Texas Democrats aren’t planning to return home to Austin just yet.
In fact, they intend to this week step up their protests against voting restrictions being considered by the Republican legislature in their home state. After fleeing Austin for Washington and denying quorum to their GOP colleagues, the Texas Democrats plan to hold a week-long virtual conference — based here in Washington — featuring influential civil rights activists and lawmakers.
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Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta will kick off the conference on Monday planned by the Texas House Democrats along with the Service Employees International Union and Mi Familia Vota, a national organization that aims to boost Latino voter turnout.
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[‘There’s no playbook’: Exiled Texas Democrats race to keep up momentum as Republicans in Austin ramp up pressure for their return]
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In continuing to agitate, Texas Democrats will serve as a major test of the power of others seeking to protest legislation in states like Michigan and Georgia where GOP-dominated state legislators aim to pass hundreds of election bills seen as making it harder to vote. They haven’t been able to achieve a breakthrough on federal voting rights legislation, which doesn’t have enough support to get through the 50-50 U.S. Senate, either.
Meanwhile, Texas Republicans have condemned their missing colleagues and threaten to arrest them when they return.
Pressure mounts for Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation amid a Supreme Court voting rights ruling and Texas Democrats' arrival in D.C. (Mahlia Posey/The Washington Post)
A coronavirus outbreak, however, is complicating the Texas delegation’s activities: several members of the delegation tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, according to a source familiar with the situation. The breakthrough infections have prompted the lawmakers to hold the conference virtually.
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Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) is currently in quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus on Saturday morning and is suffering from mild symptoms, despite being fully vaccinated, she told The Washington Post.
“Let this be a reminder that covid-19 is still very much among us, with infection rates on the rise and more contagious variants spreading nationwide,” Israel said in a statement. “I urge anyone not yet vaccinated to do so as soon as possible to help stop the spread … More importantly, I hope this instance highlights the sacrifices we’re willing to make for the cause of democracy. I would not change anything to protect the right to vote,” Israel added.
[Inside the secret plan for the Texas Democratic exodus: A phone tree, a scramble to pack and a politically perilous trip]
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Members of Congress from Texas — including Barbara Jackson-Lee (D-Tex.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.) — will appear at the virtual conference later in the week. Castro was part of the group of Texas Democrats who broke quorum in 2003 to delay passage of redistricting bills in a Republican-controlled legislature.
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The conference will highlight best practices for election administration and procedures including appearances by Democratic secretaries of state, local elections official and state legislators from states that have expanded voting rights, along with states that are currently fighting new voting restrictions.
“With this conference, we will help prepare our voting rights champions for the fight ahead and we will show them that they aren’t alone in defending our democracy and fighting for us all,” Hector Sanchez, the CEO of Mi Familia Vota, said in a statement. “With covid-19 protocols in place, this conference is the next step in our fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights act and the For the People Act.”
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As of June, 17 states have enacted 28 new laws that restrict access to voting, according to an analysis by the Brennan Center, and more restrictions are likely to become law as legislatures are still in session. Michigan Republican lawmakers recently announced a plan to push through
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The Texans arrived in D.C. last week and have said they plan to remain in Washington through the first week of August, when the special legislative session ordered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is scheduled to expire. They’ve met with Vice President Harris, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other lawmakers.
Manchin discussed with the lawmakers the possibility of a federal bill that could neutralize some of the voting restrictions Republicans are trying to pass at the state level. But he remains staunchly opposed to changing or eliminating the filibuster, the Senate’s 60-vote supermajority requirement.
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“Forget the filibuster,” Manchin told reporters after the meeting.
The state lawmakers have requested a meeting with President Biden, according to Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio). If a meeting is granted, Martinez Fischer said he believes that ending the filibuster is “worth a discussion” but doesn’t expect the Texas delegation to call on Biden to publicly pressure senators to eliminate it.
“It’s ultimately the Senate’s prerogative,” said Martinez Fischer. “The president served many years [in the Senate] and he’s a creature of the institution. By golly, it doesn’t need a tutorial. This lies in their lap and it’s Leader Schumer’s job to wrestle with this issue.”