AUSTIN, Texas — Now that the Republicans have retaken control of the United States Senate after last week’s elections, Texas Senator John Cornyn, who had served as Minority Whip for the Republicans, has officially been elected by Senate Republicans as their Majority Whip. Cornyn will be the second most powerful Republican in the Senate, after Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who fended off a challenge from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, was elected Senate Majority Leader.
In a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas, Cornyn said, “I’m humbled to have been chosen by my colleagues to help lead the new majority in the U.S. Senate, and I pledge that those fundamental Texas values of personal liberty and limited government will continue to be my guide. After years of gridlock and dysfunction in the Senate the work before us is considerable, but Republicans approach this opportunity with determination, with humility, and above all with a firm commitment to address the top priorities of the American people.”
In previous interviews with Breitbart Texas, Cornyn has described his frustration with how the Senate operated under Democrat Harry Reid’s control, describing the Senate as a “killing field” for good legislation. At least one of the Republicans’ legislative priorities Cornyn identified, the Keystone XL pipeline, will not need to wait for the Republicans to officially take control in January, as Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, in a runoff election with Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy for the last undecided Senate seat, has pushed for a vote on her bill to approve the pipeline. The Republican-controlled House has already passed several bills, and Cassidy filed his own similar bill this week as well.
Keystone XL pipeline vote in House today, in Senate on Tuesday#electionshaveconsequences
— JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) November 13, 2014
Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter at @rumpfshaker.
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