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Texas Dems speak on redistricting from MA: Full
During a press conference after their meeting, the lawmakers stood by their decision to break quorum, and said they do not fear the threats being made to arrest them.
BOSTON - Democratic legislators who left Texas in an attempt to prevent mid-decade congressional redistricting met with the governor of Massachusetts on Tuesday.
During a press conference after their meeting, the lawmakers stood by their decision to break quorum, and said they do not fear threats being made to arrest them.
Texas Democrats in Massachusetts
MA press conference
Gov. Maura Healy (D-Massachusetts) spoke first during the press conference, expressing her support for the Texas leaders and her condemnation of the "attempt at a power grab by Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Paxton."
Healy lauded the quorum break as a show of standing up for the lawmakers' constituents and the system of free and fair elections. MA Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin spoke next, expressing the same appreciation and support for the actions of the Texans.
Proposed Texas redistricting map would drastically shift Democrat-held seats
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he would like to gain five congressional seats through a midterm redistricting effort in the state.
In response to the legislators leaving the state, threats have been made by Abbott and other leaders to arrest the breakers of the quorum, and possibly remove them from office. Paxton mentioned Tuesday a desire to vacate the seats of Democrats who do not return by Friday, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called on the FBI to help with out-of-state arrests to return the lawmakers.
Following the Massachusetts leaders, the Texans took the podium to address the crowd.
What they're saying:
Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) likened the quorum break to the game of Texas Hold 'Em, saying the leaders were "holding the line on democracy."
"Today, President Trump said that he was entitled to five more seats in Texas, five more Republican seats. And we're here to say nobody's entitled. The people of those districts are entitled to those seats."
Texas GOP's new map would move Rep. Crockett’s home out of her district, slash Dem seats
Crockett said she was asked to verify her address before Republicans unveiled the congressional redistricting proposal.
The threat of arrests were brought up to the lawmakers. Texas Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston_ took the mic to respond.
"The price to pay pales in comparison to the rights of everyday people, everyday constituents that we represent proudly," Walle said. "Not scared. Not scared at all. Come and take it."
Texas redistricting effort
The backstory:
The newly proposed map increases the number of congressional districts that would have voted for Trump by at least 10 percentage points by five.
Republicans currently control 25 of the state's 38 Congressional districts.
The new map makes some big changes in North Texas. It moves Democrat Rep. Marc Veasey’s district from Tarrant to Dallas County.
Democrat Rep. Julie Johnson’s district moves from Dallas and Collin County to more conservative sections of East Texas.
And Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Dallas seat becomes one of just two majority Black districts in the entire state.
The Democrats claim the redrawn maps will violate the federal Voting Rights Act, but that may be difficult for them to prove.
In Central Texas, Democrats Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett would find their districts vastly different from the current map.
The district currently held by Casar would no longer include Travis County, while the district held by Doggett would no longer include a portion of Williamson County.
In Houston, the new map reshapes four currently Democrat-held districts. The biggest change to the districts would be in the seat currently held by Rep. Al Green. The new map would shift the district from covering southern Harris County and instead move it to the eastern part of the county.
Read More:
- 'Time for y'all to love America again': Texas Dems in Illinois call on Republicans to 'be brave'
- Texas representatives speak out against proposed redistricting map
- Texas redistricting: Rep. Casar holds protest outside Governor's Mansion
- Hakeem Jefferies joins Texas democrats to help fight redistricting effort
- Texas House committee advances redrawn congressional map
- Texas special session: Democrats threatened with arrest for breaking quorum
The Source: Information in this report came from a press conference held in Massachusetts and previous FOX coverage.