On Friday, Texas GOP Senator John Cornyn found out the hard way that his state's Republicans aren't a fan of his work with Democrats to put together a gun control bill. Appearing at the Texas GOP convention in Houston, he took the stage to boos from the Republican loyal gathered to conduct the business of their party.
Well, sounds like Texas Republicans aren’t a fan of Cornyn’s anti-2A bill
— Zachery Henry (@zhenryaz) June 17, 2022
Entire convention center just erupted into boos when Cornyn took the stage pic.twitter.com/YUXHHijsOe
According to video from inside the convention hall, the vocal opposition to Cornyn continued through his remarks:
US Sen John Cornyn gets viciously booed during much of his speech here at the Republican Party of Texas Convention. Here’s his closing remarks and the cascade of boos. pic.twitter.com/m2Hua9WdrV
— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) June 17, 2022
In addition, the Republican Party of Texas’ Platform Committee unanimously passed a resolution Thursday condemning the bipartisan framework for new federal legislation dealing with guns announced last weekend. They also issued a rebuke to the Republican senators who sat at the negotiating table with Democrats and continue to cooperate with the plan to finalize legislation that is likely to restrict the Second Amendment and due process rights of law-abiding firearm owners.
Among the senators being rebuked is one of Texas' own, Senator John Cornyn who led the GOP members of the group working to put together a legislative package in response to the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Here's the resolution condemning the negotiations and rebuking Republicans who indulged the Dems' reactionary push for more laws, as reported by Texas Scorecard on Friday:
Resolution against the Gang of 20 Gun Control bill.
Whereas those under 21 are most likely to be victims of violent crime and thus most likely to need to defend themselves.
Whereas “red flag laws” violate one’s right to due process and are a pre-crime punishment of people not adjudicated guilty.
Whereas waiting periods on gun purchases harm those who need to acquire the means of self defense in emergencies such as riots.
Whereas all gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God given rights.
We reject the so called “bipartisan gun agreement”, and we rebuke Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).
The resolution comes during the Texas GOP convention and as Second Amendment advocates grow increasingly worried about what Democrats will try to include in the final bill using the cover of some GOP support to make the effort appear bipartisan.
Even the framework, hurriedly announced last Sunday, was problematic for its apparent plan to incentivize the creation of red flag laws in states and create a nationwide "enhanced" review period for purchasers younger than 21.