AUSTIN, Texas (KXXV) — The Texas House of Representatives attempted to meet again with a quorum to discuss several flooding and disaster preparedness bills, but only 95 members were present on Tuesday.
Governor Greg Abbott released the following statement after the House did not meet a quorum again on Tuesday:
"With the Texas House and Senate today announcing they are prepared to sine die on Friday, I will Call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session #2. The Special Session #2 agenda will have the exact same agenda with the potential to add more items critical to Texans. There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed."
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also put out a statement Tuesday following the House not meeting a quorum:
"Today and tomorrow, the Texas Senate will pass the remaining bills on Gov. Abbott's special session call, including the new congressional map, which adds 5 news Republican congressional districts, and essential legislation related to the July 4th flooding across Texas. House Democrats have made their point and now face a choice. they should return from their 'vacation' before Friday and pass the bills on the governor's special session call. If not, the Texas Senate will adjourn Sine Die on Friday so Gov. Abbott can immediately call us back for another special session. This will continue in perpetuity. Let me be clear: the Texas Senate will pass the bills on Gov. Abbott's special session call over, and over, and over again until the House democrats return from their 'vacation' to do the people's business. The decision is theirs."
House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the Texas Department of Public Safety is keeping track of every taxpayer dollar that has been spent in the law enforcement agency's effort to compel members of the house to return.
"As of today, the amount is well over six figures in just overtime. We have travel and operational costs that are being tracked as well," Burrows said. He emphasized that absent members will be responsible for paying that amount back.
House Bills 1, 2, 18, 19 and 20 were scheduled to be discussed on the house floor, which related to flooding and disaster response in the state.
"If the devastation of our Hill Country communities, the Texas Constitution, and their mounting debt aren't enough to bring them back today, they should yet again be reminded, this is not going away. The work is not going away, and the pressure on them will only grow," Burrows said.
The house also did not have a quorum on Monday, with only 96 members present.
Watch the Texas House of Representatives meet here:
