Act on voting rights, Texas Democrats urge Congress

AUSTIN: Texas Democrats who hurriedly fled to Washington to block sweeping new election laws back home acknowledged Tuesday they can’t stay away forever and urged Congress to act on voting rights, while Republican Governor Greg Abbot threatened them with arrest the moment they return.

As Democrats gathered at the US Capitol, Republicans in the unusually skeletal Texas House of Representatives authorised 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.

Abbot 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, Abbot has vowed to keep trying until the 2022 elections if necessary.

In Washington, the Democrats pressured President Joe Biden and Congress to act on voting at the federal level while rejecting the idea of returning to Texas anytime soon, promising to “stay out and kill this bill.”

State Representative Chris Turner, the Texas House Democratic leader, predicted their efforts would ultimately be futile unless congressional Democrats take bolder action to overcome a Senate Republican blockade of their sweeping voting bill.

The legislation, known as the For the People Act, would create national standards for voting that could roll back some restrictions that have been approved or are advancing in the Republican-led states, including Texas.

“We can’t hold this tide back forever. We’re buying some time. We need Congress and all of our federal leaders to use that time wisely,” he said.

The move by Republicans was expected ater most Texas House Democrats boarded private planes Monday to deny Republicans the quorum necessary to conduct business - namely, passing one of America’s most restrictive voting measures.