Sen. Cornyn predicting impeachment showdown ends in no vote

AUSTIN, Texas - More than 300 people lined up Monday at the Central Texas Food Bank's Mobile Pantry. Among those at this North Austin stop was Texas Senator John Cornyn.

He was more than happy to fill up a few bags and wagons for holiday dinners, but as for what’s being served up in Congress regarding the attempt to impeach President Trump, Cornyn had this to say.

"Well you don't have to agree with what was said, or how things were done, to think that impeachment is a bridge too far,” said Cornyn. 

The Trump impeachment process is moving closer to a House vote now that the formal inquiry is shifting to the Judiciary Committee. A report to the committee is expected after the Thanksgiving holiday.

"So I think it's a matter of time,” said Cornyn.

However, when the question reaches the Senate, Senator Cornyn indicated the measure would fail. By political math, if, and when, the Democrat-led House sends Articles of Impeachment over to the Republican-controlled Senate, 20 members of the GOP would have to break ranks and vote to impeach.

"If the House goes forward with Articles of Impeachment, this will be the 4th time in American history since the beginning of our country that this process has begun. It’s never succeeded in the conviction and removal of a President, although President Nixon did resign in the face of a losing vote,” said Cornyn. 

The impeachment fight is spilling over into Cornyn's re-election bid. M.J. Hegar and Royce West are the top two contenders for the Democratic nomination.

A spokesperson for Hegar said: "This is not the first time that Senator Cornyn has put protecting his political cronies ahead of protecting the sanctity and security of US elections."

West, in a statement, concluded: "President Trump violated his oath of office and has betrayed the American people-clear grounds for impeachment."

Others fighting for the Democratic Party nomination include Chris Bell, Michael Cooper, Amanda Edwards, Jack Daniel Foster Jr., Sema Hernandez, John Love III, Adrian Ocegueda, and Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez.

For the past several weeks, Republicans like Cornyn have portrayed the hearings as a distraction. According to the senator, a lot has been left undone inside the DC Beltway that could make a difference on Main Street. The produce handed out Monday was linked to a new trade agreement that remains in limbo.

"A lot of the fruits and vegetables do come from Mexico and those areas we truck in produce from as far as Nogales and the Rio Grande Valley that are the gateway for that produce,” Central Texas Food Bank food back operations director Jeff Gonzales said.

Cornyn listed off several other legislative issues.

"People are more concerned about, why isn't Congress moving to reduce my prescription drug prices, why are we not working on a highway infrastructure bill, why aren't we dealing with some of the mental health crisis we know people are experiencing in our state and in our nation,” said Cornyn.  

Cornyn went on to say he believes the issue of replacing the president should be left up to voters. A decision at the ballot box on who will be in the White House is less than a year away.