Texas Democrat lawmakers will remain in the US capitol for several weeks to block the upcoming Republican voting rights bill, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chairman Chris Turner said on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2021) Texas Democrat lawmakers will remain in the US capitol for several weeks to block the upcoming Republican voting rights bill, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chairman Chris Turner said on Tuesday.
More than 50 Democrats from the Texas legislature arrived in Washington, DC on Monday night as part of their second attempt this summer to deny Republicans a quorum to pass the rights bill.
"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 the folks in this building behind us to pass Federal voting rights legislation to protect voters in Texas and across the country," Turner said during a press conference outside of the US Capitol building.
The Republican legislation would limit early voting hours, ban drive-through voting, further restrict voting by mail, ban public officials from sending unsolicited absentee ballot applications, make it easier to overturn an election based on fraud allegations, provide poll watchers more access where election activity is happening, among other things.
US Senators Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, Alex Padilla and Kirsten Gillibrand are expected to meet with the Texas lawmakers later on Tuesday for talks about the bill.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday night urged the legislators to return to Austin to continue the special legislative session to pass the bill. Abbott explained Texas law calls for arresting legislators who abandon their duties, which is they have left the state, but added they may be arrested upon returning to Texas.
Abbott previously said he would call a special session to get the bill passed before the fall after Democrats blocked the bill from passage in May. The Texas special legislative session commenced on July 8 and can last no longer than 30 days.
Former President Donald Trump's claims of voter and election fraud in the 2020 presidential election has prompted several Republican-ruled states to pass election reform legislation to prevent vote harvesting and other forms of potential abuse.
