Texas Rep Gina Hinojosa: “Last Thursday, Texas voters witnessed a gleeful GOP celebrate and misrepresent the existence of a constitutional quorum on the House Floor. This staged quorum production was not only premeditated, but also premature. We remind our colleagues that there is no such thing as a ‘perpetual quorum.’ Specifically, there must always be a minimum of 100 Members present on the House Floor to establish the quorum necessary to vote on every single piece of legislation. There is no indication or commitment from any Texas House Democrat that this will occur. We have not seen the final versions of any of the divisive bills on the special session call and Republican leadership has not expressed any willingness to negotiate with House Democrats.”

“Some of our Democratic colleagues may be returning to the House floor intermittently to object and preserve a record on the voter intimidation and suppression bill, as well as other pieces of legislation which are harmful to vulnerable Texas families. However, we and our allies and advocates recognize that any Member, at any time, has the right to break quorum should they deem it necessary. Our Congressional leaders have requested that Texas House Democrats present in Washington, D.C. this week for the passage of the historic John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 (H.R. 4). We appreciate and accept this invitation as we continue our fight against extreme legislation seeking to restrict, disenfranchise, and criminalize millions of voters in our Black, Brown, disabled and elderly communities. The GOP is attempting to force this voter suppression bill through the Texas Legislature in furtherance of Governor Abbott’s hyper-partisan political agenda. Texas House Democrats remain steadfast and confident in our principled battle to protect equal and fair access to the ballot box for all Texans.”