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Texas senator asks FBI to help locate and arrest Democrats for leaving state Texas senator asks FBI to help locate and arrest Democrats for leaving state
(about 2 hours later)
John Cornyn ramps us gerrymandering showdown between lawmakers and Trump administration seeking GOP seatsJohn Cornyn ramps us gerrymandering showdown between lawmakers and Trump administration seeking GOP seats
The US senator John Cornyn of Texas has asked the FBI to aid Texas law enforcement in locating and arresting Democrats who left the state to forestall a plan sought by Donald Trump to aggressively redraw the state’s congressional map in a way that could help Republicans keep their House majority after the 2026 midterm elections.The US senator John Cornyn of Texas has asked the FBI to aid Texas law enforcement in locating and arresting Democrats who left the state to forestall a plan sought by Donald Trump to aggressively redraw the state’s congressional map in a way that could help Republicans keep their House majority after the 2026 midterm elections.
The senator’s request is a significant escalation in the fast-moving showdown that could set up a confrontation between the blue state leaders shielding the Democratic state lawmakers and the Trump administration. Earlier on Tuesday, Texas Democrats denied a legislative quorum for the second day in a row by scattering across the country, with many decamping to Chicago, Illinois, where the Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has vowed to protect them.The senator’s request is a significant escalation in the fast-moving showdown that could set up a confrontation between the blue state leaders shielding the Democratic state lawmakers and the Trump administration. Earlier on Tuesday, Texas Democrats denied a legislative quorum for the second day in a row by scattering across the country, with many decamping to Chicago, Illinois, where the Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has vowed to protect them.
In a letter to the FBI director, Kash Patel, Cornyn, a Republican, said “federal resources are necessary to locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law”.In a letter to the FBI director, Kash Patel, Cornyn, a Republican, said “federal resources are necessary to locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law”.
The FBI declined to comment on the senator’s request to involve its agents.The FBI declined to comment on the senator’s request to involve its agents.
Ken Paxton, the state’s Republican attorney general, said he would ask a court to declare vacant the seats of “any rogue lawmakers” who had not returned to work at the statehouse by Friday. Ken Paxton, the state’s Republican attorney general, announced what experts say is likely a longshot bid to convince a court to declare the seats of “any rogue lawmakers” vacant if they do not return to work at the statehouse by Friday.
“The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines,” Paxton, the long-embattled Trump loyalist challenging Cornyn for the Republican Senate nomination, said in a statement. “If you don’t show up to work, you get fired.”“The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines,” Paxton, the long-embattled Trump loyalist challenging Cornyn for the Republican Senate nomination, said in a statement. “If you don’t show up to work, you get fired.”
Texas House speaker Dustin Burrows said the chamber would attempt to reach quorum again on Friday, after it failed for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, On Tuesday evening, Texas’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, announced that he had filed an emergency petition with the state supreme court seeking to remove from office Texas state representative Gene Wu, the Democratic state House minority leader who has decamped to Illinois.
Trump, who had been unusually silent on the dramatic showdown that he set in motion, also weighed in on Tuesday, arguing that Republicans were entitled to the five additional seats they could stand to gain if the new map were approved. “Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences,” Abbott said in a statement.
Responding to the governor’s threats in an earlier interview, Wu declared: “Frankly, Democrats say: ‘Come and take it.’”
Trump, who had been unusually silent on the dramatic showdown that he set in motion, also weighed in on Tuesday. Asked by a reporter whether the FBI should assist with tracking down state Democratic lawmakers, the president said the agency “may have to”.
“The governor of Texas is demanding they come back,” Trump said. “You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump argued that Republicans were entitled to the five additional seats they could stand to gain if the new map were approved.
“We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box. “We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”“We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box. “We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”
“In Illinois, what’s happened is terrible what they’re doing,” the president added. “And you notice, they go to Illinois for safety, but that’s all gerrymandered. California is gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in Congress in California. It’s all gerrymandered.”“In Illinois, what’s happened is terrible what they’re doing,” the president added. “And you notice, they go to Illinois for safety, but that’s all gerrymandered. California is gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in Congress in California. It’s all gerrymandered.”
Democrats and Republicans have both used gerrymandering to maximize their party’s political power, though in recent years Republicans have been far more aggressive – and effective – in deploying the tactic.Democrats and Republicans have both used gerrymandering to maximize their party’s political power, though in recent years Republicans have been far more aggressive – and effective – in deploying the tactic.
California voters approved an independent re-districting commission to draw the state’s congressional maps for the first time in 2010. But the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has vowed to “fight fire with fire” by asking voters to override the commission and approve new maps that would favor California Democrats if Texas moved forward with its gerrymandering plan. At a press conference on Monday, Newsom said he hoped Texas Republicans would retreat, but that California would not hesitate to respond in a way that carried “profound national implications” for balance of power in Washington.California voters approved an independent re-districting commission to draw the state’s congressional maps for the first time in 2010. But the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has vowed to “fight fire with fire” by asking voters to override the commission and approve new maps that would favor California Democrats if Texas moved forward with its gerrymandering plan. At a press conference on Monday, Newsom said he hoped Texas Republicans would retreat, but that California would not hesitate to respond in a way that carried “profound national implications” for balance of power in Washington.
At a news conference in Illinois, Texas Democrats were joined by Pritzker, who hailed them as “heroes”, and the Democratic National Committee chair Ken, Martin, who accused Republicans of attempting to “steal their way to victory”.At a news conference in Illinois, Texas Democrats were joined by Pritzker, who hailed them as “heroes”, and the Democratic National Committee chair Ken, Martin, who accused Republicans of attempting to “steal their way to victory”.
Pritzker has also said that Illinois may respond to Texas’s efforts by redrawing its own map in Democrats’ favor, given that “everything has to be on the table”.Pritzker has also said that Illinois may respond to Texas’s efforts by redrawing its own map in Democrats’ favor, given that “everything has to be on the table”.
“Trump came up with a new scheme to rig the system by ramming through a corrupt, mid-decade redistricting plan that would steal five congressional seats, silencing millions of voters, especially Black and Latino voters,” the governor said.
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“Trump came up with a new scheme to rig the system by ramming through a corrupt, mid-decade redistricting plan that would steal five congressional seats, silencing millions of voters, especially Black and Latino voters,” the governor said. The Texas house reconvened at 1pm local time on Tuesday, but enough Democrats were still outside the state to deny quorum for a second day. “There being 94 members present, quorum is not present,” said the Texas house speaker, Dustin Burrows, a Republican. He added that state troopers were “actively working to compel their attendance after I signed their civil arrest warrants yesterday”.
The Texas house reconvened at 1pm local time on Tuesday, but enough Democrats were still outside the state to deny quorum for a second day. “There being 94 members present, quorum is not present,” said the House speaker, Dustin Burrows, a Republican. Burrows added that the Texas department of public safety was “actively working to compel their attendance after I signed their civil arrest warrants yesterday”. Burrows said the chamber would reconvene and attempt to reach quorum again on Friday.
He said the House would reconvene and try to make quorum again on Friday.
Gina Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative who left Texas for Illinois on Sunday, said that she and her colleagues planned to be absent from the state capitol for “as long as it takes” to thwart the Republicans’ redistricting plans.Gina Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative who left Texas for Illinois on Sunday, said that she and her colleagues planned to be absent from the state capitol for “as long as it takes” to thwart the Republicans’ redistricting plans.
The current special legislative session, called by Texas’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, lasts until 19 August. “As long as we need to stay away and deny quorum on this bill to pass the truck maps, I will stay away,” Hinojosa said, speaking from a suburb of Chicago. The current special legislative session, called by the Texas governor, lasts until 19 August. “As long as we need to stay away and deny quorum on this bill to pass the truck maps, I will stay away,” Hinojosa said, speaking from a suburb of Chicago.
Abbott could continue to call additional special sessions, and it’s not clear how long Democrats could stay outside the state. Each lawmaker who has absconded faces a $500-per-day fine, and Abbott has ordered the Texas department of public safety to “locate, arrest and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans”.Abbott could continue to call additional special sessions, and it’s not clear how long Democrats could stay outside the state. Each lawmaker who has absconded faces a $500-per-day fine, and Abbott has ordered the Texas department of public safety to “locate, arrest and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans”.
Hinojosa shrugged off Republicans’ threats to remove Democratic members from office, calling it “disrespectful” to the Texans who elected them, many of whom, she said, have expressed gratitude to their lawmakers for standing up to Trump. Though she lamented the redistricting “arms race” that the Texas undertaking had set off – with Democratic states vowing to respond in kind – Hinojosa said it was imperative that her party confront the “real, present-day threats” posed by redrawn congressional maps. Hinojosa shrugged off Republicans’ threats to remove Democratic members from office, calling it “disrespectful” to the Texans who elected them, many of whom, she said, have expressed “nothing but gratitude” to the lawmakers standing up to Trump. Though she lamented the redistricting “arms race” that the Texas undertaking had triggered – with Democratic states vowing to respond in kind – Hinojosa said it was imperative that her party confront the “real, present-day threats” posed by redrawn congressional maps.
“Democrats need to fight to win,” she said. “We fight to win for the day, and we take tomorrow as it comes.”“Democrats need to fight to win,” she said. “We fight to win for the day, and we take tomorrow as it comes.”
Yet breaking quorum is a time-honored minority party tactic in Texas. During a contentious mid-decade redistricting battle in 2003, Democrats fled the state in an attempt to prevent Republicans from approving a new congressional map. Eventually, enough members returned to Austin, and the map was adopted.
“The thing that’s new now is the sense that there is no other recourse,” said Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles whose expertise is in redistricting.
He pointed to the 2019 supreme court decision, in which the justices ruled that federal courts were powerless to hear challenges to partisan gerrymandering. Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Congress has shown no appetite for defying Trump, even if some Republican members are beginning to fear his gambit in Texas could backfire politically.
And while partisan redistricting is not illegal under the US constitution, Levitt said many voters, especially in places like California, are furious over what they have come to view as a power grab by Trump and Texas Republicans.
“In any society, when people see a breakdown in the rule of law and no opportunity for accountability, they tend to turn to self-help,” Levitt said. He said. “It’s not good … but a zone where politics is used not to build but to punish is not a positive development for American democracy.”