Cornyn pushes back after Texas attorney general criticizes his vote for foreign aid

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas shot back at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after he criticized the lawmaker’s support of the foreign aid bill that the Senate passed early Tuesday.

Mr. Paxton, a Republican, said on social media it was “unbelievable” that the Texas senator would “stay up all night to defend other countries’ borders, but not America.” He urged Texans to question why Mr. Cornyn would defend other countries’ borders but not America’s.

In response, Mr. Cornyn said on X: “Ken, your criminal defense lawyers are calling to suggest you spend less time pushing Russian propaganda and more time defending long-standing felony charges against you in Houston, as well as ongoing federal grand jury proceedings in San Antonio that will probably result in further criminal charges.”

Mr. Paxton will stand trial in April for securities fraud charges after he was first indicted in 2015. In August, reports said a federal grand jury in San Antonio was looking into ties between Mr. Paxton and a developer in Austin after the attorney general was accused of abusing his power to benefit the two of them.

He is also under FBI investigation because of abuse of office allegations. He was acquitted last year of corruption charges after being impeached by his fellow Republicans.

Mr. Cornyn was one of 22 Senate Republicans who voted with the majority of Democrats to pass the $95 billion emergency aid bill. The measure includes funds for Ukraine and Israel, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and funds for other U.S. allies.

A bipartisan bill that included foreign aid and border funding collapsed last week in the Senate — after Republicans said they would only vote for foreign aid if it was tied to securing the border. The bill, which passed Tuesday, contained no border measures.

The legislation now heads to the House with its fate up in the air. Some Republicans in Congress have said they will not vote on funding to help other countries’ borders before the U.S.’s southern border is secured.