Democratic state lawmakers in Texas continue to make national news after they vacated the state, denying the Republican majority a quorum to pass voter suppression and anti-trans legislation during the special legislative session called by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
The Texas Democrats—who are currently in Washington, D.C. calling on the United States Congress to pass voting rights legislation—have been hailed by fellow party members across the country for the move. Meanwhile, Republican critics accuse them of not doing their jobs, and Governor Abbott has even said they'll be arrested upon their return.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina appeared in an interview with far-right Fox News host Maria Bartiromo—one of the network's top disinformation peddlers.
The United States Senate is preparing to pass a sweeping budget bill as a component to President Biden's infrastructure agenda. The bill—which is still being negotiated among Democrats—will bypass the filibuster using a budget exception called "reconciliation." It's almost certain not to receive any Republican support.
Graham threatened that Senate Republicans would take a page from the book of Texas Democrats and walk out, denying Senate Dems a quorum.
Watch below.
Lindsey Graham says Republicans should leave DC to prevent Senate Democrats from passing an infrastructure bill via reconciliationpic.twitter.com/Uyjhw5ntny— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1626619600
Graham told Bartiromo:
"If for some reason, they pass reconciliation budget resolution to bring that bill to the floor of the United States Senate—the $3.5 trillion bill—you gotta have a quorum to pass a bill in the Senate. I would leave before I'd let that happen, so to my Republican colleagues, we may learn something from our Democratic friends in Texas when it comes to avoiding a $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend package. Leave town."
He went on to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris to praise Republicans for leaving in the same way she praised Texas Democrats for standing up for voting rights.
This, of course, is not how the United States Senate works. The U.S. Senate requires a simple majority for a quorum—which Democrats narrowly hold. The Texas Senate requires a two-thirds majority for a quorum.
Lindsey Graham has been in the Senate for nearly two decades and almost certainly knows this.
People reminded him just in case.
This wouldn\u2019t work. If all Republicans left town, Democrats could just ask unanimous consent to do whatever they want. 1 Republican would stay to object + 50 Dems = a quorum.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Steven Dennis (@Steven Dennis) 1626659891
Lindsey Graham has been in the Senate long enough to know this wouldn't work. The Texas legislature has a 2/3rds quorum requirement. In the U.S. Senate, a quorum only needs a simple majority.\n\nThe GOP leaving DC would not shut down the Senate the way the Texas walkout is doing.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Matthew Chapman (@Matthew Chapman) 1626628451
Is Lindsey Graham really unaware that the US Senate doesn\u2019t have a supermajority quorum requirement? That\u2019s amazing.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Derek Young (@Derek Young) 1626664678
Hahaha. A quorum in the Senate is 51 Senators you dolt. So go for it.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Reza Aslan (@Reza Aslan) 1626635693
There's no rule that you need 2/3 of the Senate to be present to pass legislation, like in TX. But it would be hilarious if the entire Republican party were absent as Democrats voted to save the country's infrastructure and create like a million jobs.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Ken Tremendous (@Ken Tremendous) 1626636528
Correct me if I\u2019m wrong, but I\u2019m pretty sure that a quorum in the US Senate is just 51. In theory, 50 Republicans could break it, but 1 would have to actually be there to call for a vote to establish whether there is or isn\u2019t a quorum\u2026 which would mean there was a quorum of 51.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1626620059
Nevertheless, Graham's critics urged him to follow through on the threat.
Do it, @LindseyGrahamSC.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— Franklin Leonard (@Franklin Leonard) 1626636905
Try it!https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— southpaw (@southpaw) 1626660872
1. Lindsey is only saying this because conservative media is a hot house of rage about the TX legislature, and one of their go-to taunts is usually something like, Oh yeah, we\u2019ll do that to you.\n2. Go ahead. You can do a lot with 50 votes in attendance.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1416771407577501697\u00a0\u2026— MissingPundit (@MissingPundit) 1626626345
We won't know Graham's sincerity until the reconciliation bill is eventually brought to the floor.
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