Texas Democrats Prepare For Lengthy US Capitol Stay As State GOP Approves Arrest Warrants

[BlueWavePsych]

Source: CBS

Texas House Democrats said Tuesday they are prepared to hold off Republicans’ push for restrictive new voting laws for weeks. The group gathered on Capitol Hill urging President Joe Biden and Democratic members of Congress to look for new ways to implement federal voting protections.

Texas Democrats who hurriedly fled Austin for Washington to block sweeping new election laws back home acknowledged Tuesday they can’t stay away forever and urged Congress to act — including backing South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn’s call for a filibuster carve-out for voting rights legislation, while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened them with arrest the moment they return.

As Democrats gathered at the U.S. Capitol, Republicans in the unusually skeletal Texas House of Representatives authorized finding and bringing back more than 50 lawmakers “under warrant of arrest if necessary.” However, state troopers have no jurisdiction beyond Texas, making it unclear what if any actions would immediately be taken.

Abbott has already threatened Democrats with arrest once they come back home, which may not be until the current 30-day special session ends in August. Though that would successfully stymie the GOP’s current effort, Abbott has vowed to keep trying until the 2022 elections if necessary.

Read more: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/07/13/texas-democrats-lengthy-stay-state-gop-arrest-warrants/

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This could get ugly

[riversedge]

1. I wonder is anyone has set up funding account for them. It could get REAL expensive staying

in dc

[BlueWavePsych]

2. WATCH: Biden speaks on voting rights (PBS)

President Joe Biden will lay out the “moral case” for voting rights as he faces growing pressure from civil rights activists and other Democrats to combat efforts by Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to the ballot.

Biden has declared that protecting voting rights was the central cause of his presidency, but the White House has taken sharp criticism from allies for not doing more while contending with political headwinds and stubborn Senate math that have greatly restricted its ability to act.

Biden’s speech Tuesday in Philadelphia, to be delivered at the National Constitution Center, is intended as the opening salvo of a public pressure campaign, White House aides said, even as legislative options to block voting restrictions face significant obstacles.

“He’ll lay out the moral case for why denying the right to vote is a form of suppression and a form of silencing,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday as she previewed the speech. “He will redouble his commitment to using every tool at his disposal to continue to fight to protect the fundamental right of Americans to vote against the onslaught of voter suppression laws.”

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-biden-speaks-on-voting-rights

Live. Interesting timing

[appalachiablue]

4. There are a couple posts re helping, in Gen Disc.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

3. Stay outta drumps hotel. N/T

[Firestorm49]

5. Arrested for believing in democracy? How novel.

Abbott should be impeached for coming up with as stupid a plan as Republicans and their idiotic lawsuits challenging the election. Thank you Michigan for having the balls to take Republican lawyers to court.

What’s the charge? The fact is, there is none. When Democrats fled to Illinois during the Skippy Walker nightmare of an administration, they were threatened but never charged- all for the sake of political bravado.

Get rid of Abbott.

[Ray Bruns]

7. That is what I was wondering.

What is the charge? Running away?

[Ray Bruns]

8. That is what I was wondering.

What is the charge? Running away?

[monkeyman1]

12. abbott is right up there with ronny deathsentence !!!

[KS Toronado]

6. Could our Democratic congressmen & women living in DC

Put up some of the Texas congress people to keep their costs down for being brave and doing the right thing.
Surely they have spare bedrooms for guests.

[Karma13612]

9. Good idea!

And I am also hoping that they can maybe find time for the US House Reps from Texas to meet with the Texas State Reps to think of ways to craft the Federal legislation, and maybe find some clever work arounds on the State legislation that is so restrictive.

We need to make sure this unique opportunity is not squandered.

[monkeyman1]

13. hide 'm out !

[KS Toronado]

15. unique opportunity is not squandered, with you 100%

[Deminpenn]

10. Wouldn't Dems being in jail also deny Rs a quorum?

nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. What exactly would the charges be?

Seriously, if he's going to arrest them, it has to be for an offense.

[monkeyman1]

14. if thats the ,arrest abbott for being just plain stupid!!

[malthaussen]

16. Arrested for what?

What statute have they violated? This is especially puzzling to me, since Parliamentary Privilege should apply.

-- Mal