Nothing will happen to them at all. They are not breaking any laws.
Texas Dem Lawmakers Who Fled State to Skip Election Reform Will Be Arrested Upon Return
- Thread starter SlugSlinger
- Start Date
As much as it pains me to say it, yes it should apply to Republicans too. There are other ways then just running away.
What other ways do the republicans have to prevent the democrats from eliminating the filibuster unless Joe Manchin fails to vote for that ? If not, then what other ways do they have ?
Pretty simple really, start talking about all the bills they will push thru when they take back the senate. Require photo ID to vote, proof of citizenship to get any gov beanies, drug testing for welfare, nation wide carry permits, etc, etc, etc there are tons of things that will be a Hell No to the Democrats that Republicans can push.
They can also refuse to back ANY bills the Democrats want to pass. The Democrats use a few Republicans voting for some bills as political cover like gun control. Without it they can not claim it was a bipartisan bill and they take a beating in the elections. The Republicans just need to grow a spine and start playing hardball.
Well that sounds pretty good except if they do away with the filibuster rule, they dems will pass DC statehood, Puerto Rico statehood and the republicans will never, ever control the POTUS, House of Reps and the Senate again. And they will pass semi-automatic pistol and "assault rifle" bans, along with all kids of taxes on guns and ammo. They will pass voting law changes that enhance voter cheating. They will pass spending bills that will completely bankrupt and destroy this country.
The republicans can make all of those silly threats, but will never have a chance to carry them out.
Texas House Votes to Send Law Enforcement to Find, Return Absent Dems
Texas state House members reportedly voted 76-4 to send law enforcement to find and return absent Democrats "under warrant of arrest, if necessary," a day after dozens left the state in an effort to kill election legislation, the The Wall Street Journal reported.
The body cannot approve legislation without a two-thirds quorum of its 150 members.
Tuesday’s state House vote came as the state Senate was preparing to consider its own version of the elections bill, an ABC affiliate reported.
Both chambers of the GOP-controlled Texas legislature, in a special session that began last week, filed similar versions of the bill that would broadly tighten voting rules across the state, the Journal noted. Gov. Greg Abbott called the special session after Democrat House members walked out before a voting deadline at the end of the regular legislative session in May, denying a quorum needed to vote.
House Democrats staged another walkout Monday, and dozens boarded chartered planes bound for Washington, D.C., where they hope to draw national support for their fight. The legislators will have to remain out of the state for weeks to successfully run out the clock on the 30-day special session.
State Rep. Chris Turner, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a news conference on the steps of the Capitol Tuesday at least 57 of 67 Democrats in the chamber had formally asked for their voting machines to be locked, the Journal reported.
In the House, 80 members who came Tuesday morning voted to approve a procedural move to record who is present, ban members from leaving the chamber without approval, and call for law enforcement to track down absentee lawmakers — arresting them if necessary and forcing them to return to the chamber, the Journal reported.
A total of 63 of the body’s 67 Democrats were gone, two of them with approved absence, the news outlet reported.
"Public pressure is going to get them to return to Texas — I don’t think it will come to them being handcuffed," GOP stateRep. Matt Shaheen told the Journal.
While Texas Democrats have promised to stay in Washington until the end of the special session Aug. 7, Abbott could continue to call special sessions to pass the voting bill. Democrats acknowledged the only long-term solution was federal legislation.
"We can’t stay here indefinitely," said Democrat state Rep. Rhetta Bowers, the Journal reported. "Texas Democrats will use everything in our power to fight back. But we need Congress to act now."
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke encouraged Twitter followers Monday to support the lawmakers, writing "These courageous public servants have put it all on the line for our democracy & the right to vote."
As of Monday evening, O’Rourke tweeted Democrats had raised over $142,000.
This isn’t the first time Texas politicians have done this. There was a group of them about thirty years ago that did the same thing. They were hiding out in a country club in Oklahoma. IIRC they sent Texas Rangers to bring them back and they couldn’t because they didn’t have extradition orders.
send the texas national guard out to get them as transport. put them in the back of a couple of 6x6 trucks and drive them home.
Texas democrats have a history of running away. But given that, what exactly are they going to be arrested for? Dereliction? 
I don't think it's a good look for anyone. But, I see it as different. Wiping out the filibuster is changing procedure intentionally put in place to work exactly as it is. Dems leaving is a sneaky exploitation. I would assume the point of a quorum was to prevent sneaky meetings to pass legislation without including the opposing side. Not to allow a group to run off and hide to prevent a vote.
