Sixteen Texas lawmakers met with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Wednesday to talk about voting rights.
“All citizens have the right to vote. Constitutionally, it is their right. What we are seeing are examples of an attempt to interfere with that right,” said Vice President Kamala Harris.
The trip comes after Texas House Democrats walked out, to prevent a bill on Senate Bill 7, which limits early voting hours, gives poll watchers more latitude, and eliminates drive through voting. Supporters call it security, critics call it suppression.
“She was very, very engaged in the conversation. She asked a lot of questions. She seemed very familiar with some of the issues that we were already dealing with, but we kind of gave her more of an inside look,” said Rep. Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas.)
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Republican National Committee spokesperson Michael Joyce said of the meeting, “It’s no wonder Kamala Harris is meeting with Texas Democrats in Washington, DC today; Texas is far too close to the southern border for Harris to have any interest.”
The lawmakers also held meetings on Capitol Hill, with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. They were lobbying for federal voting legislation as well.
“We need congress to pass both HR 1 and HR 4 so that we have federal protections, uniform federal protections, for all voters across the country,” said Rep. Chris Turner, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell says the For the People act is a partisan effort, a federal takeover of how elections are conducted.
Lawmakers come back to Texas, and the state bill will come up again.
Governor Greg Abbott has promised a special session, and elections are at the top of the list.
“I know this, and that is election integrity is needed,” said Governor Abbott.
Democrats are determined to fight on, even though they are in the minority in both the House and Senate,
“When you begin to look at the people that came up here they represent every ethnic group in the state of Texas. Frankly in America. We look like America. And so the question is... we stand together, and we are going to get others to stand with us in order to make certain that we defeat this particular legislation,” said State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas.)
