Texas Senator will also oppose Kagan nomination to Supreme Court
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON DC U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) joined a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators representing Gulf Coast states in introducing a Senate resolution encouraging British Petroleum (BP) to consider local businesses for products or services related to the ongoing efforts associated with the Gulf oil spill.
The oil spill and subsequent moratorium on deepwater drilling has devastated the Gulf Coasts livelihood" said Cornyn.
It is imperative that BP use local products and services whenever possible in the recovery effort. This tragedy will be felt by Gulf residents for decades to come and it is critical that BP do all they can to mitigate its effects on those who call this region home" Cornyn said.
To introduce the resolution citing the importance for BP to work with local communities to help ease the economic and environmental impacts of the oil spill on the people of the Gulf Coast Sen. Cornyn was joined by fellow U.S. Senators:
- Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
- Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
- Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
- Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
- George LeMieux (R-Fla.)
- Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
- Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)
- Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and
- David Vitter (R-La.)
Although the complete economic impact on the Gulf Coast economy is far from being determined the workforce in Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Florida and Texas has been hit severely as a result of the oil spill. Over $175 million in claims have been paid to date and that number is expected to rise. Resources such as fishing tourism shipping and energy exploration in the Gulf generally account for over $200 billion in economic activity each year.
The bipartisan delegation of senators representing the Gulf Coast states said that they will push for immediate passage of the resolution.
Cornyn to Oppose Nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee released the following statement announcing he will oppose the nomination of Elena Kagan to be Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court:
Solicitor General Kagans testimony before the Judiciary Committee did not assure me that she agrees with the traditional understanding of the proper role of a judge. Judges should strictly interpret the written Constitution which means both enforcing written limitations on the scope of government power such as the Second Amendment and the Commerce Clause as well as not inventing new rights or imposing their own policy views on the American people.
Ms. Kagans testimony about her judicial philosophy was vague and open to multiple interpretations. She was unable to articulate limits on the federal Commerce Clause power. She did not rule out overturning the Supreme Courts recent decisions recognizing the importance of the Second Amendment. She backed away from her previous conviction that judicial nominees should be forthright about the direction they would move the courts.
Also Solicitor General Kagan lacks experience that could give us more insight into her judicial philosophy. As a lawyer she has never tried a case to verdict. She only joined the Supreme Court bar in 2009 and she has never served as a judge.
For these reasons I will oppose her nomination."
