Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is slamming the Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled to block the legislature from passing new voting restrictions.
“It’s telling that these Democrats in this House of Representatives chose to race toward TV cameras in Washington rather than present their arguments in the legislature,” Cornyn said.
He continued, “This is simply an embarrassing dereliction of their duty and a shameful political stunt… they can’t win, so they’re doing the equivalent of I’ll take my ball and go home, or in this case, I’m simply running away.”
Watch his remarks below:
Sen. John Cornyn: "This is simply an embarrassing dereliction of their duty and a shameful political stunt… they can't win, so they're doing the equivalent of I'll take my ball and go home, or in this case, I'm simply running away." https://t.co/qKBaxanEjA pic.twitter.com/oGIaFqCIbf
— The Hill (@thehill) July 13, 2021
On Tuesday, the Texas House voted to have law enforcement track down the lawmakers, as The Hill reports. Voting by a 76-4 margin, the chamber authorized law enforcement to bring the lawmakers back to Austin after they fled to Washington, D.C.
“Members, the sergeant-at-arms and the officers appointed by him are directed to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purpose of securing and maintaining their attendance — under warrant of arrest, if necessary,” state House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said during a Fox News interview on Monday that the state lawmakers will be arrested upon return to Texas, as IJR reported.
“Once they step back into the state of Texas they will be arrested and brought back to the Texas Capitol and we will be conducting business,” Abbott said.
Dozens of the Texas Democratic lawmakers held a press conference in D.C. on Tuesday, as Axios reports.
“Our intent is to stay out and kill this bill, this session, and use the intervening time — I think 24, 25 days now — before the end of this session to implore [Congress] to pass federal voting rights legislation to protect voters in Texas and across the country,” Texas State Rep. Chris Turner said.
He continued, “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.”