Texas Sen. John Cornyn Latest to Question Border Deal: 'I Have Questions and Serious Concerns'

Texas GOP Senator John Cornyn is the latest to express his reservations about the border security bill unveiled Sunday night by a bipartisan group of senators. Although the Senate is expected to vote on the measure this week, the bill has already been pronounced DOA by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

It is a departure for Cornyn, who was once dubbed a RINO by Trump but who endorsed the former president in January. He had been a vocal supporter of the months-long negotiations over the terms of the legislation.

See:

Speaker Mike Johnson Declares So-Called 'Border Security' Bill Dead on Arrival

Senate Finally Releases Draft of Already DOA Package for Border, Israel, and Ukraine

Cornyn now has issues with the deal, however:

But after seeing the result of those negotiations, Cornyn appears to be backing off.
“Now that I have seen text, I have questions and serious concerns,” Cornyn said in a statement to the conservative news outlet Breitbart.

However, he's still perusing the 370-page bill, and it sounds like he's still on the fence about whether he'll ultimately vote for it or not.

Cornyn later told reporters in San Antonio that he is still reading the bill and has not made a decision on how he will vote. He said that if it makes "incrementally a better situation ... that's something I think I should consider."

He did, however, point out the most obvious flaw in the bill—it would require President Biden to actually do something, which he has steadfastly refused to do in the past.

"My biggest apprehension is that, given the fact that President Biden has not used the current laws that are in effect, I worry that he will do this with this new set of proposals," Cornyn said, according to the Texas Tribune.

The #BidenBorderCrisis is shaping up to be a constitutional crisis and he has only himself to blame https://t.co/DqO2nlJD2D
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 5, 2024

If Cornyn jumps ship, it could be a serious blow to hopes of the bill's passage, as he represents a key border state and is seen as an ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The bill now appears to face an uphill climb as multiple senators and congresspeople have come out against it. It will now follow a somewhat tortuous path through Congress:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to start the process of passing the full supplemental funding request from President Biden — which includes the border component and aid for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and for humanitarian purposes — by the end of the week...
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told reporters Sunday night that he is open to further negotiations with the House on the package, but it is unclear how that would go over with the White House and Democratic negotiators.
The initial goal was for the bill to win a majority of the Senate GOP conference, but that is looking increasingly unlikely; several Senate conservatives panned the proposal shortly after it was released Sunday.
McConnell notably did not throw his full weight behind the bill in a statement Sunday night, though he has been widely supportive of the negotiations throughout the months-long process.

There will be plenty of back and forth as this bill moves forward, and it's unclear on which side Sen. Cornyn will ultimately land. Proponents of the measure certainly can't be feeling too good about its chances right now though.

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