Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has reversed course on his support for maintaining the Senate filibuster as the GOP seeks to pass the SAVE America Act.
The proposed legislation would require voters to submit documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and photo ID to register to vote.
Cornyn penned an op-ed for the New York Post explaining his change of heart. He noted that Democrats had already effectively eliminated the filibuster in principle by trying to nuke it in 2022. He pointed out that they already vowed to kill the 60-vote threshold the next time they win control of the upper chamber.
“This leaves conservatives with two options,” he wrote. “We can either unilaterally disarm, or we can stand and fight.”
We can let the Democrats keep obstructing today and then smash the rules the first chance they get, or we can act now and use the mandate the American people gave this president and this Congress to secure our elections, protect our homeland and bring back common sense.
The answer is clear: We need to stand, fight and win.
Democrats started this fight. Now Republicans should finish it.
CORNYN has a new op ed saying the SAVE America Act is more important than the filibuster.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 11, 2026
“For many years, I believed that if the US Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain.
“My fellow conservatives and I have proudly…
Cornyn further noted that Democrats are “weaponizing the Senate’s rules to block the SAVE America Act, defund the Department of Homeland Security and hurt the American people — all to spite President Donald Trump.”
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He argued that “a rule is only a rule if both sides follow it” and that because “the reality on the ground changes” Republicans must do whatever it takes to pass the election-integrity measure instead of keeping the filibuster in place.
But it wasn’t just about the SAVE America Act.
Cornyn also referred to “other aspects of the far left’s obstruction” related to DHS. “Americans are being forced to wait in line for three hours at airport security checkpoints because the Democrats are blocking funding for homeland security and immigration law enforcement,” the senator wrote. “Bad enough that Democrats’ political tantrum is ruining travelers’ days — but at this time of hostilities with Iran, their financial siege of DHS is not just inconvenient, it’s dangerous.”
I’ve partnered with the president to cut taxes for working families, rebuild our military, stop inflation, transform the courts and secure our border.
Now this success story needs its next chapter.
After careful consideration, I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary for us to get the SAVE America Act and homeland security funding past the Democrats’ obstruction, through the Senate, and on the president’s desk for his signature.
The lawmaker asserted that “Process matters, but outcomes matter more: The Democrats’ assault on election integrity and national security must be stopped” and called on his Republican colleagues who continue defending the filibuster “to reassess the new reality and update their thinking.”
President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he will not make an endorsement in the Texas Republican Senate primary until the SAVE America Act is passed. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running against Cornyn, suggested that he would consider dropping out of the race if Senate Republicans pass the legislation.
Editor's Note: The Democrats are doing everything in their power to undermine the integrity of our elections.
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