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As the Texas Senate GOP primary approaches, Senator John Cornyn is facing renewed criticism from within his party over his role in passing a 2022 federal gun-safety law, The Texas Tribune reports.

In response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers, Cornyn helped craft the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the first major federal gun-safety legislation in decades.  

The law expanded background checks for buyers under 21, created new federal penalties for illegal gun trafficking and straw purchasing, clarified who must register as a firearms dealer, and earmarked roughly $11 billion for mental-health services and $2 billion for community-based anti-violence programs.

Cornyn emphasized that the measure did not include bans on assault weapons or sweeping restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.  

Nevertheless, conservative critics seized on the bill. Gun-rights activists accused Cornyn of betraying the Second Amendment, and President Donald Trump called him a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only). Among them, Chris McNutt of Texas Gun Rights called out Cornyn in a letter sent to the White House. 

The issue poses a particular challenge in a Texas Republican primary, where gun rights remain a defining priority for many voters. Cornyn now faces two challengers: Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. 

Cornyn enters the race with the strongest fundraising operation among the GOP contenders in Texas. While his campaign highlights the bill’s funding for mental health and school safety, conservative activists and voters continue to view his participation in gun-safety legislation as a departure from ideological purity.

For more information regarding gun violence in Texas, visit RA’s site Gun Violence Watch and follow us on Instagram , Facebook , and X .