Austin News

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) criticized Senate Majority Leader Schumer for the repeated failures in passing appropriations bills in a timely manner. In his remarks on the Senate floor, Cornyn highlighted the negative impact of Schumer's broken government funding process on national security.

Cornyn expressed concern about the dangerous habit of circumventing the normal processes for funding the government, stating, "Congress has developed a dangerous habit of circumventing the normal processes for funding the government."

He emphasized that while stopgap bills may prevent government shutdowns, they are not a good solution, particularly for critical missions like national defense. Cornyn noted, "There’s no doubt that stopgap bills are better than government shutdowns, but it’s not a good solution, especially for critical missions like national defense."

Cornyn highlighted the detrimental effects of relying on stopgap bills, stating, "By continuing to move from one stopgap bill to another, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re weakening our own defense as China’s military strength continues to grow."

The senator stressed the importance of reliable funding for defense and argued that it should take priority over other Senate tasks. He stated, "Reliable funding for our defense is vital to our security. It should come before votes on nominees and virtually every other task on the Senate’s agenda."

Cornyn expressed concern that the repeated use of stopgap bills sends a message that the nation is not serious about national security. He said, "With each stopgap bill, we’re sending the message that we’re really not serious about our national security because we’re weakening our defense. We’re crippling our readiness and hurting our long-term security."

In urging the Senate to prioritize the debate, amendment, and passage of regular appropriations bills, Cornyn questioned what it would take to convince Majority Leader Schumer of the importance of this issue. He stated, "It’s time to get serious about debating, amending, and passing those regular appropriations bills. I don’t know what it’s going to take to convince the Majority Leader that this is important."

Cornyn concluded by emphasizing the high stakes involved in ensuring adequate funding for national defense, stating, "There is far too much at stake."

The failure to pass appropriations bills in a timely manner and the reliance on stopgap measures have raised concerns about the impact on national security. Cornyn's remarks shed light on the need for reliable funding for defense and the potential consequences of not prioritizing this issue.