Today, they came close to making a quorum in the Texas House and beating back the runaway Democrats’ effort to stymie election security bills.

At least four of the runaway Democrats returned and appeared during the House session, although 26 Democrats are reportedly staying in D.C. to break the quorum. By the late afternoon, there were 95 members present. But they still needed 100 out of 150 in order to have a quorum. So they ended up just short.

One of the Democrats who returned and who was on the floor was James Talarico. He was the guy that Fox’s Pete Hegseth nailed when he asked him to name one voter who was being denied the right to vote and Talarico was unable to do so, imploding the Democrats’ whole argument about “voting rights” being denied.

I’m home!

Our quorum break shined a national spotlight on the TX voter suppression bill and pushed Congress closer to passing a federal voting rights act to override it. I’m confident they will.

Now I’m back to clean up Greg Abbott’s latest messes from COVID to ERCOT. #txlege pic.twitter.com/9BBQOxbziz

— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) August 9, 2021

He claimed he was coming back to deal with “Greg Abbott’s latest messes from COVID to ERCOT.” Of course, it was the runaway Texas Democrats who actually brought the virus to D.C., with a Pelosi aide and a White House aide testing positive for the virus after meeting with the Texas Democrats. “Our quorum break shined a national spotlight on the TX voter suppression bill and pushed Congress closer to passing a federal voting rights act to override it,” Talarico claimed. I don’t know about you but that sure sounds like failure to me. They didn’t actually achieve anything except perhaps putting off the inevitable and spreading the virus. But imagine acting like blowing off your job was somehow noble.

Some of the other Democrats back in D.C. were not happy with the Democrats who returned and were on the floor — including James Talarico, Mary Gonzalez, Art Fierro, and Joe Moody — making the quorum question close. The Democrats still in D.C. blasted their brethren on social media.

For transparency purposes it is important to note that the following Democrats are on the Floor now & no longer breaking quorum:@jamestalarico @RepMaryGonzalez @moodyforelpaso @ArtFierro79

Quorum is still not met. Praying no other Democrats willingly go to Floor. https://t.co/bFzwRPrfMo

— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaForAustin) August 9, 2021

⁦@jamestalarico⁩ ⁦@RepMaryGonzalez⁩ ⁦@moodyforelpaso⁩ you all threw us under the bus today! Why? pic.twitter.com/yD6ODZKFcP

— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) August 9, 2021

Democrats like @TurnerForTX and @jamestalarico checked in today to help Republicans pass anti-voter bills. There is currently an injunction stopping TX from arresting Democrats, yet these Democrats on the floor today chose to participate in voter suppression. pic.twitter.com/9NNmpgZwIh

— Representative Ana-Maria Ramos (@Ramos4Texas) August 9, 2021

I’ve said this before… it’s a Team Sport… now we see who plays what positions on the Team… The fact that some of us secured a Temporary Restraining Order to protect ALL of us, yet some are trying to please the Governor and His OPPRESSIVE Agenda?! JUST WOW! #txlege

— Rep. Jasmine Crockett (@jasminefor100) August 9, 2021

On top of that, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott got another win in the fight against the runaway effort.

When the Democrats cut and ran to D.C., Abbott vetoed the legislature’s funding. “Funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional legislative session,” Abbott said then. The Democrats fought that, arguing it was unconstitutional. Today the Texas Supreme Court rejected the Democrats’ request to overturn the veto.

That means that Democrats will have to get serious because they aren’t funded after September. There’s no way they’re going to give up their salaries or that of their staffs. So that necessarily limits how long they can pull this game and gives Gov. Abbott a mighty pressure point to get them back to doing their jobs.