Sen. John Cornyn speaks with Steve Munisteri, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, during a visit to the Republican Party of Texas headquarters on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 in Austin. (AP/Tamir Kalifa)
WASHINGTON — The new deputy majority leader of the Senate, Texan John Cornyn, is taking a humble approach to the whopping victory Republicans scored on Tuesday.
He called it “an opportunity, not a referendum.”
“The message sent last night from the American people is loud and clear: Washington is broken, the big government experiment has failed, and the time has come for fresh leadership and a new direction for the country,” he said.
“Under the leadership of Majority Leader McConnell, we will work with the Republican-led House to focus on pro-growth legislation that strengthens our economy, relieves Americans from the burdens of Obamacare, grows America’s energy industry and secures a better future for the generations ahead.
“It is my sincere hope that the President will heed the message that was sent last night and work with us to put the interests of the American people ahead of partisan politics and put an end to the gridlock that has plagued Washington.”
Cornyn is expected to join other congressional leaders from both parties on Friday at the White House for a meeting with President Obama, who said at a news conference this afternoon that he’s looking forward to finding out what the GOP agenda is in the next Congress.