What the Defense Bill Means for Texas
Today the House will vote on the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. You can read the legislation here, and below is a summary of its impact on Texas: Raises troops’ pay by 3%. Authorizes $183 million for military construction projects in Texas, including: a barracks, flight simulation system, […]
Cornyn Announces NAS JRB Fort Worth Selected to House Eight New C-130J Aircraft
AUSTIN—Today U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced that Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, 136th Airlift Wing, has been selected as a Main Operating Base for eight C-130J aircraft. The U.S. Air Force anticipates the aircraft will arrive in Fort Worth by late 2022 or early 2023. Fort Worth will be one of six […]
Cornyn Releases Letter to Texans on Veterans Day
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following open letter to Texans in honor of Veterans Day: November 11, 2020 Dear Fellow Texans: Please join me this Veterans Day in honoring the men and women who have served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. Texas is blessed with an outsized number of veterans, and […]
Cornyn Honors Castroville Veteran with Bill to Rename Post Office After Him
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after introducing legislation to rename a U.S. Post Office in Castroville, Texas after Castroville’s Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan, a U.S. Marine who was killed in the line of duty while serving on deployment in Iraq. A companion bill has been introduced in the House of […]
VIDEO: Cornyn Presents WWII Medals to Son of Deceased Texas Veteran
AUSTIN—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) yesterday presented seven military medals to Larry Wilkinson honoring the service of his late father, SGT Sam Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson of Friendswood, Texas had contacted Sen. Cornyn’s office earlier this year requesting assistance in obtaining four replacement medals from the Department of Defense for his late father. Sen. Cornyn’s team was able […]
Cornyn Urges Support of HMMWV Rollover Mitigation Program Headquartered at Red River Army Depot
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) recently sent a letter to leadership of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in support of funding the HMMWV rollover mitigation program in the Department of Defense FY21 Appropriations Bill. U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) also signed the letter. […]
Cornyn Calls for Senate Hearing on Fort Hood Deaths
AUSTIN – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ed Markey (D-MA) sent a letter yesterday to Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) leadership requesting they hold a public hearing with the independent review panel and Army leadership on the command climate and culture at Fort Hood after the disappearances and deaths of several soldiers […]
Cornyn Presses Pentagon for Answers on Missing Fort Hood Soldiers
AUSTIN—Following the recent disappearance of multiple Fort Hood soldiers, including most recently Sgt. Elder Fernandes, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy urging continued action to investigate those disappearances and protect U.S. servicemembers serving at Fort Hood. He wrote: “Soldier safety is rightfully the Army’s top priority, and it is […]
Cornyn Bill to Support Veteran Treatment Courts Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act, bipartisan legislation to expand access to veteran treatment courts, was signed into law this weekend: “Texas is home to the first VETS Court established on a military installation at Fort Hood, so we are no stranger to the positive impact […]
Cornyn Honors Texas Purple Heart Recipients Ahead of National Purple Heart Day
WASHINGTON – Ahead of National Purple Heart Day tomorrow, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn released the following statement honoring the sacrifices made by Texas’ military servicemen and women past and present: “On Purple Heart Day, we celebrate the service of those who have sacrificed for our nation, not only to lift those individuals up and express our […]
What the Defense Bill Means for Texas
Today, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. You can read the legislation here, and below is a summary of its impact on Texas: Raises troops’ pay by 3%. Authorizes $285 million for military construction projects in Texas, including: a barracks, flight simulation system, and F-16 Mission Training Center at […]
What the Defense Bill Means for Texas
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) released the following statements after their Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act, which would block online sales of electronic cigarettes to children, passed the Senate: “The use of electronic cigarettes among children has become more and more pervasive, with a third of underage users buying […]
Cornyn Moves to Allow Servicemembers Time to Grieve Deceased Children
WASHINGTON – On the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) spoke about an amendment he introduced to the National Defense Authorization Act to change current leave policy for U.S. servicemembers so their pre-approved parental leave is not terminated in the tragic event of a child’s death. Sen. Cornyn’s amendment is based on a bill […]
New Cornyn, Duckworth Bill Would Allow Servicemembers Time to Grieve Deceased Children
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday introduced a bill to allow servicemembers time to grieve the death of their newborn babies. The Elaine M. Checketts Military Families Act – named after the deceased daughter of Major Matthew Checketts, an Active Duty Airman based at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland – amends current leave policy […]