In an effort to prevent the Republican-led Texas state legislature from redrawing congressional maps, more than 50 Democrat representatives left the state on Monday to prevent an official vote from taking place.
While Gov. Greg Abbott has threated those absent Democrats with arrest, Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Waxahachie, told Newsmax on Tuesday that the public should have "anger at both parties.
"The sentiment [in the Texas State House] is one of outrage, disappointment, frustration and, quite frankly, anger at both parties. Here's the reality — everybody across America should be angry at the Democrats who fled their constitutional responsibilities and are hiding behind Governor [J.B.] Pritzker in Illinois, the most gerrymandered state in the country. But my constituents are equally furious at the weak establishment, feckless Republican leadership in the state of Texas who allowed this to happen," Harrison said during an appearance on "National Report."
Harrison placed much of the blame on Speaker Dustin Ray Burrows who "instead of enforcing a quorum and doing a call of the House" then proceeded to adjourn "after only seven minutes"
"He released the Democrats on Wednesday so they could go and have their meeting with [U.S. House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries, who flew down here from Washington, D.C., to huddle up with the House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol in Austin and plan their escape.
"So, this is not a victory for Democrats thwarting the redistricting efforts. This is an abject failure of the weak establishment Republican leadership in the state of Texas," Harrison said.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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