- The Washington Times - Monday, July 19, 2021

The Texas House Democrats who fled Austin to stop the Republican majority from approving an elections bill have given Sen. Lindsey Graham an idea.

The South Carolina Republican said he would skip town to stop the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget resolution, calling it “an infrastructure package that’s got nothing to do with infrastructure, that is a tax-and-spend dream of the socialist left.”

“Hell yeah, I would leave,” said Mr. Graham on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “I will use everything lawfully in my toolbox to prevent rampant inflation.”

Mr. Graham, who said he would support the bipartisan $950 billion infrastructure proposal for roads, bridges and ports, said that the $3.5 trillion proposal was “designed to pass without a single Republican vote,” but that Republicans could counter by denying the majority Democrats a quorum.

“You’ve got to have a quorum to pass a bill in the Senate,” he said. “I would leave town before I would 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.”

 

 

If it comes to that, Mr. Graham said he also expects to receive kudos from Vice President Kamala D. Harris, who praised last week the “great sacrifice” of Texas House Democrats camped out in Washington, D.C., to break quorum in the legislative chamber.

“Hey, Vice President Harris, if you think these people are heroes, well, then I expect you to show up and pat us on the back,” Mr. Graham said.

Nearly 60 Texas House Democrats flew to the nation’s capital via chartered jets on July 12, stopping any activity in the GOP-controlled state House, although the Texas Senate has passed a slew of bills during the special session scheduled to end Aug. 6.

The Democrats have said they will hold out until the end of the session, while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to keep calling 30-day special sessions until the elections bill and other legislative priorities are passed.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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