WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced his support for work requirements for able-bodied Americans as a part of means-tested programs in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation, which would help rein in spending. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“We are on our way to what President Trump likes to call ‘One big beautiful bill.’”

“The critical matter at hand in this budget resolution is to make sure that we don’t impose a multi-trillion dollar tax increase on the American people.”

“Back home in Texas, my constituents would see their taxes increase by $3,000 on average next year.”

“In addition to preventing the biggest tax increase in history, this bill will provide an opportunity for us to take important steps in controlling spending and addressing our national debt.”

“One of the ways we can do this, which I hope we will embrace wholeheartedly, is to look at means-tested federal programs.”

“They need to have work requirements for able-bodied adults because there are a lot of able-bodied adults that are simply living off of the American taxpayer, costing billions and billions of dollars…running up our national debt, when they should be contributing to our economy and contributing to their families and their communities by doing meaningful work.”

“Gainful employment has dignity.”

“So I would encourage my Republican colleagues to join me in strengthening work requirements across means-tested programs when the time comes to identify these savings within our committees.”