Issue Position: Crime & Law Enforcement
Issue Position
Issue Position: Crime & Law Enforcement
Sen. Cornyn greets and thanks Department of Public Safety troopers for their work at the Texas State Operations Center in Austin. 9/24/2005
After working most of his professional career in Texas law enforcement, Senator John Cornyn knows first-hand the dedication of the men and women who protect our fellow Texans. While serving as Attorney General of Texas, the state's chief law enforcement officer, Cornyn created and backed numerous initiatives to strengthen law enforcement, including the groundbreaking Texas Exile program, which increases the penalties for criminal gun use by convicted felons.
John Cornyn has taken his Texas experience to the United States Senate, advocating issues that bolster law enforcement through his work on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He believes that local, state, and federal authorities must work together as partners to enforce the law, and that they must be given the legal tools and funding resources necessary to do their jobs well. Over the past four years, Senator Cornyn has established a strong record on law enforcement issues.
His accomplishments include:
* Helped pass the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 allowing active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons nationwide.
* Supported the State Justice Institute Reauthorization Act of 2004, providing grants to law enforcement for the purchase of bulletproof vests. Since 2004, Texas law enforcement has received almost $3 million for 25,198 vests.
* Supported the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, providing a $262,000 survivors' benefit to families of public safety officers who die from a duty-related heart attack or stroke.
* Helped fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, bringing $60 million to Texas to fund 275 new police officers on Texas streets.
* Supported the PROTECT Act, creating a national AMBER Alert Network, providing $25 million to states, allowing prosecutors to bring John Doe/DNA indictments for federal sex offenses against an unnamed individual's DNA profile, and allowing prosecution beyond the five-year statute of limitations.
* Supported the Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, creating a national registration system for sex offenders and offenders against children, and increasing the punishments for any violent crimes against children.
* Cosponsored the Crime Victims Rights constitutional amendment, protecting crime victims' rights by keeping them properly informed, represented, and heard at important stages of the case against their attackers.
* Cosponsored the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program Reauthorization Act of 2003, reimbursing Texas approximately $24 million a year for the cost of incarcerating criminal illegal immigrants, and has continually supported efforts to increase the funding Texas receives from the program.
* Introduced an amendment to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, providing reimbursement to border law enforcement officials who participate in immigration training programs.
* Sponsored the Going After Nefarious Gangs (GANG) Act of 2006, increasing prison sentences for gang-related crimes and providing law enforcement with sophisticated technology to crack down on criminal street gangs.
Senator Cornyn continues to work in the 111th Congress to support law enforcement:
* Cosponsoring the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007 to allow non-traditional law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms and to expand retired law enforcement officers' eligibility to carry concealed weapons.
* Introduced the Law Enforcement Officers and Judges Protection Act of 2007 to curb frivolous lawsuits against police officers; impose mandatory sentences for crimes against federal law enforcement officers; allow federal judges and U.S. attorneys to carry firearms; and impose mandatory penalties on those who threaten the families of federal judges or law enforcement officers.
* Cosponsoring the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 to help law enforcement combat gang violence by cooperating to identify, target, and eliminate violent gangs; establish new offenses that allow law enforcement to fight gang activity more effectively; and authorize $1 billion for community programs that prevent youth from joining gangs.
* Cosponsoring the Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act of 2007 to distribute homeland security funding to local law enforcement based on actual threats and vulnerabilities.
* Cosponsoring and helping pass the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 to strengthen and expand protections for judges and their families.
Senator Cornyn continues to work in the 110th Congress to support law enforcement:
* Cosponsoring the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007 to allow non-traditional law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms and to expand retired law enforcement officers' eligibility to carry concealed weapons.
* Introduced the Law Enforcement Officers and Judges Protection Act of 2007 to curb frivolous lawsuits against police officers; impose mandatory sentences for crimes against federal law enforcement officers; allow federal judges and U.S. attorneys to carry firearms; and impose mandatory penalties on those who threaten the families of federal judges or law enforcement officers.
* Cosponsoring the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 to help law enforcement combat gang violence by cooperating to identify, target, and eliminate violent gangs; establish new offenses that allow law enforcement to fight gang activity more effectively; and authorize $1 billion for community programs that prevent youth from joining gangs.
* Cosponsoring the Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act of 2007 to distribute homeland security funding to local law enforcement based on actual threats and vulnerabilities.
* Cosponsoring and helping pass the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 to strengthen and expand protections for judges and their families.
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