Texas Legislature

Abbott Threatens Endless Special Sessions Over Congressional Maps

The political standoff over Texas’s congressional maps shows no signs of slowing, with Gov. Greg Abbott (R) pledging on Sunday to keep the fight going for “literally years” if necessary.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Abbott defended his plan to arrest Democratic state lawmakers who fled Texas in protest of the GOP’s redistricting efforts.

“I’m authorized to call a special session every 30 days,” Abbott said. “As soon as this one is over, I’m gonna call another one, then another one, then another one, then another one.”

Democratic legislators have denied the Texas House the quorum needed to conduct business, traveling to Illinois and other Democratic-led states to delay the Republican-led special session. Abbott warned that once they return, they will be taken into custody and brought to the Capitol, saying the only way to avoid arrest would be to remain outside Texas for years, as reported by The Washington Post.

The dispute stems from the GOP’s push to redraw U.S. House maps in Texas to strengthen Republican influence — a move part of a broader nationwide strategy ahead of the 2026 midterms. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been advocating for similar efforts in other states, even though redistricting usually follows the decennial census.

Democrats, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, have promised to respond with their own gerrymandering in blue states.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also weighed in, telling CNN that the Republican push was “pathetic” but insisting Democrats must respond in kind. Abbott, however, argued Democrats in blue states lack the ability to significantly shift their maps after years of prior redistricting.

Tensions have escalated further as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeks to enforce civil arrest warrants across state lines and has filed a lawsuit to stop funding for Democratic legislators by former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s political group, Powered by People.

In a recent X post, Abbott compared the Democrats to criminals, saying Texans would soon find the “derelict Democrats on milk cartons.”

Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, hosting Texas Democrats in his state, dismissed GOP threats as “grandstanding” and praised the lawmakers as “heroes” resisting what he called a mid-decade power grab, as reported by The Washington Post

RA Staff

Written by RA News staff.

Recent Posts

FBI Probes Minneapolis School Shooting as Anti-Catholic Hate Crime

The FBI has opened a hate crime and domestic terrorism investigation into Wednesday’s school shooting…

3 days ago

Patrick Signals Final Week as Second Special Session Winds Down

When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested in early August that the Legislature was entering its…

3 days ago

Abbott Targets Voter Registration Change Passed Earlier This Year

Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking to roll back a voter registration provision he signed into…

4 days ago

House Democrats’ frustration with STAAR bill highlights divide over how new test should look

Standing across from House Democrats on the chamber floor Tuesday, Rep. Brad Buckley defended his…

4 days ago

Texas House Approves Bill Aimed to Limit City, County Property Taxes

DALLAS — The Texas House pushed forward a proposal Monday aimed at containing property tax…

5 days ago

Texas Bill Could Block Public Access to Uvalde Shooting Records

A new proposal making its way through the Texas Legislature could significantly limit public access…

5 days ago

This website uses cookies.