Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn is facing criticism for equating Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to a historic racial segregation ruling.

Reacting to former US President Barack Obama’s tweet criticising the Roe v. Wade judgement, the 70-year-old lawmaker tweeted, “Now do Plessy vs Ferguson/Brown vs Board of Education.”

Brown v. Board of Education was a 1954 Supreme Court decision in which the court ruled that “racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional, even if the schools are otherwise equal in quality.” This ruling signalled a partial overturning of the court’s Plessy v. Ferguson precedent from 1896.

Who is Senator John Cornyn?

Born in Houston, Sen. John Cornyn was the second of three children. His father was a B-17 pilot in World War II before he became an Air Force dentist. Sen. Cornyn grew up in San Antonio, graduating from Trinity University with a degree in journalism. He then graduated from St. Mary’s Law School and joined a law firm in San Antonio where he specialized in defending doctors and lawyers in malpractice suits.

Also Read: Roe v Wade overturned: How the US Supreme Court voted

Sen. John Cornyn was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1990 after serving as a state district judge for six years. He was reelected in 1996. The following year, he resigned from the Texas Supreme Court and ran for Attorney General of Texas, becoming the first Republican to win that office since Reconstruction.

Also Read: How period tracker apps data can be used now that Roe v Wade is overturned

In 2002, Sen. Cornyn was first elected to the United States Senate, winning 55 percent of all votes cast. The same year, he was honoured with the first Bi-Partisan Leadership Award for his dedication to issues of government oversight and transparency. 

In 2008, he was elected for a second term as US Senator of Texas and was re-elected in 2014. 

Sen. Cornyn tied the knot with Sandy in 1979. The couple has two daughters.