Copyright NJ.com
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was slammed by conservatives for being late to a critical vote on reopening the government Sunday. Cornyn was the 60th and final vote on a shutdown deal supported by a handful of Senate Democrats that would keep the government funded through January. His delay in getting to the vote was scrutinized by MAGA allies on social media platform X as he faces a GOP primary challenge for his Senate seat in the 2026 midterm elections. Some critics mocked Cornyn for criticizing Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), who is challenging the senator in the GOP primary, for missing votes in the House of Representatives. Before the vote on Sunday, Cornyn labeled Hunt as “Mr. NoShow“. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who is also running for Cornyn’s seat, ripped him for being late to the vote and also jabbed him for criticizing his opponents for skipping votes. “MIA: John Cornyn is all talk & no show. He loves to scold others for missing votes — but when Texans needed him most, he was no where to be found. Missing in action, missing in leadership, missing in courage. Texas deserves better. It’s time to send John home,” Paxton wrote on social media platform X. Nick Sortor, a MAGA influencer, also criticized Cornyn for being late. “WTF, @JohnCornyn?! You couldn’t be bothered to show up to work??! You deserve to be FIRED!” Sortor wrote on X. In response to Sortor’s post, Hunt wrote: “You’re right Nick, that’s exactly why I’m running against him.” Gunther Eagleman, a MAGA supporter, also called on Cornyn to be challenged in the primary race. “What took @JohnCornyn so long to vote tonight? It wasn’t a surprise. Why did he not plan appropriately knowing air travel was a NIGHTMARE? We need a GOP that is READY TO WORK and smart enough to know how to get to work ON TIME and not be over TWO HOURS LATE. Shameful!” Eagleman posted on X. And conservative activist Laura Loomer also questioned where Cornyn was. “Imagine having one job to do, and then being late or not even showing up to do your job? And then lawmakers wonder why their approval rating among the American public is so low. This is very embarrassing for @JohnCornyn,” she wrote. Eight Democratic senators bucked party leadership to advance a spending deal that includes three bipartisan annual spending bills and will extend the rest of government funding until late January. In exchange, the Democrats were promised a mid-December vote on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits that are expiring at the end of the year. The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills. The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.
