Texas is consideringly initiating mid-decade redistricting, prompting certain Congress members to propose a prohibition of this activity
In the ongoing debate over redistricting in the United States, a bill aimed at preventing states from redrawing congressional maps between censuses has gained traction. The Anti-Rigging Act, known as H.R. 4358, has been introduced by Congressman Marc Veasey and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.
The bill, which seeks to ban mid-decade redistricting, is a response to efforts in Texas to undertake mid-decade redistricting, a move criticized by Democrats as a partisan attempt to alter representation before the next election cycle. Other states, including Florida, Indiana, and Illinois, are also considering redistricting, with both Republican and Democratic states potentially involved.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-California) and U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York) have proposed similar bills, but the prospects of such legislation passing in the current Republican-led Congress are bleak. Justin Levitt, a law professor and redistricting expert at Loyola Law School, suggests that a federal ban on mid-decade redistricting could prevent a political equivalent of a nuclear war between state governments.
Levitt compares the need for a federal ban on mid-decade redistricting to the need for Congress to intervene in the Cuban Missile Crisis to prevent an escalation of conflict. He hopes that there will be support for such a ban, emphasizing that it is long past due.
However, Republican state leaders, notably in Texas, are pursuing mid-decade redistricting to gain seats. Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, both Democrats, have threatened to pursue mid-decade redistricting if Texas passes a bill to redraw its map to favor the GOP. These efforts by California and New York would likely target GOP representatives, including Kiley and Lawler.
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston) is among those sponsoring H.R. 4358, which is currently before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. The current political environment, according to Fletcher, has become more divisive since she joined Congress, with the situation worsening under the current president. She states that there have been no conversations or coordination between Texas Democrats and Kiley or Lawler regarding the bills on mid-decade redistricting.
At least a dozen members of Congress from both political parties are sponsoring bills that aim to ban mid-decade congressional redistricting. Despite this, with a Republican-controlled Congress in 2025, and the partisan advantage mid-decade redistricting can provide, the bill faces low chances of passage in the near term. As of mid-2025, the bill has been brought forward but there is no indication it has advanced significantly in the legislative process.
In brief, while H.R. 4358 is a clear Democratic effort to restrict politically motivated mid-decade redistricting, its prospects in the current Republican-led Congress are very limited, with partisan incentives on the opposition side remaining strong.
[1] Texas Tribune. (2023, March 23). Texas House Democrats Announce Quorum Break, Bolstering Efforts to Block GOP Redistricting Bill. Retrieved from https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/23/texas-house-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-bill/
[2] Houston Public Media News 88.7. (2025, June 15). Anti-Rigging Act Aims To Ban Mid-Decade Redistricting. Retrieved from https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025-06-15/anti-rigging-act-aims-to-ban-mid-decade-redistricting/
[4] The Hill. (2023, April 12). Texas Democrats Quorum Break Enters Day 33. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3896806-texas-democrats-quorum-break-enters-day-33/
- The Anti-Rigging Act, a bill aiming to ban mid-decade redistricting, has gained traction in the General News, particularly the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, due to efforts in states such as Texas and Florida.
- In the environmental sphere, governors like Gavin Newsom and Kathy Hochul have threatened to pursue mid-decade redistricting, mirroring the actions of Texas, as a response to politically motivated redistricting.
- Amidst the ongoing debate over redistricting in the United States, the news of at least a dozen members of Congress sponsoring bills to stop mid-decade redistricting has raised concerns about the future of fair representation in government.
