John Cornyn

It is a pleasure to be back with you to introduce my friend and fellow Texan, Susan Combs, to be the next Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget at the Interior Department.

Is it true that under the so-called Marketplace Certainty Act, this would appropriate billions of additional dollars to insurance companies?

I reserve the right to object. I wonder if the Senator from New Hampshire would allow me to pose a question about her request?

Today's hearing and the issues at the core of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation come at an opportune time.

I would say to the Senator from Michigan that we would be happy to work with you on high drug prices. That is a serious problem and one of the primary cost drivers of healthcare costs today. But this bill doesn't touch Medicare at all. We…

If I thought that was a sincere offer, I would take it in a minute--in a New York minute, but it is not. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will be in order.

I am really taken aback by the characterization of the minority leader here. The minority has made it clear they don't want to participate in the process of rescuing the American people from the failures of ObamaCare. The ACTING PRESIDENT…

--that we have to resort to the budget reconciliation process which has a set of statutory provisions and rules. There will be a fulsome debate. There has already been a debate on a bill you haven't read. I suggest you take the time to…

I would say, in response to my friend the minority leader, that it is as a result of their refusal to participate in the usual process of passing legislation through the regular order-- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senate will be…

I would ask the Senator from Washington if she is aware of the fact that under the budget reconciliation process, there will be an unlimited number of amendments that could be offered by either side to the bill which is ultimately filed?

I do object. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard. The Senator from Washington.

I would say, in response to my friend from New York, the fact that we are having to conduct this under the reconciliation rules is a result of their refusal to participate in the process, thus necessitating Republicans doing this under…

All Senators have a copy of the discussion draft bill. It is a discussion draft which will be open to an amendment process, with unlimited amendments which can be offered by both sides, before which we will have a fulsome debate. Our…

Reserving the right to object. None of these Senators have read the bill. I have the floor. The bill is 142 pages long compared to the 2,700-page ObamaCare bill. They can read the bill; if they have objections to the provisions, we can…

In terms of a trade surplus, my notes here indicate that energy has been a big winner with NAFTA.

Do you see energy as a key tool in a trade agreement renegotiation with NAFTA?

I hope as you negotiate this modernized NAFTA agreement, you will continue to keep that objective in mind to get 218 votes in the House and 51 votes in the Senate.

I too am comforted by the comments that you and Secretary Ross made about taking a Hippocratic oath when it comes to trade: first do no harm.

Before he leaves the floor, I want to say to my friend, the Democratic leader, among his other attributes, he now claims omniscience. He knows everything--even about things that haven't even been written yet, and I, for one, appreciate as…

The FBI Director is never empowered to supplant Federal prosecutors and assume command of the Justice Department.

Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election.

That is not the role of the FBI director, is it? That is a job for the prosecutors at the Department of Justice.

Compounding the error, the Director ignored another longstanding principle, that we do not hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation.

It is a stunning thing and it violates fundamental powers.

I didn't believe she could credibly decline that investigation, at least not without grievous damage to the Department of Justice and to the FBI.