At least 50 Democrats forming the House of Representatives hinted at sustaining its effort to paralyze legislation by refusing to fly back home to Austin, Texas, where bills deemed as crucial by Governor Gregg Abbott are facing uncertainty because of the absence of a quorum.
Despite being outnumbered by the Republicans, the Democrat lawmakers have declined Texas-bound flights amid what they claimed as a busy calendar until August 6.
According to Southwest Houston area Representative Ron Reynolds, they have a long list of meetings and speaking engagements espousing their position on the GOP priority election legislation, for which they flew to Washington DC.
“We intend to be back on the hill Monday morning,” Reynolds said in his capacity as the Vice-Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
The “absentee” Democrats have been reportedly convincing the U.S Senate Democrats to pass new federal legislation, for which the House in Texas will have to concur.
Reynolds admitted they are set to meet with Democratic Senators and even those whom they missed this week.
“We have daily meetings on the hill next week and we look forward to trying to get this done before the August 6 recess,” said Reynolds.
The Austin-based House has not been able to legislate pending bills amid inadequate legislators inside the plenary hall.
The Republicans forming the House earlier issued a stern warning to the Democrats who left Texas of stripping them with committee chairmanships if they won’t be back until Wednesday noon.
After the deadline, Republican Speaker Dade Phelan, in a bid to restore quorum, went as far as offering a plane to the Democrat legislators, who simply shrugged it off.
“I have offered a plane to state representatives who want to return back to Texas, and thus far, there are no members who want to get back to work,” reads a statement issued by the Office of the House Speaker.
In response, the House Democrats said they’re not interested.
