From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., leave a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans at the Capitol on Thursday. (AP/Susan Walsh)
updated 12:20 with comments from Sens. Cruz and Thune.
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans formally reelected Texas Sen. John Cornyn as GOP whip. In the new Senate that makes him deputy majority leader.
The vote was by acclamation. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a conservative, nominated Cornyn. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate, seconded the nomination, and both delivered speeches for him in the closed door meeting of Senate Republicans.
“I’m humbled to have been chosen by my colleagues to help lead the new majority in the U.S. Senate, and I pledge that those fundamental Texas values of personal liberty and limited government will continue to be my guide,” Cornyn said in a statement.
“After years of gridlock and dysfunction in the Senate the work before us is considerable, but Republicans approach this opportunity with determination, with humility, and above all with a firm commitment to address the top priorities of the American people.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell was elected unanimously, as well. He will serve as majority leader in the new Senate.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas tea partier who has tangled with GOP leaders, went with the flow at Thursday’s meeting, which lasted nearly three hours.
“The new leadership team is essentially the same as the old leadership team. The results were unsurprising. The top leadership positions were all uncontested and elected by acclamation,” Cruz said as he left the meeting.
Asked if he’s enthusiastic to see McConnell and Cornyn continue leading the Senate GOP, Cruz responded: “I am enthusiastic about Republicans being in the majority and now having the opportunity to lead.
“And if we simply do what we said we would do and lead with a bold positive agenda – pro-jobs, pro-growth, defending the constitutional rights of the citizenry – it will make a serious and a real difference for the country. And I am optimistic and hopeful that Republicans will do just that,” he said.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota– reelected to his post as GOP conference chairman – said all the elections went “fairly smoothly.” Downplaying the idea that Cruz or others might continue to give headaches to leadership, he said he doesn’t sense much tension among Senate Republicans.
“We’re still new to this. We’re going to be a majority. We know that in order for us to succeed we’re going to have to function as a team and I think that gives you a renewed sense of purpose. Those things tend to be more evident in the minority, but in the majority – for sure we’re going to have disagreements. We have different folks who come from different places and have different views on issues,” he told reporters. “But when it comes to being successful in terms of trying to move an agenda I think we all recognize we have to work together as a team.”
Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire nominated McConnell. Sen.-elect Tom Cotton of Arkansas gave a seconding speech. Thune was nominated by Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and seconded by Sen.-elect Cory Gardner of Colorado.
In the only contested GOP race, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker beat Nevada Sen. Dean Heller to become the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn held that job for four years. Wicker’s challenge will be to defend the new 54-seat majority, in a year in which far more GOP-held seats are on the line.