The Texas Democrats have left their state en masse to prevent the Republicans from passing a law regarding voting rules. This move will cause temporary paralysis in the House of Representatives of the state. It requires at least two-thirds of the 150 members to be present for the vote.
There are at least 50 House Democrats who have boarded two private jets from Austin to Washington DC. This move is coming amid the wave of voting restrictions in the states. The Republicans are arguing that the measures are essential for the security of the election. But the Texas Democrats are seeing them as an attack on the right of voting.
This bill in Texas would ban the 24-hour polling place. It will expand the authority of the partisan poll watchers. A first vote has been planned for later this week.
The House lawmakers took off on Monday afternoon. As they landed in Washington DC, the Democrats said that they would not return until the end of the special session of 30 days.
Under the Texas House Rules, police can arrest absent politicians and return them to the house floor. But the authority does not hold any right of jurisdiction outside Texas.
In response to the exodus, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, said that the house would use all the resources to secure the quorum.
The Texas Democrats are again attempting to prevent the Republicans from passing the new voting restriction. Where they are going suggests their objective.
This fight can either be won or lost in Washington DC. The Democrats have control there, and not in Texas. Not only can the federal legislation override the changes to the Texas laws of voting, but also it would block all the enacted measures in Georgia and Arizona.
There have been major concerns among the liberals. The Biden administration is not talking about it seriously. It is an imposing threat to the state-level voting laws which are pursuing the democratic candidates and is not seeing any willingness for action taken up from the Congress.
However, it is a symbolic move. It may be only the delays in Texas and is unlikely to change the dynamic of Washington, where the Republican Senate minority has more effective means. They can block the Democrats then only leave the town.
Credits: BBC
Comments are closed.