Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn

Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn

March 2, 2004

Texas Independence Day

This session of Congress is primarily focused on security: national, homeland, and economic. These are critical times in our nation's history, and I am proud to be serving you in Washington, taking Texas values inside the beltway. I encourage you to join with fellow Texans on March 2nd to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo as we celebrate Texas Independence Day.

Jobs and Economy

I believe it's very important that we in government take all the steps necessary to get our economy growing again, support free market innovation, and encourage job creation. I was also honored to receive the 2004 Spirit of Enterprise award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. For the past month, I have traveled around Texas to see the great partnerships between our community colleges and local businesses, including stops in Amarillo, Pasadena, Austin and Harlingen. I believe that such partnerships are critical to our efforts to get our economy moving again, give people the training they need to succeed, and-most importantly-create jobs.

Defending Traditional Marriage

I strongly believe that we must defend traditional marriage from judicial activists who would redefine an institution that has stood the test of time. The President recently announced his support for a Constitutional amendment to defend marriage, and I am holding hearings this month on the Massachusetts court's ruling and the national implications of judicial activism. We have a duty to do whatever is necessary to uphold an institution that has only strengthened our nation and our society.

Highway Reauthorization

I remain dedicated to improving transportation in Texas and will fight for that goal in my role on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Transportation is the lifeblood of our Texas economy, and that's why I believe it's so important that we have a new, comprehensive transportation policy to get our economy rolling again. We need a transportation policy that fulfills our needs and provides a shot in the arm to areas of Texas that need help the most.

Judicial Nominations

I am also dedicated to fighting to confirm President Bush's honorable and well-qualified judicial nominees. We saw how the obstructionists in the Senate mistreated principled nominees-and we cannot allow them to get away with it. The President recently appointed both Charles Pickering and William Pryor during the Senate recess, and I applaud him for that. The President made a constitutional response to these unconstitutional filibusters out of his duty to ensure that our judicial system continues. The extremism of the other side is only more apparent in denying these honorable men up or down votes by the full Senate.

Social Security

Strengthening and protecting Social Security will be a priority in the coming year. Under current projections, the Social Security trust fund will begin to run annual deficits in 2028 that will lead to its complete exhaustion by 2042. In order to continue this important program, I support comprehensive reform of the current system, in part to allow workers to decide how a portion of the money they pay into the trust fund will be invested. I believe they should have the freedom to save their own money in personal Social Security accounts and invest these funds in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, or money markets - similar to those in the federal retirement system if they choose. This will provide a safer, stronger, and more secure retirement for all Americans.

War on Terror We continue to make progress in the War on Terror, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. I believe that we must give our troops all the support they need to hunt down those who would threaten America and the lives of our citizens. The Democrats in the Senate continue to criticize the President, and while the search for weapons of mass destruction is far from over, they need to be reminded of what we've found in Iraq: a nation shell-shocked by years spent under a cruel and ruthless dictatorship. We found rape rooms, torture chambers, and jail cells filled with young children. Besides the more than one million missing Iraqis, we found hundreds of thousands of Saddam Hussein's victims buried in mass graves spread across the desert. In the end, there is one thing that we can all be sure of: in Iraq, the executions, the torture, and the mass murders have stopped. And it was our heroic men and women in uniform who stopped it. I am proud of them, and the leadership of our Commander in Chief, George W. Bush.

Come See Me

If you're traveling to Washington for business or pleasure, I would greatly appreciate the chance to say hello while you're here. I have an open house in my office, Hart Senate Office Building , Room 625, from 9:00 to 9:30 AM every Tuesday while Congress is in session, so I can greet and talk with Texans who are here. Please call Denise Pleasant in my office at (202) 224-2934 to let me know you'll be coming.

Best regards,

Senator John Cornyn