AARP has 50 million members and is unambiguous on protecting Social Security and Medicare from cuts, lowering prescription drug costs, opposing Medicaid cuts affecting long-term care, supporting Older Americans Act funding, and opposing age discrimination. Cornyn earns more AARP credit than Paxton on rural-hospital legislation, Older Americans Act reauthorization, and the Improving Care Coordination for Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Act. But he still loses on ACA repeal votes (AARP supported keeping the ACA enhanced premium tax credits), opposing the IRA prescription-drug-price-negotiation framework AARP championed, and the Medicaid block-grant framework. Paxton has actively litigated against AARP-aligned positions: opposed CMS nursing-home minimum staffing rule, opposed CMS Medicaid funding rule.
Sources
- Sen. John Cornyn, official Senate website and 2026 re-election campaign issues page, accessed May 2026 (cornyn.senate.gov; johncornyn.com). (full list)
- Texas Attorney General, 'Sues Biden Administration Over Rule That Could Force Rural Nursing Homes to Shut Down,' Aug. 2024. (full list)
- Texas Attorney General, 'Secures Victory Protecting the Integrity of States' Medicaid Programs,' Sept. 2025. (full list)
- Cornyn votes on ACA repeal-and-replace (2017 skinny repeal, BCRA, Graham-Cassidy); Cornyn as co-sponsor of Health Savings Account expansion; statements on Medicare/Medicaid block grants; opposition to enhanced premium tax credit extension (2025). (full list)