Harris meets with Texas Democrats after Republicans call on law enforcement to 'return' them 'to the chamber'

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

published 13 July 2021

The Texas House walkout escalated dramatically on Tuesday, when state Republicans voted "overwhelmingly" to find, return and, if necessary, arrest absent Democrats, The Wall Street Journal and Texas Tribune report. Vice President Harris is meeting with the lawmakers taking refuge in the nation's capital, where they are lobbying with Congress to pass a federal bill that renders Texas' legislation moot.

"I think they have shown great courage, and certainly great conviction and commitment," said Harris of the lonestar Democrats.

On Monday, over 50 House Democrats fled to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to break quorum and block a vote on restrictive voting rights legislation. In response, House Republicans voted on Tuesday to allow "law enforcement to track down absentee lawmakers — arresting them if necessary and forcing them to return to the chamber," the Journal reports. However, the procedural move "carries little apparent weight," since "Texas law enforcement lacks jurisdiction" out of state, the Tribune adds.

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Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.

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