How's it going America,
Check out our latest episode of The Pod Millennial! I'm joined by New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz, who discusses leaving New York City, the decline of urban leadership, and the long-term damage COVID school closures inflicted on education. Then I interview Natalya Murakhver, director of the documentary 15 Days, about the political decisions behind prolonged school shutdowns and the lasting consequences for an entire generation of children. Listen, rate (5 stars, of course!), and subscribe!
Let's get into it:
Senator John Cornyn, who's been forced to dance for the coveted Trump endorsement in the Texas Senate race, has come out with a new op ed in The New York Post saying that if the Senate has to ditch the filibuster to get the SAVE Act passed, then so be it. This is likely the only way he can keep his seat.
Cornyn was first elected by the people of Texas to serve them in the Senate in 2002, and now his constituents, along with a majority of Americans (some 83%, with 71% of Democrats), want to see the voter ID requirements in the SAVE Act become law. The only problem is that despite co-sponsoring it, he hasn't been able to get it done. The reason is that there's the assumption that the Democrats will block it with the filibuster—but no one's made them actually block it, the threat has been enough.
In his new column, Cornyn says it's time to get rid of it, and that if Republicans don't ditch it and use that opportunity to get the SAVE Act passed, Democrats will do it if and when they take back the House and Senate. If they do that, he says they will pass a radical agenda—something they've threatened to do anyway. Trump said he won't sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed.
"After careful consideration," he writes, "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.
"This could be a 'talking filibuster' that removes the obstructionists’ free pass and makes them defend their indefensible views on the Senate floor, or it could be a different reform. Process matters, but outcomes matter more: The Democrats’ assault on election integrity and national security must be stopped. Leadership means upholding core principles and applying them thoughtfully as circumstances change."
Trump has said that he'd endorse Cornyn in the tight, run-off race between him and popular Texas AG Ken Paxton, if he can get the SAVE Act passed. Paxton has said he'll drop out of the race if that happens, too. So now it's up to Cornyn, and Senate Republicans to decide if they can get this done or potentially face the Democrats doing it, for their own purposes, if they retake Congress in November.
Libby