Abbott: Democrats 'abandoned their responsibilities and constituents' when fleeing Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is speaking out against state Democratic legislators who fled the state for Washington, D.C. in order to avoid voting on new election laws and other bills. 

Abbott said the House Democrats that fled in order to create a filibuster were "hypocritical" and "all they want to do is complain," Fox News reported. 

"A much-needed cost of living increase for retired teachers. Funding for foster children. Property tax relief. All stalled in the #txlege because the Dems abandoned their responsibilities and constituents. #getbacktowork," Abbott wrote in a tweet.

Abbott said he believes that voters in Texas are going to be angry about what the Democrats have done. 

"We voted out of the Texas Senate today, property tax relief that the people of Texas will not get because the Democrats were not in the Texas House of Representatives," Abbott said on Hannity, as reported by Fox News. "So they have a job to do and let me tell you something. Texas voters are going to be extremely angry at the Texas House members for not showing up and not doing their job. If you didn't show up and do your job, if other people who are watching your show right now did not show up and do their job, they would be losing their job or losing their pay. That is exactly what is going to happen to the members of the Texas House of Representatives."

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) has even gone to the lengths of offering Democrats who fled a free plane trip back to the state. 

"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 wrote in a statement, as reported by KVUE. 

Phelan has also asked those who fled to Washington to yield constitutional per diems for the time they have been away, according to KVUE.

Phelan charted a plane for Washington D.C. in an attempt to get those Democrats back to Texas. The plane, paid for by Phelan's campaign funds, already has enough seats for each Democrat that fled reserved, KVUE reported. 

Phelan is currently on stand-by in Washington, D.C., waiting for Democrats to decide to come back to Texas and finish the special session, KVUE reported. As of last reported, none of those Democrats have yet boarded the plane.