Sen. John Cornyn: Opposed Obama’s Amnesty Before Voting For It

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) voted to fund President Obama’s executive amnesty during the lame-duck session contrary to his earlier statements. He was one of several Senators who had come out against the president’s actions, but then voted much differently.

These Senators, including Senator Cornyn, had an opportunity to back up their rhetoric with action when Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) raised a “point of order” challenging the constitutionality of the president’s executive action while the Senate debated the 2015 spending bill.

While 21 other Senators stood up and voted with Senator Cruz, 28 Senators who had previously come out against executive amnesty voted in favor of fully funding it.

After the president announced his plans for executive amnesty, Senator Cornyn released the following statement:

But the answer is not, and it can’t be, a Presidential abuse of power. So I wish the President wouldn’t do this. It won’t work. It’s unconstitutional. It purports to exercise a power he himself said he does not have, but he seems determined to do it, nonetheless.

For a full list of U.S. Senators who voted for and against the Senator Cruz’s point of order, see the roll call vote.