President Donald Trump has suggested that the FBI ‘may have to’ assist in locating and arresting a group of Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to evade voting on a proposed redistricting map. The lawmakers’ absence from the state was a strategic move to avoid a two-thirds quorum required to approve the redistricting plan, which would likely benefit the Republican Party. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have called for the lawmakers to return, emphasizing their responsibility as elected officials.
The situation has escalated, with House Speaker Dustin Burrows authorizing arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers, who remain in hiding. Meanwhile, President Trump criticized the Democrats’ tactics, calling their absence a ‘bad look’ and suggesting the FBI’s involvement is a potential option. National Democrats have praised the tactic, with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker supporting the move as a ‘righteous act of courage’ against what he describes as Republican efforts to silence marginalized voters.
Abbott has stated that absent legislators have forfeited their office under the Texas Constitution, creating a vacancy that the governor can swiftly fill. The attorney general has echoed this, asserting that the lawmakers ‘should be found and arrested no matter where they go.’
As tensions grow, the potential involvement of the FBI underscores the gravity of the situation. The redistricting plan, which could add five House seats to the Republican delegation, remains a focal point of political maneuvering. Trump praised Texas’ approach, contrasting it with what he calls communist policies in New York, and emphasized the importance of the state’s governor, Greg Abbott, in determining the plan’s fate.