Dozens More State Lawmakers Will Join Texas Dems in DC in Desperate Attempt to Continue Stunt
As the Texas Democratic state representatives continue to their self-imposed exile in Washington, D.C., lawmakers across the country have decided they wanted in on the fun.
There are going to be more than 100 Democratic state legislators from at least 20 states who will be flying into the nation’s capital this week to campaign for “voting rights,” according to CNN.
If you’re wondering why voting rights is in quotes here, it’s because the Democrats are in the swamp to support the For The People Act, a Democratic wish list bill that would federalize the election system and include provisions such as automatic voter registration.
The bill is not about “voting rights.” It’s about Democrats in Washington gaining power over elections that the Constitution entrusts to the states.
By using the filibuster, Senate Republicans stopped the bill from being voted upon in June.
Instead of having showing self-awareness that the legislation was hyper-partisan in nature, these state Democrats want the Senate to not take an August recess until it passes the bill, which was already cleared by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
The filibuster worked because Democratic Sens. Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin have gone against their party’s wishes to scrap the mechanism, noting that it would backfire when they are in the minority again.
Democrats are exaggerating, as usual, about the necessity to pass the For The People Act.
“The Big Lie has infected nearly every state legislature in the county, giving rise to a calculated and brazen assault on the freedom to vote. Texas has always been a hotbed for the worst anti-voter laws in the country, but this time it’s worse than ever,” Texas state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer told CNN.
[firefly_poll]
“We came to Washington, D.C., to demand action and draw the nation’s eyes to the fight for the freedom to vote. Now, we are heartened to welcome over 100 state legislators from across the country to share their stories and call on Congress to save our country by passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.”
Meanwhile, back in Texas, state House Speaker Dade Phelan issued an arrest warrant last week for state Rep. Philip Cortez of San Antonio, who flew back to D.C. after returning to Texas for negotiations on the Lone Star state’s election integrity bill.
“As a condition of being granted permission to temporarily leave the House floor, Rep. Cortez promised his House colleagues that he would return,” Phelan said, according to KDFW-TV. “Instead, he fled the state and has irrevocably broken my trust and the trust of this chamber.”
If I see any Texas State House Democrats while in DC, I’m going to try and set their facts straight and send them on back to Gov. @GregAbbott_TX & Speaker @DadePhelan! pic.twitter.com/3fhOGRYnxw
— Houston Gaines (@houstongaines) July 31, 2021
Among other provisions, the common-sense Texas bill calls for voters to show identification when requesting mail-in ballots and banning after-hours and drive-thru voting centers.
The Texas Democrats’ flight prevented the Texas bill from passing during the legislature’s regular session, but Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session, which the Democrats are avoiding by staying in Washington.
The special session ends Friday, CNN reported, but Abbott “has vowed to immediately call another session when this one ends.”
Breaking a quorum can lead to legal consequences for representatives in Texas, which only emphasizes how desperate they are to stop the bill.
With Sinema and Manchin in office, it is unlikely that the For The People Act would actually pass the Senate this month, making this a vanity trip for the Texas Democrats and the other legislators who are coming along for the ride.
“Texas Democrats’ decision to break a quorum of the Texas Legislature and abandon the Texas State Capitol inflicts harm on the very Texans who elected them to serve. As they fly across the country on cushy private planes, they leave undone issues that can help their districts and our state,” Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in July when the Democrats first left the state.
The Texas Democrats have certainly built their public profiles and raised lots of money from donors, but they doing little except stalling the legislative process in their state.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
