LAW ENFORCEMENT

As Attorney General of Texas, John Cornyn served as the state’s chief law enforcement officer. In that post, he created and backed numerous initiatives to strengthen law enforcement, including the Texas Exile program, which increases penalties for criminal gun use by convicted felons, and the Texas Internet Bureau, which targets child predators and human traffickers.

He took Texas’ successes like these to the United States Senate and the Judiciary Committee, where he’s delivered tools and resources to help law enforcement fight criminals and protect our communities. 

Senator Cornyn has spearheaded several initiatives to protect our children from cyber predators. Legislation like the CyberTipline Modernization Act makes it possible for the general public and technology industry to report online instances of child exploitation. Megan’s Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, cosponsored by Senator Cornyn, ensures federal law enforcement can monitor sex offenders traveling internationally and possibly engaging in sex tourism or human trafficking.

Opioid abuse and addiction has impacted millions of Texas families, and creates difficult and sometimes dangerous situations for our law enforcement officers. Senator Cornyn voted for the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which addresses the overprescribing and abuse of opioids, and authored the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act — now law — that expands treatment of opioid abuse and overdose prevention. 

With similar compassion for redemption and in order to prevent recidivism, Senator Cornyn has led efforts such as the FIRST STEP Act and CORRECTIONS Act. 

He also sponsored the POLICE (Protecting Our Lives by Initiating COPS Expansion) Act so law enforcement and first responders receive active shooter training, and passed the National Blue Alert Act, creating a nationwide alert system when law enforcement officers are hurt or killed in the line of duty in order to help swiftly apprehend the perpetrator.

Lately, Senator Cornyn worked with Sen. Tim Scott on the JUSTICE ACT, which included impactful measures such as ending chokeholds and addressing no-knock warrants. It would also finally make lynching a federal crime. The killing of George Floyd was a brutal, senseless and avoidable tragedy, and one our country has witnessed countless times before. Unfortunately, Democrats blocked the bill and prevented the Senate from even debating it. This was an opportunity to seize on the nationwide momentum supporting progress and good. Instead, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats chose politics.