(Texas Scorecard) – A Republican plan to punish Democrat lawmakers who broke quorum earlier this month fractured the House GOP caucus on Monday, with members rejecting the most aggressive measure while advancing two others.
Meeting behind closed doors, the caucus considered three separate motions. The outcome underscored divisions within the Republican ranks, and has sparked open criticism of Speaker Dustin Burrows.
The first motion supporting changes to House rules passed after being pared down. It originally sought to strip Democrats of guaranteed vice-chairmanships and eliminate requirements that chairs consult them on committee scheduling.
Those provisions were removed, but the remaining language tightened penalties on members who skip town to block legislation, including steeper fines, loss of seniority, and forfeiture of chairmanships.
The second motion, however, failed on a 44–27 vote, falling short of the two-thirds support required in caucus. That proposal would have censured Democrats who fled the state and immediately imposed penalties: removing chairmanships and vice-chairmanships, docking seniority in the next session, and cutting office budgets for each day absent without leave.
Some members have noted such a measure would likely require the same supermajority to advance on the House floor.
Its failure, however, has drawn sharp backlash from some of the caucus’ conservative members.
State Rep. Andy Hopper said, “The Texas House Republican caucus just voted against holding the Dems who fled accountable in any real way. This motion did NOT pass by the required majority.”
State Rep. Nate Schatzline added, “I am incredibly disappointed in the uniparty Republicans that chose to get the backs of the far left democrats that abandoned Texas rather than getting the backs of their constituents!”
State Rep. Brent Money was more direct, pointing a finger at the speaker.
“The tenuous Republican Caucus unity that has been developing since the Dems broke quorum is over, and it’s the fault of Speaker Burrows. Only 44 Republican members were willing to punish the Derelict Dems after Burrows’ whipping votes against it. Very disappointing,” said Money.
Burrows did not respond to a request for comment on whether he whipped votes against the motion.
A third motion was approved, throwing caucus support behind legislation filed for the ongoing special session:
House Bill 18, prohibiting quorum breakers from raising political contributions during a walkout.
Senate Bill 48/House Bill 64, automatically vacating the seat of a lawmaker absent for seven consecutive days without leave.
House Joint Resolution 10, reducing the quorum threshold from two-thirds to a simple majority.
The debate comes days after Gov. Greg Abbott added “legislation to impose penalties or punishments for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session” to the special session agenda.
While Republicans were united in condemning Democrats for abandoning the Capitol, the fight continues over how far those punishments should go.