Thread by @GinaForAustin

On the morning of May 30, 2021, the last day to pass bills in the TX House in the 87th Legislative Session, House Dems faced near certain defeat against our voters & democracy w/the passage of SB 7.

My colleague @TMFtx pulled me aside & said: “I know the play to break quorum.”1

On that bill deadline day @TMFtx continued: “We break quorum, fly to Washington & tell Congress to pass the #JohnLewisVotingRightsAct.”

Always game for #GoodTrouble, I said: “Yeah, let’s do THAT!” 2/

Later that day a coalition of Black & Brown TX House Members convened & decided to kill the voter suppression bill. We heard a powerful story from @Senfronia4Texas about her lifetime struggle for voting rights. @RepDeshotel counted members willing to leave. We had the #s! 3/

W/a plan to break quorum & greater purpose of the #JohnLewisVotingRightsAct, I called my sis @XochitlHinojosa & said: “On the DL, we need a meeting w/@WhiteHouse. We’re about to do something big.” She said: “call @emmyruiz46!”
My mom overheard & asked “What does Gina want?!” 4/

At @ 7:30pm I left the Floor of the House &
went to @EddieforTexas’s office because his digs are the best & texted members that it was time to leave the Floor & break quorum. I wrote: “It’s a leap of faith. It only works if u take it.” @jasminefor100 responded: “I’m on my way!”5/

1st came Freshman & Sophomore women Members (of course!). They got to work texting/calling Members to leave the Floor. I had to go down to the Floor several times to pull “#bulloftheBrazos @jessicafortexas from the Floor fight because she was like a dog on a bone. 6/

When @TexasHDC texted members to take their keys & leave the Floor the remaining Members on the Floor left. @VotePennyShaw rode w/me to Mt. Zion Church (T/U @NAACP!) in @SherylCole1 ‘s district & called members to tell them to join us (because don’t ya know my phone had died) 7/

With many members gathered at the church, @MannyGarciaTX @cliftonwalker worked their magic & threw together a phenomenal press conference & just like that we were thrown into the national spotlight. 8/

Somehow Texas House Dems got 2 meetings with @VP, spent a month in DC, met w/countless members of Congress including @SpeakerPelosi & @SenSchumer, killed an entire Special Session & then another half of one, more to come…9/

Through this voting rights journey we’ve teamed up with @BetoORourke, @BlackVotersMtr @MiFamiliaVota @RevDrBarber Jessie Jackson, @TexasAFLCIO & so many, many more. 10/

2day w/the passage of #JohnLewisVotingRightsAct in the US House, I think of sacrifices made by colleagues. @CeliaIsrael cancelled her wedding. @DonnaHowardTX & others got COVID. We missed families & homes.

We remember that others have given their lives in this struggle. 11/

There’s much more work to do. @POTUS must forcefully oppose the filibuster. It’s standing in the way of saving our Democracy. After the January 6th Insurrection, we know the stakes.

Only LBJ style persuasion will move voting rights in the Senate now. So “the march continues.”

Someone asked me today: “Was it all worth it?”

We took a moral stance. We tried to meet the moment. We inspired a nation.

Yeah, it was worth it.

Those on the wrong side of history just didn’t know they were in a moment in history.

We always knew & I’m proud of that.