LUBBOCK, Texas — The Biden Administration asked a federal judge in Lubbock to send a Texas lawsuit from Lubbock to either the District of Columbia or the Austin district of the US court system.
In mid-February, Texas sued the federal government in Lubbock’s federal court. The state claimed there was not a proper quorum of the US House of Representatives on December 23 when the House voted to approve the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
Texas claimed only 201 of the Representatives were present. The remainder of the votes came via proxy. Texas claimed in the lawsuit that without a quorum (enough members present), the action is invalid.
Texas objects to several provisions of the act.
“One is the creation of new programs permitting the release of illegal aliens into the interior of the country,” the lawsuit said.
The Biden administration on Thursday wrote in response, “… Members of the House of Representatives were able to vote by proxy.”
The administration has not yet filed a full response but instead asked that the case be transferred and put on hold until the transfer is complete.
As of Friday, there was no ruling on the request.
