Page 82 - Quorum News Today

>> thank you, rachel. >> thank you. democratic texas state representative trey martinez fischer i will get you on the union roster for that little bir of camera work there. thank you. i appreciate it my friend. fascinating. texas democrats, again, more than 50 of them, have left the n state of texas tonight. it is a tactic that, listen, texas democrats did this in 2003 ahead of a radical partisan redistricting of the state of texas.ctmo they left the state and as i said, governor at the time sen...

Is a tactic that -- listen, texas democrats did this in 2003 ahead of a radical partisan redistricting of the state of texas. and they left the state and as i said, governor at the time said state troopers after them and it was a huge standoff and it was a big deal and ultimately they redistricting plan went through. but the eyes of the nation were on it. in this case, they havent just fled the state because that denies the quorum. they have fled the state specifically to come to washington beca...

To a month left on the clock, and according to texas house rules, lawmakers, at least theoretically, can be compelled to come backre to the state capitol if they are not present during the session. in other words, republicans maybe can sic the state capitol public safety office on them to track them down and round them all back up and, what, force them back to austin? in 2003 when texas democrats staged a similar protest out of state the texas governor ordered state troopers to go find the democ...

First and foremost, you just heard your governor say that you all will be arrested. what is your response to that? >> well, those are the house rules, so we knew that coming here. that was one of the consequences that we were pretty sure he was going to enact by coming and breaking quorum. >> and are you going to be arrested in washington, d.c.? are you arrested when you get back to texas? what does it look like? >> well, they cant go across state lines, so it is not like an arrest, like a perso...

That allows the speaker and the remaining members there to compel a quorum. that is within their right. they authorized warrants, they did not issue warrants. and so thats -- but the reality is, its a civil matter, its not a criminal matter -- >> yeah. >> -- because our members have committed no crime. fund mentally what were doing is working for our constituents and fighting for democracy. >> i know that we have a d.c. democrat that works on capitol hill on with us but showing democrats on the ...

Effectively sits. texas democrats hoped that might pressure those two u.s. senators to change their mind about to passing voting rights at the federal level, because without federal protections, texas republicans are going to do what they are going to do here. ultimately, the texas democrats felt that would be too risky going to arizona or west virginia, given that both those states have republican governors. they were those red state governors might somehow tell -- help republicans in reestabli...

The state of texas because that was the best and right thing to do at the time. >> im tired of sitting as a hostage in the texas house of representatives while republicans strip away the rights of my constituents to vote. >> we have courage, conviction, and a little bit of defiance, and were here today to rally the nation, and we hope that the u.s. senate will hear us. >> welcome back. texas state democrats are in washington, d.c., this morning after leaving the state in an attempt to block repu...

Business until the lawmakers return to town. or the session ends. the lawmakers plan to spend more than three weeks in washington, running up the clock on the session, which began thursday. and advocating for federal-voting legislation. texas house democrats released this joint statement today, explaining their decision to leave. saying, today, texas house democrats stand united in our decision to break quorum and refuse to let the republican-led legislature force through dangerous legislation t...

Congress can do. i think that puts democrats in this kind of space where they have to be a lot more creative and they have to do what voters and activists have said for years, which is fight a little harder, right. something you hear all the time from people on the left is that they feel like democrats in congress dont fight hard enough, whether it is true or not i will let, you know, voters decide. but that is what they continue to tell us, and theyve been saying it for years. so when you have ...

Now when they cant face losing a vote on the house floor they turn tail and run to washington 40 minutes from now well be on the senate floor and i expect to have a quorum in the senate. i have a quorum in the senate and well pass the bill today on the senate side and do our work all week. >> bill: why dont you fly to wilmington, delaware. i hear your frustration. i dont know how this is resolved. do they wait a week? >> i do. >> bill: go. >> they have to come home eventually. and when they come...