What’s next for Texas House Democrats who broke quorum as new special session looms?
Texas House Democrats who broke quorum and left for Washington shared few details of their next steps during a Friday news conference as a special session of the Texas Legislature closes and another looms.
It’s been nearly a month since more than 50 House Democrats broke quorum and fled to the nation’s capital to block Texas election bills that critics say would disenfranchise voters. They have met with advocates and members of Congress as they push for federal voting rights legislation.
It is unclear what state lawmakers are planning for the special session that begins on Saturday. Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a San Antonio Democrat, suggested that some House Democrats would remain in Washington to continue to advocate for a version of the For the People Act, which the Senate blocked in June.
“We do not telegraph what our plans are, but do not be fooled, if Congress is in session, we are in session,” Fischer said. “Our job is here, and we will have a significant number of members staying here and waiting day by day, engaging day by day finishing the fight, being here for the U.S. Senate to provide the support, to provide the engagement, to work with our partners, and we need a vote on the For the People Act before the August recess. We need to see that bill filed in the coming days.”
Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda for the second session includes election legislation.
Without a quorum in the Texas House, representatives are unable to consider bills in committee or on the floor. A procedural vote taken after House Democrats left for Washington requires representatives get permission to leave the chamber.
The days in the House have largely mirrored each other. A prayer is followed by the pledge of allegiance, which is proceeded by a reminder from Speaker Dade Phelan for members to check in with the House journal clerk if they haven’t before. He tells lawmakers to pick up permission slips to exit the floor for the day, each a different color than the day prior. Thursday’s was “Texas wisteria blossom.”
Action in the House was brief on Friday as lawmakers gaveled in and adjourned for the session minutes later. Quorum is the hope for the next special session, said Rep. Matt Krause, a Fort Worth Republican.
“I’m expecting our colleagues to uphold their constitutional oath and be present when the House is in session,” he said, adding that he hasn’t gotten any indication whether they’ll return.
House Republicans who support the election bills have argued the measures make voting easier and cheating more difficult.
Meanwhile, Democrats have pushed for federal voting rights legislation they say is needed to counteract the Texas proposals. They were joined in Washington on Friday by Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, who sponsored the For the People Act. He and other senators have been involved in crafting a revised voting rights bill, according to The Washington Post.
Merkley said “tremendous progress” has been made in developing legislation. Pressed about the timeline for considering the proposal, Merkley said it is anticipated that lawmakers will try and move the bill to the floor in the coming week.
“I’m so inspired by the voice that these Texans have brought here to Washington, D.C., That voice has continued to reiterate,” Merkley said. “My colleagues and I have been meeting, working to lay out a bill that can get majority support in the Senate, and it can find its way onto... the Senate floor and on its way back to the House of Representatives and the Oval Office.”
Tarrant County lawmakers Rep. Chris Turner and Rep. Nicole Collier were among those who spoke at Friday’s news conference marking the end of the special session.
Collier called Friday a “bittersweet” day.
“Yes, we managed to run the clock out on the first special session, but we are not naive to think that we have won the war and that our jobs are done,” said Collier, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus. “Because tomorrow, we will face new challenges with a new battle. So now is not the time to walk away. No, now is not the time to throw in the towel. Rather, now is the time to recharge and regroup for what lies ahead.”
During their time in Washington they have faced hurdles, such as a COVID-19 outbreak among several members and reports that two House Democrats took a Portugal vacation. They’ve also met with Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
So what lies ahead for the Democrats? Like Martinez Fischer, Turner said he would not telegraph their plans.
“I think that there is a collective will of this caucus to do everything we can to continue to defeat Republican voter suppression efforts in Texas,” said Turner, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus. “That’s what we did in May. That’s what we did in July. That’s what we have done now into the first week of August, and that is our continued commitment going forward.”
As the House Democrats who broke quorum claim victory with the special session ending, Krause said their actions were not a victory for Texans after 30 days of inaction on bills.
“At this point, it’s just a matter of a waiting game,” he said. “So they didn’t win. They just delayed the inevitable.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 11:23 AM.
