Texas Republicans pressure state's House Democrats to come back to Austin

As Texas House Democrats close the first week of their quorum break in Washington, D.C., their Republican colleagues are trying to compel them to return home.

As Texas House Democrats close the first week of their quorum break in Washington, D.C., to stall Republican-backed voting bills, their colleagues across the aisle are escalating efforts to compel them to return to the Lone Star State. On Thursday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced he would charter a plane on Saturday to fly the absent Democrats from the nation’s capital back to Austin. "I am demanding all of our colleagues in D.C. to contact my staff immediately in order to secure their seat on the plane and return to Austin in order to do the state’s business. The State of Texas is waiting," Phelan said in a statement. In response, the Texas Democrats said they have no intention of taking up Phelan on the request.