his position only after facing political pressure.

"The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and failure is not an option," said Paxton. "We must use every tool at our disposal, whether it's the talking filibuster or voting to abolish the filibuster, to get this done."

Paxton also criticized Cornyn's past defense of the Senate filibuster.

"For months, John Cornyn said abolishing the filibuster was a 'nonstarter' and said the talking filibuster was not 'feasible.' Only after I called him out repeatedly did he flip-flop," said Paxton.

The exchange highlights the growing tension between Cornyn and Paxton as both men seek to win the nomination for Senate in the May Runoff. With debate on the SAVE America Act now underway, the legislation has become both a major policy fight in Washington and a central point in Texas Republican Politics.