Absconding Texas Democrats Return, Leaving Voting Rights Fight to Congress

Republican Texas state House Speaker Dade Phelan announced Thursday that the chamber had achieved a quorum for the first time since Democrats fled the state to block the passage of a controversial GOP voting bill.

More than 50 Texas House Democrats left Texas in July to block the bill by denying a quorum—the required minimum number of lawmakers present for the House to do any official business. The Texas Senate has already passed the bill. Provided that the quorum is not broken again, it is likely to soon pass in the GOP-controlled House and be signed into law after reaching the desk of Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

"Members, this has been a very long summer. We've been through a lot," Phelan from the House floor when the quorum was achieved just before adjourning on Thursday evening, according to The Washington Post. "I appreciate the members who made quorum today. It's time we get back to work for the great state of Texas."

It is not clear when the House will take up the controversial bill, although the current special session is set to resume at 4 p.m. on Monday. Democrats have characterized the legislation as a voter suppression bill, noting that it would restrict access to voting in certain instances and could lead to voter intimidation by empowering partisan poll watchers. Republicans say that the bill is intended to ensure the integrity of elections.

The bill seemed almost certain to pass before House Democrats broke quorum by staging a last-minute walkout at the conclusion the legislature's regular session in late May. Abbott soon ordered a 30-day special session, prompting 52 Democrats to flee the state for Washington, D.C. on July 12. The first special session ended without ever achieving a quorum. Abbott quickly ordered an additional special session, which is currently ongoing.

Phelan signed arrest civil arrest warrants in hopes of forcing the elusive Democrats back to work last week. A judge temporarily blocked the orders from being enforced but the Texas Supreme Court reversed the decision this week. Although a number of Democrats had returned to Texas earlier in August, enough had stayed away from the state Capitol to continue denying the House a quorum until Thursday.

After the quorum was achieved, some Democrats insisted that the months-long standoff had been successful and could lead to Congress passing Democratic voting bills like the For the People Act—legislation that has little realistic chance of passing in an evenly-divided Senate due to the filibuster rule and opposition from moderate Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

"I'm proud of the Texas House Democrats," former Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke tweeted. "They've done more than we ever could've asked to stop voter suppression and give Congress time to act. It's now time for the President and the Senate to finish the job. Pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act."

Newsweek reached out to the Texas Democratic Party for comment.