The Oregon House and Senate both tried in vain to conduct business Friday morning but were thwarted by the 21 House Republicans and 11 Senate Republicans who remained off the job to block Democrats from advancing a carbon-capping bill.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, in remarks as she presided over a brief unfruitful House floor session, made no allusion to the fact that her caucus decided Thursday to subpoena their absent Republican colleagues to compel them to come to Salem and explain their refusal to show up for work.

But Senate President Peter Courtney was anything but measured, excoriating absent Republicans for quitting half-way through the session because they were clearly outnumbered even though it meant failing to act on bills to protect foster children, people vulnerable to pesticides, police and firefighters and people who vape, among others.

“I am getting angrier and angrier and angrier,” he said, citing a bill that would provide additional protections for foster children sent to live in out-of-state institutions. “This session should never end without us seriously making a run at that.”

“I do not understand human beings that leave after the first half,” Courtney continued, noting he never walked out during his years in a Democratic minority whose strong desires were ignored by Republicans. “To me, you wear the uniform, you wear the uniform. You may not agree … You don’t … You work. Who doesn’t go to work? … I got a different tradition and culture.”

The effect of the Republicans’ boycott is to cancel all progress on all budget and policy bills, raising the specter that lawmakers will end the session next weekend without making fixes to a business tax requested by businesses, allocating millions for homelessness, mental health and foster children or acting on a host of other bipartisan plans.

As has been the case all week, a lone Republican in each chamber showed up to work, leaving each chamber just short of the two-thirds quorum necessary to read and pass bills. Both those Republicans are moderates from increasingly Democratic swing districts in Bend: Sen. Tim Knopp and Rep. Cheri Helt.

Regardless of whether they make the trek to Salem or hunker down in a vacation spot out of state, lawmakers are paid a $151 per diem intended to defray the costs of transportation, meals and in some cases lodging associated with being a lawmaker.

Courtney urged Republicans to show up and vote on bills including the greenhouse gas bill that prompted the walkout, Senate Bill 1530. He said it has been well-vetted by numerous public hearings and hosts of witnesses, and a clear majority of senators want to enact it. Without citing a basis for his optimism, he suggested Republicans might show up Monday.

Four committees plan to do business Friday afternoon and they can proceed and vote on bills even with no Republicans present. A Senate committee is slated to discuss and possibly pass a bill requiring most businesses and government agencies to accept cash. Two budget committees will continue to tee up spending proposals in case Republicans return to cast votes.

The House Committee on Health Care is slated to get an extensive briefing on the state’s readiness plans for an anticipated coronavirus outbreak in the state.

The Legislature is not slated to do business this weekend. Both the House and Senate plan to try again Monday to reach a quorum and work on bills.

Betsy Hammond, journalist at The Oregonian/OregonLive, contributed to this report.

-- Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; @HBorrud