Biden defends voting rights amid Texas Democrats' decamping to DC

While a large group of Texas Democratic legislators hunkered down in Washington to derail Texas Republican-backed restrictive voting bills, President Joe Biden, speaking from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, condemned such moves by the GOP in various states. 

"We are facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War. That's not hyperbole — since the Civil War," Biden said. "To me, this is simple. It's election subversion. It's the most dangerous threat to voting in the integrity of free and fair elections in our history." 

It seemed that the Democrats in the Texas Legislature took to heart what Chinese strategist Sun Tzu said in his book On the Art of War: "Of all 36 strategies, decamping is the best."

An estimated 58 of 67 Democratic members of the Texas House boarded two chartered planes in Austin and landed in Washington on Monday night in order to break the needed quorum and block the GOP voting bill. 

Texas law requires that 100 of the 150-member House be present for it to conduct business. 

"This decision was not made lightly, but we had no other option to protect the sacred freedom to vote for millions of Texans. It is the only thing we could do to stop Abbott and the Republicans' attack on our democracy," Texas Representative Gene Wu said in a statement.

"These delinquents are doing this to kill a bill that does things like make voting hours across counties the same," US Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, said on Twitter. "There isn't a single thing in these bills that is 'voter suppression.' This a giant charade. Texans should be furious, and vote all of these children out of office."

Texas Democratic lawmakers walked out of the regular legislation session in May to successfully block Republicans' voting bills. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for a 30-day special session beginning July 8 with 11 items on the agenda that mostly appeal to conservatives, including the voting bills.

The revised Republican voting bill is similar to the aborted bill. It would ban drive-through and 24-hour voting options, provide easier access for partisan poll watchers, prohibit local election officials from proactively distributing applications to request mail-in ballots and place more restrictions on voting-by-mail such as new ID requirements for absentee voters.

Shortly after they landed in the US capital, Texas House Democrats said that they intend to remain out of the state until the special legislative session ends on Aug 6. That move would effectively put passage of any bills for the special session on hold. 

The Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to allow for the arrest of Democrats who have fled to Washington. 

"So if these people want to be hanging out wherever they're hanging out on this taxpayer-paid junket, they're going to have to be prepared to do it for well over a year," the governor told Austin's KVUE-TV. "As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas Capitol until they get their job done."

A spokesperson for the NAACP told CNN on Tuesday that the organization will offer to pay bail for Texas Democrats.  

Jon Taylor, professor and chair at the political science and geography department of the University of Texas at San Antonio, said that the Texas Democratic lawmakers' move accomplishes several things. 

"It brings national attention to this controversial bill, places pressure on Democrats in the US Senate to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and hinders the operation of the Texas Legislature's special session." 

Biden said that the US needs to prepare to face "a new wave of unprecedented voter suppression and raw and sustained election subversion" in 2022.

The president called for the passage of federal voting rights legislation, saying that it would help end voter suppression in states. 

Restrictive voting bills have been sweeping the nation. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, as of June 21, 17 states enacted 28 new laws restricting access to voting after the 2020 elections. The center's latest data show that another 61 voting bills with restrictive measures are moving through 18 state legislatures.   

Taylor said the Texas Democrats are "fighting an uphill, rear-guard effort" by decamping. 

"(Texas) Republicans will likely play an attrition game and simply wait the Democrats out and call additional special sessions. Ultimately, the Democrats lack the votes to stop the Republicans from passing new voting restrictions or any of Abbott's other agenda items," said Taylor.

Taylor said that Abbott is aimed at influencing the 2022 Texas governor's race and Republican primary by trying to get "these 'red meat' issues passed". 

"Most notably, there has been no call by Abbott to consider electric grid and infrastructure upgrades and protections or healthcare reforms."  

Despite Republicans controlling the Legislature, Taylor said they face an uphill battle to maintain long-term control of public offices in the state. 

"Texas is already trending 'purple' and is much more competitive than it was a decade ago.  Efforts to press for revisions that appear to restrict voting, get tough on border security and focus on social issues can be seen as an effort by the Republicans to solidify their power and energize their supporters while trying to stave off what may be inevitable: Texas' transition to a 'blue' state and Democratic control,'' said Taylor.