U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, made the following statement in response to recent media inquiries surrounding the composition of the 12-member Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction:

“As discussions took place in recent days on the Senate Republican side regarding the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, I informed Leader McConnell that I did not wish to be considered for an appointment.

“In my view, the structure of this Committee — which will have such deep influence over the lives of millions of Americans and small businesses — should be beyond reproach and without question.

“As Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee – a position in which I work to raise money every day to help win back a Senate Republican majority — I was concerned with the appearance and questions that might be raised with an appointment to this Joint Select Committee.  My fear was that the message it could send to outside interests was that the pathway of influence on the deficit reduction committee runs through the coffers of a campaign committee.

“Given the appointments on the Democratic side, it is regrettable and unfortunate that they do not appear to share those concerns.”