Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash
Audio By Carbonatix
With a week left until the end of the regular session, Texas lawmakers are working hard. And, if the social media rumors are to be believed, at least one GOP politico is playing pretty hard, too.
Over the weekend, a video clip showing Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan slurring his words went viral on Twitter. Now, some social media users are alleging that the Beaumont Republican was blitzed, while others argue that he may have been suffering from a serious ailment.
“This is video from last night in the Texas House of Representatives where it appears that TX House Speaker Dade Phelan is either really drunk or having a stroke,” wrote Greg Price, communications director for the State Freedom Caucus Network, in a Saturday evening tweet.
Price added in a follow-up tweet that no one intervened to check on Phelan, and that the House continued to debate a bill until lawmakers adjourned.
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Interestingly, nobody stopped and asked him if he was okay. The House just kept on debating a bill and Phelan kept on going until they adjourned.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 20, 2023
News site Mediaite posted a rough transcript of what Phelan seems to have said in the 44-second video that’s now been viewed more than 1.5 million times:
PHELAN: Mr. Kuempel, the Senate amendat – the amendment is [inaudible] is the objection to the opposite amendment, and the [inaudible] amendat – amendment is adopted. (Bangs gavel.) The chair recognizes Mr. – Mr. Johnson of Harris? Mr. Johnson of Harris to speak in opposition to … the bill.
UNKNOWN: It’s Ms. Neave-Criado.
PHELAN: The chair recognizes Ms. Neave-Criado to speak in opposition to the bill.
Phelan hadn’t responded to allegations that he was drunk in the clip as of Monday afternoon. Reached by phone on Monday morning, the speaker’s office said they did “not have a comment as of yet.”
Former GOP state Rep. Jonathan Stickland also weighed in on the controversy. The way he tells it, the video wasn’t inconsistent with Texas lawmakers’ typical behavior.
“Anyone who watches the #txlege House knows that many of the members are regularly intoxicated,” Stickland tweeted on Saturday. “Watching the Speaker be this wasted is absolutely unacceptable. These Representatives are making laws that impact 30 million Texans. It must stop.”
One commenter then inquired as to whether the notion that “members are regularly intoxicated” is against the rules at all. Is it, they asked, regarded as “illegal use of taxpayer funds?”
“The wasted Speaker you see in this video @DadePhelan decides how the rules are enforced,” Stickland replied.
The wasted Speaker you see in this video @DadePhelan decides how the rules are enforced.
— Jonathan Stickland (@RepStickland) May 21, 2023
Another social media user joked that perhaps the speaker had imbibed a bit too much Bud Light, in reference to the beer brand’s ongoing marketing kerfuffle.
Hard-right Texas political website Current Revolt, meanwhile, posted screenshots of an apparent text message campaign urging citizens to call their representatives to demand that Phelan resign.
Phelan has long been a target of intraparty tension.
Certain conservatives have accused him of being a “RINO,” or “Republican In Name Only,” since before he won the gavel. Some have even gone so far as to charge him with being a Democrat in disguise.
The Collin County GOP published a survey on Sunday asking whether Phelan should be speaker next session. The number of responses was tiny – only 72 participants – but more than 87% of them voted “no,” with critics beginning to call for his resignation.
Do you want Dade Phelan as the Speaker of the House next session?
— Collin County GOP (@CollinGOP) May 21, 2023
“The Speaker of the Texas State House, @DadePhelan, abusively drunk while presiding over rules & procedures that will affect 30 million Texans,” tweeted Cole T. Lyle, executive director of the nonpartisan veteran advocacy organization Mission Roll Call. “Embarrassing for the state, much more-so for the @TexasGOP. Resign.”
Yet others came to Phelan’s defense – or at least offered him the benefit of the doubt.
Jason Vaughn, former policy director for the Texas Young Republicans, pointed out that the clip showed just a short snippet from a “14 hour day on the floor.” He warned others against assuming that Phelan was drunk, arguing that the speaker seemed to regain composure shortly after.
Another social media user posted an additional video clip of Phelan from the same day.
“His speech sounds off that whole night,” the person tweeted. “He doesn’t sound drunk, he sounds like he should be checked by a medical professional.”
Phelan did get on Twitter today, but instead of clearing up the confusion involving the video, he shared a pic of his “great meeting this morning” with the governor and lieutenant governor.
