Texas Democratic lawmaker who fled to DC with other Dems to hamper election security bill likens arrest threat to plight of runaway slaves



Texas state Rep. Senfronia Thompson — among many Democratic lawmakers who fled the state as a way of hampering the passage of a Republican-led election security bill — likened the arrest threat from Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to the plight of runaway slaves.

"We refuse to be a hostage, to remain a hostage within the state of Texas," Thompson said at a Friday news conference. "And I know that there are search warrants out for us, and I'm ready to be arrested. What do you do to a slave if you don't do nothing but arrest them when they flee?"

"We fled Texas, and if they want to arrest me, go 'head," Thompson added. "I'm ready to be arrested."

"We refuse to be [hostages]…I am an American and I want to vote."We are simply asking for the right to vote. Demo… https://t.co/IFvij8TySc

— Texas House Democrats (@TexasHDC) 1626537508.0

What's the background?

Texas Democrats said the moves by Republicans to ensure election integrity — such as implementing new voter identification requirements for people voting by mail and banning election officials from sending unsolicited mail ballot applications to voters — make it harder for minorities to vote.

With that, nearly 60 Texas Democrats chartered two private planes to the nation's capital about a week ago, effectively denying the state legislature the two-thirds quorum needed to conduct official business. Abbott declared the Democratic lawmakers would be arrested once they return to Texas.

While the left endlessly celebrated the lawmakers' self-described freedom-fighting field trip, some rather unanticipated consequences resulted — such as COVID-19 cases among them. But what do they expect after not wearing masks on their flights like their constituents have to, correct?

Anything else?

What's more, it turns out the fleeing Democrats' attempt at political theater will do little more than cost them a ton of money.

Texas state Rep. Armando Walle (D) told NBC News the trip will have cost about $1.5 million by the time they all are done with the stunt in early August.

"Walle said the pair of private charter jets the majority of legislators took to Washington cost more than $100,000, while housing, food and other transportation costs will make up the bulk of other expenses," NBC News reported.

And while the Texas House Democratic Caucus pledged that taxpayers won't be on the hook for the lawmakers' D.C. trip, the special session they're abandoning can cost taxpayers over $1 million since it looks to be a wasted meeting with no official business being done.

(H/T: LifeZette)

Vaccinated White House official and Pelosi staffer test positive for COVID-19 after encounter with Texas Democrats



A White House official and a staffer in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have each tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a reception together, Axios reported Tuesday.

The positive diagnoses occurred after the Pelosi staffer met with a delegation of Democratic lawmakers from Texas, who fled their state to obstruct the passage of an election security bill supported by state Republicans. Of that delegation, six lawmakers have now tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling to Washington, D.C., while appearing to ignore face mask and social distancing recommendations.

ON PLANE TO DC: Texas Democratic lawmakers are leaving state to break quorum to stop Republican voting bill. Vetera… https://t.co/V0aNe3QrH5

— ScottGordonNBC5 (@ScottGordonNBC5) 1626120584.0

A White House spokesman confirmed the positive cases, adding that neither the White House official nor Pelosi's aide were showing severe symptoms because both had previously been vaccinated.

"We know that there will be breakthrough cases, but as this instance shows, cases in vaccinated individuals are typically mild," the spokesman told Axios.

The Pelosi staffer and the White House official, who each tested positive, both attended a rooftop reception at the Hotel Eaton last Wednesday evening. Previously, the Pelosi staffer met with the Texas lawmakers and ushered them around the Capitol.

Neither individual has had recent direct contact with either President Joe Biden or Speaker Pelosi.

"Yesterday, a fully vaccinated White House official tested positive for COVID-19 off campus," the White House spokesperson said in a statement.

"In accordance with our rigorous COVID-19 protocols, the official remains off campus as they wait for a confirmatory PCR test. The White House Medical Unit has conducted contact tracing interviews and determined no close contacts among White House principals and staff. The individual has mild symptoms."

The spokesperson added, "The White House is prepared for breakthrough cases with regular testing. This is another reminder of the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines against severe illness or hospitalization. We wish our colleague a speedy recovery."

Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, said, "Yesterday, a fully-vaccinated senior spokesperson in the Speaker's press office tested positive for COVID after contact with members of the Texas state legislature last week."

"The entire press office is working remotely today with the exception of individuals who have had no exposure to the individual or have had a recent negative test. Our office will continue to follow the guidance of the Office of Attending Physician closely," he added.

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have begun to rise due to the Delta variant, a strain of the coronavirus from India that is more contagious than other variants but not more severe. Because the Delta variant is more transmissible, even vaccinated people may become infected but their symptoms will only be mild and the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 is dramatically reduced by vaccination.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine breakthrough cases are expected as no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing illness in vaccinated people.

In the U.S., more than 159 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. CDC data indicates that 5,429 patients who were vaccinated experienced a breakthrough infection and were hospitalized or died. The CDC notes the number of breakthrough infections reported is likely undercounted, as it relies on passive and voluntary reporting.

"Vaccine breakthrough cases occur in only a small percentage of vaccinated people," the CDC says. "To date, no unexpected patterns have been identified in the case demographics or vaccine characteristics among people with reported vaccine breakthrough infections."

The Texas Democrats who traveled to D.C. to lobby for federal legislation that would undo Republican election security laws are currently in quarantine, continuing their efforts over Zoom. State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D), told the Dallas Morning News the lawmakers have been "observing all CDC guidelines."

"We're grateful that 100% of us were vaccinated in advance," he said. "This delta variant is no joke."

Gov. Abbott: Yes, Texas really can ARREST House Democrats when they return. Here's how.



What is actually in Texas' new GOP-led voting bill? Nearly every Texas House Democrat fled the state to block its passage, calling it racist and oppressive, and President Joe Biden backed them as well.

But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) joined Glenn Beck on the radio program Friday to set the record straight and call out the lies: All of these claims are "completely false." He also explained his promise to "arrest" the Texas House Democrats when they return to the Lone Star State.

"What is in the bill is completely different than what they're saying, what Kamala Harris is saying, what President Biden is saying. What's in the bill actually increases the number of hours that people have to vote in the state of Texas. In the state of Texas, we have at least 12 days of early voting, and we are adding hours to those days. And on top of that, we are giving people time off from work to be able to vote. Bottom line, we're making it easier to vote in the state of Texas," Gov Abbott explained.

"In comparison, Delaware — the state that President Biden votes in — has exactly zero hours of early voting," he added. "That said, there is one thing that we're doing in the state of Texas, and that is we're making sure we tighten the reins on mail-in ballots that can lead to voter fraud. And it's not me saying that. It's a federal judge, appointed by Barack Obama, in Corpus Christi, Texas, who wrote in a legal opinion that voter fraud occurs, quote, in abundance as it concerns mail-in ballots. We know. Texans know. There is fraud in mail-in ballots in the state of Texas. It must be fixed. That's one thing we're trying to do. That being said, all these claims that we're denying people the right to vote and yada, yada, yada, are completely false."

Abbott went on to discuss the much-debated voter ID laws in Texas and to explain why Democrats insist on calling basic voter ID requirements "racist."

"When Democrats do not have truth on their side, they resort to one single word and that is 'racism' ... Texas implemented voter ID almost a decade ago, and when we went through that fight, what word did they use? Racism," he said. "Guess what? After Texas imposed voter ID requirements in the state of Texas, there have been more people voting and more people of color who went to vote. Voting didn't get harder. It got easier and more abundant in the state of Texas. And so, once again, Democrats have absolutely no legal standing, other than to say, 'racism.'"

Glenn asked Gov. Abbott to explain his pledge to "arrest" the Democratic lawmakers that fled once they return to Texas.

"Let me explain how this works. So, whenever there is a break of quorum, which is what is happening now — meaning there is not a sufficient number of people who are showing up to the Texas House of Representatives for the Texas House to engage in business. Whenever there's a quorum break like that, the House issues what's called a 'call on the House.' And when that happens, the sergeant-at-arms is authorized to work with the Texas Department of Public Safety, to — you can call it arrest, apprehend, whatever you want to call it — any of the members who are not in the Texas House of Representatives and bring them to the Texas House where they will be 'cabined' with no ability to leave the Texas House chamber, without a permission slip from the speaker."

Watch the video clip below for more details:


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Manchin says no to filibuster reform, yes to Schumer's big budget vote



Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has once again crushed progressives' hopes of radically changing American election laws by adamantly refusing to change his position on the Senate filibuster.

On Friday, Manchin met with the group of Texas Democrats who fled their state to obstruct a Republican-backed election security bill to discuss federal election reforms. These Democrats were there to lobby Manchin for a filibuster "carve-out" for the For the People Act, a bill that would overhaul U.S. elections and undo various election security laws including the reforms supported by Texas Republicans. Hypocritically, while they are calling for an end to minority obstruction in U.S. Senate, they are happily preventing the Republican majority in Texas from conducting business.

Manchin was unmoved. "Forget the filibuster," he told reporters after the meeting.

By maintaining his opposition to nuking the filibuster, Manchin ensures that Senate Democrats will have no way to overcome the 60-vote requirement to advance their voting bill. Republicans have already used the filibuster once to block the For the People Act, causing progressives to scream at Manchin and fellow moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) for, in their words, allowing Republicans to destroy democracy by enacting more stringent voter ID requirements and implementing restrictions on sending unsolicited mail-in ballots to voters.

Manchin and the filibuster have each proved to be significant obstacles to other parts of President Joe Biden's agenda, most notably infrastructure. Progressives who wanted a massive $6 trillion "infrastructure" bill that would cover free college tuition, national paid leave, child care, and various elements of the Green New Deal had to settle for a $3.5 trillion compromise after the West Virginia Democrat objected to the cost of the bill. His vote is crucial because Democrats will use a process known as budget reconciliation to advance their spending bill, which will circumvent a filibuster attempt by Republicans. But to do that, they need every Democrat in their conference to support the bill — losing a single vote in the 50-50 Senate means defeat.

In an interview with The Hill, Manchin indicated he will support the $3.5 trillion spending package as long as several of his concerns are addressed.

"I'm concerned about inflation, I'm concerned about a competitive tax code, I'm concerned about environmental standards that basically leave people behind in all these things," he explained.

He confirmed that he will not oppose the budget resolution Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will put forward later this summer, the first step in activating the budget reconciliation process Democrats will use to overcome the filibuster.

"I want it to proceed," Manchin said.

AP hammered for chronicling the 'long,' 'punishing' days of being a runaway Texas Democrat: 'Did a Texas Democrat write this?' 'They're literally skipping work'



Critics ruthlessly hammered the Associated Press on Friday after the news agency published a sympathetic chronicling of the plight of runaway Texas Democratic lawmakers who jet-setted to Washington, D.C., recently in an act of brazen political theater.

What happened?

In an article that reads like one of John F. Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage," the AP shamelessly commemorated the state lawmakers' supposed bravery in skipping town to block the passage of an election security measure in their state.

Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to block a restrictive voting bill are living a life of scrutiny, stress and se… https://t.co/EpnoyaWzRJ

— The Associated Press (@AP) 1626402664.0

"Sheltered in a downtown D.C. hotel, the Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to block a restrictive voting bill are living a life of stress and scrutiny," reads the sappy article. "Legislators find themselves balancing a punishing schedule of political lobbying, outside work and family obligations, all under a national spotlight."

"Many have left young children behind; most have other professional obligations back in Texas. All seem to be operating on minimal sleep," the AP communicates as if sending wartime correspondence.

"The lawmakers describe 16-hour days of essentially operating in shifts, with some working the Capitol and doing media interviews, while others carve out four hours or so to handle their other jobs," it continues.

One lawmaker, state Rep. John Bucy, who decided to take his 17-month-old daughter and 27-weeks pregnant wife with him to play hooky, relayed the particular difficulties his family is facing.

"It's really hard," he told the AP. "There's no childcare here. My wife works. I work."

Adding weight to their already heavy burden, the lawmakers and their families report not being able to enjoy the tourist attractions of the nation's capital.

"Representatives say they're currently too busy go out to dinner, take their kids to a museum or any of the other typical Washington-visitor activities," the report noted.

"We are not here on vacation," insisted state Sen. Jose Menendez. "We are here to do a job."

What has been the reaction?

It's safe to say the article has not garnered the positive response the authors were hoping for. Instead, critics on social media responded by pummeling both the news agency and the lawmakers over their publicity stunt. Below are some of the best samplings:

  • "Did a Texas Democrat write this?" blasted one commenter.
  • "Nice press release," said another, while a second user added, "This is propaganda."
  • "A showcase of courage," one user quipped, while another added, "Hereos one and all."
  • "They're literally skipping work," another noted.
  • "It's their job. They are well taken care of. They need to stop acting like babies and fight for democracy," a user bluntly stated.
  • "'A punishing schedule'? Every time I see them on here they are taking selfies or trying to sound cute on Twitter. They walked out on their obligations. They aren't balancing anything," said another commenter.
  • Doubling down, another user said, "'punishing schedule' ... Hey there's a fix for all this...."
  • "If they can't do the job fire then, just because they are public officials doesn't mean they are exempt from punishment," added a critic.
  • "They're drinking beer, riding on private jets and living in a nice hotel room," still another charged.
  • Complementing the previous point, a user noted, "It would be a hell of a lot more stressful for me if I didn't show up to work. I stipulations get a free DC hotel room and I'd get fired from my job."
  • "Private plane and Miller lite wish my job was they tough," added another.
  • "'Punishing schedule' my ass!" exclaimed another commenter.

All jokes aside, many commenters did point out that things may actually get tough for the "fugitive" lawmakers when they finally get home. Handcuffs might be waiting for them.

Texas Dems flee to D.C. on private jets to stop Republicans from passing election security bill



Texas Democrats are reportedly planning to flee the state in an effort to block the legislature from passing an election security bill supported by the Republican majorities and Gov. Greg Abbott (R).This would be the second time the Democrats have used a a walkout strategy to delay the bill's passage.

According to NBC News, at least 58 Democratic members of the state House of Representatives will leave Austin on Monday to block House Bill 3 from passing. By leaving, they will deny the legislature the required quorum of two-thirds of lawmakers present to conduct state business, effectively shutting the chamber down until they return to the state or the session ends.

Most of the Democrats will fly on two private jets chartered to take them to Washington D.C., where they will reportedly lobby federal lawmakers for national voting legislation. Other lawmakers will make their own way to the nation's capital.

The Republican-backed bill was blocked once before in May when Democrats staged a walkout from the state House chamber. Without a quorum present, Republicans were forced to end the legislative session without passing the bill. But Abbott, who considers the bill a priority, called a for special session of the legislature to take it up again in June.

Democrats say House Bill 3 and its companion Senate Bill 1, which implement new voter identification requirements for people voting by mail and ban election officials from sending unsolicited mail ballot applications to voters, would make it harder for minorities to vote. The bills would also end pandemic innovations like drive-through voting and extended hours during early voting, reforms Republicans say are needed to mitigate the risk of voter fraud.

Republican lawmakers worked over the weekend to advance the bills, holding overnight hearings and passing the bills out of their respective House and Senate committees to bring them to the floor this week.

To keep the legislature from considering the House bill, Democrats would have to remain out of state until the end of the special session, which could last up to 30 days. The Texas Constitution empowers the Republican majority to compel the return of absent lawmakers to the state Capitol, and Democrats expect GOP lawmakers to send the state Department of Public Safety to force them to return.

Democrats have apparently been planning their flight for weeks. "Initially, they considered decamping to West Virginia and Arizona, because Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have opposed abolishing the filibuster to pass the For the People Act, federal voting legislation the state Democrats support," NBC News reports. "But they feared the states' Republican governors would aid in their arrest and return them to Texas."