The Texas House voted Tuesday to have state troopers arrest the fleeing Democrat lawmakers, who have flown to Washington, D.C., to block election integrity efforts.
“Members, I want to thank the 22 of you who are here for a quorum today as the Senate will do our business this week,” Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick stated before the Texas House voted 76-4 to collect the missing members.
The vote authorizes state troopers to arrest the absent House members.
State troopers, however, only have jurisdiction in Texas, so the Democrats currently hiding in Washington, D.C., are outside the grasp of Texas law enforcement.
When they eventually return, law enforcement will guide them to the chamber to participate in a vote on the election integrity legislation.
The Texas House votes to arrest House Democrats returning to the chamber in order to regain a quorum: pic.twitter.com/3WEEjcu3K2
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 13, 2021
On Tuesday, meanwhile, the fleeing Democrats demanded in Washington, D.C., that the Texas House journal clerk to lock the state house voting machines, thereby denying the Republican majority the ability to proceed with election integrity legislation.
Chair of the Texas House Democrat Caucus and state Rep. Chris Turner (D) explained, “at least 57 letters were delivered to the house journal clerk directing the [Texas] House to lock our voting machines and not unlock them until we provide express permission to do so upon our return to the [Texas] capitol.”
After the press conference, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will reportedly meet with the Texas lawmakers.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) responded Monday night to the deserting members, saying that they “will be arrested” on return.
ON PLANE TO DC: Texas Democratic lawmakers are leaving state to break quorum to stop Republican voting bill. Veteran Capitol observers say this is unchartered territory. Photo from Democrat on the plane. https://t.co/YOuOMb0A2m pic.twitter.com/abWoARvFIC
— ScottGordonNBC5 (@ScottGordonNBC5) July 12, 2021
“As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas Capitol until they get their job done,” Abbott explained.
Breitbart News reported pictures showing many smiling, maskless, Texas Democrats on a plane fleeing Texas to stunt election integrity efforts in the state, which would have placed additional restrictions on voting by mail, creating new ID requirements and expanding the freedoms for partisan poll watchers.
