Abbott threatens to remove Texas Democrats over walkout
'This truancy ends now. The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House,' Abbott wrote in a statement issued Sunday.
The Texas Democrats said they were denying Republicans a quorum, or the minimum number of lawmakers needed present in order to conduct legislative business, following a similar tactic they employed the last time the GOP pursued midcycle redistricting effort in 2003.
Most of them traveled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, all of which are Democratic-led states, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is supporting their effort.
Abbott also said in his statement that any Democrat who receives funds 'to evade the fines they will incur under House rules' may be in violation of felony bribery charges. He made the same threat against those who offer or give funds to Democrats.
Abbott pledged to use his 'full extradition authority to demand the return to Texas of any potential out-of-state felons.'
'Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that's exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did,' Abbott wrote in his statement. 'Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a similar threat to 'Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards,' saying they 'should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.'
'We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law,' Paxton added, in a post on the social platform X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 minutes ago
- Axios
SEPTA faces final countdown to avoid service cuts
SEPTA has one week to fill its $213 million budget shortfall and avoid massive cutbacks — a reality the transit agency is facing without a once-reliable plan B. Why it matters: The impending service cuts will impact commuters and students returning to schools later this month, and they could interrupt the city's planning for big-ticket events in 2026. The big picture: Pennsylvania's divided government is weeks late in hammering out a budget deal. Amid the biggest sticking points: state transportation funding, including the money SEPTA needs to avert its doomsday service cuts. While Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Democratic-controlled House have backed more SEPTA funding, the Republican–controlled Senate has balked at the proposal and called for more agency oversight. Threat level: SEPTA faces an Aug. 14 deadline to get state funding to shore up its budget gap, agency officials said Wednesday. Barring that, a 20% reduction in service across rail, buses and trolleys will begin Aug. 24. What they're saying: SEPTA general manager Scott Sauer said during a Wednesday news conference that the deadline is necessary to schedule service changes across the system, set staff assignments and prepare vehicles. "Time is of the essence," he said. Sauer warned that even if state funding arrives after Aug. 14, SEPTA will need at least 10 days to restore full service. Meanwhile, it appears unlikely that Shapiro can count on an alternate plan to fund SEPTA, as he did last year. Flashback: In 2024, after SEPTA failed to secure more funding in the state budget and faced service cuts, Shapiro directed the transfer of $153 million in federal highway funding to the agency in a maneuver known as " flexing." Shapiro didn't need state lawmakers to sign off on the transfer. But the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), then under former President Joe Biden, had to review and sign off on the transfer. The intrigue: Now without a fellow Democrat in the White House, Shapiro could face a chillier reception to such a request — especially considering Shapiro and President Trump have sparred in the past. SEPTA has not heard of flexing federal funding for the agency being an option so far, agency spokesperson Andrew Busch tells Axios. FHWA spokesperson Angela Gates declined to discuss hypothetical flexing requests. But Gates noted that the federal agency has approved four requests from the state this year for flexing federal funding, but declined to identify them. A spokesperson for Shapiro declined to comment. The spokesperson referred Axios to Shapiro's previous comments in which the governor said budget negotiations were making slow progress. The bottom line: It's likely state budget or bust for SEPTA.
Washington Post
3 minutes ago
- Washington Post
I'm a Republican who didn't vote for Trump. I was wrong.
I am a registered Republican. And like many others, I didn't vote for Donald Trump. His tone and rhetoric alarmed me. But in hindsight, much of what Trump has done, particularly in his foreign policy, has turned out to be effective. Realizing my mistake set me thinking about a question I've pondered my whole life: What does it mean to be smart?
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Messmer announces re-election bid in 8th District
U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer, a Jasper Republican, on Tuesday announced he is seeking re-election to the Indiana Eighth District seat in the U.S. House. President Donald Trump is endorsing Messmer's re-election campaign, the candidate said in a news release, quoting Trump as saying: 'Congressman Mark Messmer is a Fantastic Representative for the Great People of Indiana's 8th Congressional District!' Messmer, who won his first term in 2024, serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, House Armed Services Committee, and House Committee on Education and Workforce. The congressman said he is working with Trump in crucial areas to ensure Americans have a secure and prosperous future. He also said he is an advocate for making the Trump tax cuts permanent, supports the elimination of 'harmful and divisive policies like DEI,' and is working to increase opportunities for entrepreneurs and local farmers, according to his news release. Of his reasons for seeking office, Messmer said, 'We must be bold and unapologetic in fighting for the principles of the American Founding. We have a leader in the White House who is working every day for the American people and not special interests, and we need members in Congress who will fight with President Trump to make sure America continues to be an exceptional nation filled with promise for the next generation. I will work tirelessly in the days and weeks ahead to earn your vote and continue to fight for Indiana and our conservative principles in my next term.' The Eighth District, which includes Terre Haute, spans 21 southwestern Indiana counties and sprawls from the Ohio River to Interstate 74 in Fountain County and is considered solidly Republican. Mary Allen, an Evansville City Council member, on Monday announced her intent to run as a Democrat for the Eighth District seat. The primary elections in Indiana are Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
