Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) ramped up his get together’s struggle with Texas Democrats on Tuesday by asking the FBI to assist Gov. Greg Abbott (R) observe down and arrest lawmakers who left the state to dam a controversial redistricting vote.
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cornyn requested if the bureau might assist discover or arrest the Democrats serving within the state’s Home who denied Republicans a quorum on Monday by leaving Texas and known as them “potential lawbreakers.”
“In a representative democracy, we resolve our differences by debating and voting, not by running away,” Cornyn charged.
“These legislators have committed potential criminal acts in their rush to avoid their constitutional responsibilities and must be fully investigated and held accountable,” he continued.
Although Texas’ Republican-dominated Home issued civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats, state troopers Abbott deployed can not pursue them exterior the state of Texas.
Cornyn’s request is an try and circumnavigate that roadblock.
“The FBI has tools to aid state law enforcement when parties cross state lines, including to avoid testifying or fleeing a scene of a crime,” he wrote.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs
Cornyn additionally claimed that “legislators who solicited or accepted funds to aid in their efforts to avoid their legislative duties may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses” ― an obvious reference to Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker providing the Texas Democrats his assist.
The FBI declined to touch upon Cornyn’s request, however Trump expressed assist when requested if the FBI ought to get entangled.
“Well, they may have to,” Trump mentioned at a press convention on Tuesday. “A lot of people are demanding they come back. You can’t just sit it out.”
The handfuls of Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas this week did so in a coordinated effort to forestall Republicans from voting on a redrawn congressional map desired by Trump forward of the 2026 midterms. If Trump will get his manner, there will probably be 5 extra GOP-leaning congressional seats in Texas.
The president has been blunt about this pursuit.
“We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas,” Trump mentioned on CNBC Tuesday. “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”
This isn’t the primary time Texas lawmakers have left the state in protest. In 2021, Texas Home Democrats left the state for 38 days over new voting restrictions.
