GOP Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas GOP Governor, promised Monday that Democrats who fled a special session in order to deprive the state legislature quorum earlier on Monday would be arrested.
Abbott’s promise came as at most 58 state Democrats boarded chartered flights to Washington, D.C. Monday afternoon, ahead of the likely passage of a Republican-backed bill to tighten election integrity laws. Democrats claim the bill will make it difficult for minorities to vote, which Republicans and Abbott flatly deny.
“What the law is, it’s in the [Texas state] Constitution, and that is the House, the State House of Representatives who were here in the Capitol in Austin right now, they do have the ability to issue a call to have their fellow members who are not showing up to be arrested, but only so long as that arrest is made in the state of Texas,” Abbott told Fox News host Laura Ingraham Monday evening.
“That’s why they have fled the state. Once they step back into the state of Texas, they will be arrested and brought to the Texas Capitol, and we will be conducting business,” he added.
Earlier, Abbott called the Democratic stunt “the most un-Texan thing you’ve ever heard.”
“It’s really the worst thing you can say about a Texan: They’re so afraid they’re running away from a fight that they were hired by their voters to do,” he said.
“They were hired by the voters to go to the Capitol and articulate what their opinion was,” he continued.
Abbott also criticized Democrats for their hypocrisy, claiming they engaged in a filibuster like stunt by going to D.C. to press Democratic senators to change the chamber’s filibuster rules so they can pass a nationwide reform bill that Republicans claim will end voter integrity protections.
Abbott predicted, however, that the tactic would ultimately fail. He has the authority to call for special sessions.
“We have special sessions that last 30 days, and the governor calls them and I will continue calling special session after special session, because over time it’s going to continue until they step up to vote,” he pledged.
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, a Texas Republican, blasted state Democrats as well.
“I’m looking at them surrendering Texas to D.C. in our election, because they don’t want to do their job,” she told Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria.”
“To not do your job, to take off and hide behind (President Joe) Biden or Vice President (Kamala) Harris up in D.C., it’s a dereliction of duty,” Van Duyne added.
“They are completely ignoring their responsibilities and their promise and commitment to their voters and their constituents.”
