Texas Governor Issues Threat to Democrats Absent for Trump-Endorsed Redistricting Bill
Texas Democrats Face Consequences for Leaving State to Block Redistricting
In a high-stakes political maneuver, Democratic lawmakers in Texas have fled the state to prevent the passage of redrawn U.S. House maps that favour Republicans. Their absence has denied the Republican-controlled Texas House a quorum, preventing a vote on congressional redistricting.
If a quorum is not present, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said the chamber will still meet as planned on Monday afternoon. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that he will begin attempting to remove Democratic lawmakers from office on Monday if they fail to return.
The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has pledged to assist in compelling their attendance, stating that lawmakers breaking quorum should be found and arrested regardless of where they go. The FBI is reportedly helping Texas law enforcement locate the absent legislators, a move that is unusual and reflects the intense partisan nature of the dispute.
Arrest warrants issued by Texas House Republicans are mostly symbolic, as they apply only within Texas. Democrats risk political and financial consequences by fleeing, including potential legal action, damage to their legislative careers, and backlash from constituents and opponents.
However, this tactic also draws national attention to their opposition to what they call a "Trump-backed" GOP gerrymander that dilutes Black and Latino voting power and splits local communities. The new congressional maps drawn by Texas Republicans would create five new Republican-leaning seats.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has been offering support to Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state, hosting several of them in Illinois to publicly oppose the redistricting effort. Governor Pritzker stated that the redistricting effort is about rigging the system against the rights of all Americans for years to come.
Trump officials have also looked at redrawing lines in other states, and Democrats hope to set a precedent with their actions in Texas. California Governor Gavin Newsom held a similar event in his own state.
The Democratic lawmakers left Texas with at least 51 of their colleagues, which means Republicans cannot pass bills in the Texas House without at least two-thirds of them present. Texas Democratic Chair Kendall Scudder met privately with Governor Pritzker in June to discuss the possibility of lawmakers departing for Illinois.
In response to the Democratic lawmakers' absence, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, suggested that they may have committed felonies by raising money to pay for fines they'd face. Republicans currently hold 25 of the state's 38 seats in the U.S. House, and the new maps could help them maintain their majority.
Trump is looking to avoid a repeat of his first term, when Democrats flipped the House, and hopes the new Texas map will aid that effort. During his second term, Governor Pritzker has been one of Trump's most outspoken critics.
This quorum-breaking strategy is a risky move, with significant legal and electoral consequences for the Texas Democrats involved. The outcome of this standoff could shape the political landscape in Texas for years to come.
- The intense nature of the dispute over redistricting in Texas has led to both political and legal actions, with the FBI being involved in helping locate Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state.
- If the Texas Governor succeeds in removing Democratic lawmakers from office, they could face political and financial consequences, including potential legal action, damage to their legislative careers, and backlash from constituents and opponents.
- The tactics used by Texas Democrats in blocking redistricting have drawn national attention, with Democrats hoping to set a precedent for opposing redistricting efforts that they deem partisan or unfair, such as the one they claim is a "Trump-backed" GOP gerrymander.
