In an extraordinary political move on August 3, 2025, more than fifty Democratic state House members boarded planes bound for Illinois, New York, and Boston - deliberately denying Texas legislators the two-thirds quorum needed to vote on a proposed congressional map that would give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats, a strategy backed by Donald Trump.
Declaring their action a moral stand, House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu accused Governor Greg Abbott of pushing an "intentionally racist map" that undermines Black and Latino voters and rejects assistance for flood-ravaged communities in favor of partisan power grabs.
Governor Greg Abbott fired back with a hardline response: Democrats must return to Austin by 3 p.m. Monday or face removal from office, citing a 2021 opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that lawmakers who ignore their duties may forfeit their seats. He warned that any fundraising to cover expected $500‑a‑day fines could constitute a felony bribery offense.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Ken Paxton called the absent Democrats “cowards,” urging authorities to arrest and bring them back forcibly if necessary, adding to the escalating rhetoric in a standoff that could define the 2026 midterms.
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