Senator Cornyn

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Foreign Affairs & National Security

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Foreign Affairs & National Security

We must always remember that our government's primary responsibility is to protect and defend the American people and advance the interests of the United States.

— Senator John Cornyn

A clear foreign policy strategy is critical as we face a growing number of threats to America’s national security. Senator Cornyn has consistently supported responsible intelligence gathering efforts and constructive diplomatic relationships with strategic partnerships around the world to ensure Texans and all Americans are safe here at home.

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  • Authored the Partnership for Advancing Regional Training and Narcotics Enforcement Response Strategies (PARTNERS) Act, which passed the Senate and would allow the Department of Defense to train Mexican military forces in the United States to combat cartels and drug trafficking in Mexico.
  • Introduced the Securing American Acquisitions, Readiness, and Military Stockpiles (ARMS) Act, which passed the Senate and would give the Department of Defense enhanced procurement authorities to quickly refill American defense stockpiles after the President provides aid to an ally or partner attacked by a foreign adversary.
  • Introduced the Ensuring Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, which would close loopholes in the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) to allow families of victims of terrorism to seek financial compensation from foreign sponsors of terrorism.
  • Authored the Outbound Investment Transparency Act, which passed the Senate and would establish a program to require covered U.S. entities to notify the Department of the Treasury prior to making various investments in sensitive technologies in countries of concern, such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
  • Introduced the Cranes of Concern at our Ports (CCP) Act, which would require the federal government to evaluate threats to U.S. ports posed by cranes manufactured in countries of concern.
  • Authored the Airport Infrastructure Resources (AIR) Security Act to prohibit federal airport improvement funds from being used to purchase passenger boarding bridges from companies that have violated the IP rights and threaten U.S. national security. This became law in 2021, and legislation to permanently reauthorize it passed the Senate in July.
  • Introduced legislation to create a pilot program to strengthen the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program.
  • Introduced the Protecting America from Narcotics and Illicit Chemicals (PANIC) Act, now law, which adds China to the President’s list of major illicit drug-producing countries based on the amount of precursor chemicals that chemical companies within China or under PRC control export to illicit supply chains.
  • Introduced the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, which directs the President to preserve and catalogue evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine to be used in war crimes prosecution.
  • Introduced the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act, which was signed into law and authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with cybersecurity consortia to provide technical assistance services to build and sustain capabilities to prepare and respond to cybersecurity risks and incidents, including threats and acts of terrorism.
  • Introduced the Secure 5G and Beyond Act, now law, which requires the President to develop a strategy that ensures the security of next-generation mobile telecommunications systems and infrastructure in the United States and assists allies and strategic partners in maximizing the security of their own next-generation mobile telecommunications systems, infrastructure, and software.
  • Introduced the Preventing Adversary Influence, Disinformation and Obscured Foreign Financing (PAID OFF) Act, which would help close registration loopholes that allow unregistered agents of foreign adversaries to lobby in the United States.
  • Introduced the Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act, which directs the President to impose financial and immigration/entry sanctions on listed nationals of Vietnam who are complicit in human rights abuses committed against Vietnamese nationals, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Vietnam. The bill also requires the President to publicly submit a list of individuals complicit in such human rights abuses to Congress.
  • Introduced the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act, which seeks to prioritize and expand educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico—Texas’ most valuable trading partner—to bolster our mutual economic interests.
  • Co-founder and co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, a bipartisan coalition for Senators to work closely with Indian government officials and Indian-Americans to promote U.S.-India bilateral relations.
  • Authored the Elaine M. Checketts Military Families Act, which would close a loophole in the military leave system that automatically terminates a servicemember’s parental leave and requires them to re-file and request emergency leave if the servicemember’s child dies while on parental leave.
  • Cosponsored the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act, which would impose sanctions on Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and any affiliated terrorist groups.
  • Cosponsored the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, which would require procedures for congressional review of any action by the President to terminate, waive, or issue significant licenses altering the imposition of sanctions concerning Iran.
  • Cosponsored the Upholding of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act, which would prohibit using funds for a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate General, or any other diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy to the State of Israel.
  • Cosponsored S. Res. 72, which opposes lifting sanctions on Iran without addressing the full scope of Iran’s malign activities.
  • Cosponsored S. Res. 120, which opposes efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and reaffirms the United States’ longstanding commitment to achieving a two-state solution between a democratic Jewish State of Israel and a democratic Palestinian state.
  • CosponsoredS.Res.225, expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should establish a joint select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the United States diplomatic facility and American personnel in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012.
  • Cosponsored the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, declaring Israel a Major Strategic Partner of the United States, authorizing an increase in U.S. defense stockpiles in and the transfer of surplus military equipment to Israel, and taking steps to include Israel in the visa waiver program.
  • Voted in favor of the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act, which authorizes $38 billion in security assistance for Israel, combats the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, enhances bilateral security cooperation with Jordan, and imposes sanctions onto individuals supporting the murderous Assad regime in Syria.
  • Voted for the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, now law, which included legislation authored by Sen. Cornyn called the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, the most comprehensive legislative overhaul to the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in 40 years.
  • Voted for the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which imposed enhanced sanctions on:
    • Iran’s ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, individuals involved in the sale, transfer, or provision of technical or financial assistance to Iran regarding military equipment, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated foreign persons, and persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against individuals in Iran
      • Russian activities concerning: cyber security, crude oil projects, financial institutions, corruption, human rights abuses, evasion of sanctions, transactions with Russian defense or intelligence sectors, export pipelines, privatization of state-owned assets by government officials, and arms transfers to Syria.
      • North Korean cargo and shipping, goods produced in whole or part by North Korean convict or forced labor, and foreign persons that employ North Korean forced laborers.
  • Voted for the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to allow Congress to review any deal between the United States and Iran.

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