West Says Cornyn Has “Lost Touch With Texas”
DALLAS—Election season is heating up, and the battle in TX is focusing on how officials are handling COVID-19. With a push to reopen schools coming from the White House, Senator John Cornyn told NBC 5, “We still don’t know whether children can get it and transmit it to others.”
State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) on Friday said he was “in complete shock” that U.S. Senator John Cornyn claimed it was unproven if children could contract or transmit COVID-19.
“This flies in the face of scientific evidence and common sense,” West said. “His statement, with all due respect, is irresponsible and asinine,” said West, a 27-year State Senator and lifelong Democrat.
MJ Hegar Says Cornyn’s Comments are Inexcusable
“It is inexcusable that once again Senator Cornyn, who is tasked with making critical decisions about our government’s response to COVID-19, doesn’t know basic publicly available information about it. For the health and safety of Texans, it is time to send Cornyn packing,” said MJ Hegar. [7/9]
“The problem here is that John Cornyn has lost touch with Texas,” West said. “He’s not close enough to the people anymore to truly understand the devastating impact COVID-19 is having on American and Texas families,” West continued. “If he had closer connections to the people, and to more families who have been impacted by this terrible disease, he wouldn’t engage in such irresponsible conduct.”
Lancaster Student Died From COVID-19
West pointed to the death of 17-year-old Lancaster High School Junior Jameela Dirrean-Emoni Barber, who was active in the National Honor Society and JROTC, noting her tragic and untimely death—in the ER waiting room of a local hospital—was one of many examples of young people and children succumbing to COVID-19.
“John Cornyn doesn’t seem to understand the death statistics, much less the basic science behind how germs spread. This is something most Texans learned in junior high science,” West said.
“There are 1,722 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texans under age 19. But John Cornyn still doesn’t know kids can get it. He’s supposed to guide our government’s pandemic response. I don’t trust him with the safety of my kids. Do you trust him with yours? We all want to go back to our normal lives. But instead of leading the recovery so we can re-open safely, John Cornyn spent the last few months spreading misinformation and undermining health experts for his DC bosses. John Cornyn is not the leader Texans need,” said MJ Hegar. MJ Hegar, decorated combat veteran and working mom running for U.S. Senate
“What Senator Cornyn should be focused on is increased testing and contact tracing, and minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on minority communities,” West said.
“The President—the President he gives cover to on the issue of Russians paying bounties to kill American soldiers—threatens to pull funding for testing sites and the best John Cornyn can do is write a letter,” West said.
“Minority communities—black, brown, and indigenous people—are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Part of the problem is the lack of access to healthcare in these communities—rural and urban—and that is not only because they are in healthcare deserts, but because they cannot afford insurance, even with the ACA,” West said. “Where is John Cornyn’s solution to this grave problem,” West asked.
Not An Ivory Tower Kind of Guy
“John Cornyn is a do-nothing, talks-a-good-game Country Club Senator. He’s always working on something, but rarely accomplishes anything. He’s lost touch with the people,” West said.
“I won’t do that as your U.S. Senator. I’m not an ivory tower kind of guy. I’ll be in Texas, across all 254 counties big and small, every time we aren’t in session.” he said.
“When I’m elected to represent you, Democrat or Republican, rich or poor, urban or rural, my door is always open to you for honest conversation about ways we can make positive, systemic change in American government. We may disagree, but I’ll always listen to my constituents, and keep open dialogues with them. Yes, that’s hard with 25 million people in Texas, but you do it by coming back to Texas as much as you can, and connecting using new technologies. I’ll have town halls every quarter—across this state,” West said.
“My firm belief is that government closest to the people is best for the people, and that’s how I’ll operate as your U.S. Senator. I’ll be around a lot,” West concluded.
“We need leadership that’s going to listen to science and data, that understands how to manage a crisis, and who is going to put working families in Texas ahead of the special interests and corporate donors,” said MJ Hegar. [7/10]
MJ Hegar and Senator Royce West are running against Senator Cornyn for his senate seat.
