U.S. Senator John Cornyn -- FoxNews.com
Since January and under Republican leadership the Senate has delivered on our promise to pass legislation to help American families grow our economy and keep us safe.
WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) published the following op-ed on
FoxNews.com recapping the Senates accomplishments in the first year of the new Republican Majority:
Congress is often characterized as a place of partisan bickering and gridlockwhere debate and partisan rancor is widespread but little is actually accomplished. Too often this assessment has proven accurate. But last fall the American people decided to change that sending a Republican majority to the U.S. Senate. Since January and under Republican leadership the Senate has delivered on our promise to pass legislation to help American families grow our economy and keep us safe.
At the beginning of the 114th Congress I introduced the
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Actlegislation aimed at defeating the scourge of human trafficking in this country. Human trafficking is a horrendous practice that tragically can be found in every state. Fortunately members in both parties and in both Chambers understood the great need to urgently fight this reprehensible practice.
As we look to the year ahead our work is far from over. But by keeping the American people in the drivers seat we will continue to deliver real solutions for our country.
Legislators from across the political spectrum united under a common cause: to help victims of modern-day slavery recover and rebuild their lives. In the spring the
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act passed with 99 votes in the Senate and paved the way for these brave survivorssome young childrento find a path to healing. Its now the law of the land.
Congress also tackled major issues concerning our national security. This fall both Chambers overwhelmingly passed the
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The
NDAA is integral to ensuring that our military is resourced trained and ready for action when called upon.
And in the wake of several serious security breaches of federal government computer servers over the summerand the brazen theft of the personal information of millions of Americansthe clear need for robust cyber security legislation became even more apparent. So the Senate passed the
Cyber Information Sharing Act to give the public and private sectors the tools to act more nimbly when attacks are detected.
Weve also passed legislation to grow our economy not just for today but for years down the road. In June Congress passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. TPA is a blueprint for pending and future trade negotiationsone that ensures that American farmers ranchers and manufacturers get the best deal possible. By setting the ground rules on agreements with countries in Asia Latin America and Europe TPA opens doors of opportunity to our countrys businesses around the world and is essential to growing our economy.
But perhaps the most significant achievement was confronting entrenched policy problems that proved too divisive or complicated to tackle in the past.
In April Congress came together to bring about much-needed reform to the payment system for doctors who treat Medicare patients. The legislation preserved seniors access to care and ended years of uncertainty for physicians.
Congress also passed the first significant education reform since 2001. The
Every Student Succeeds Act ensures that parents teachers and local school boards will hold the reins to their childrens education not the federal government.
And for the first time in more than a decade Congress passed a multi-year transportation billthe result of hard work across party lines over the course of this year. Passage of this bill marked an end to years of short-term extensions and will allow states the freedom and flexibility to plan for and deliver major transportation and infrastructure projects across the country. This will help make our nations transportation system safer and more efficient and lays the groundwork for even greater economic growth.
Last fall Republicans set the bar high for the new Senate majority. We pledged to get back to work and to create and pass substantive pieces of legislation. We did that and proved that inaction didnt have to be the norm. Effective governance and principled leadership doesnt shy away from confronting long-standing seemingly intractable policy problems head-on.
As we look to the year ahead our work is far from over. But by keeping the American people in the drivers seat we will continue to deliver real solutions for our country.
Senator John Cornyn a Republican from Texas is a member of the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees.
