New San Antonio Mayor tells Trump to uphold oath to Constitution amid Texas troop deployment
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Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Abbott Slams Democrats' Deliberate Abandonment, Warns Of House Ouster
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a sharp warning to Texas House Democrats after they fled the state to block Republican-led legislation, calling their actions a deliberate abandonment of office. On Sunday, Texas House Democrats broke quorum by leaving the state and traveling to Illinois, where they appeared alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker for a press conference, reported The Texas Tribune. 'My Democratic colleagues and I just left the state of Texas to break quorum and stop Trump's redistricting power grab. Trump is trying to rig the midterm elections right before our eyes. But first he'll have to come through us,' Rep. James Talarico wrote on X. In a formal statement, Abbott criticized the Democrats' move as a premeditated effort to block the legislative process. 'These absences are not merely unintended and unavoidable interruptions in public service, like a sudden illness or a family emergency,' Abbott said. 'Instead, these absences were premeditated for an illegitimate purpose—what one representative called 'breaking quorum.'' 'Democrats hatched a deliberate plan not to show up for work, for the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber's business.' Abbott warned that Democrats could face removal from the Texas House under Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382, which allows for a determination that a legislator has vacated office if they intentionally break quorum. 'For any member who fails to return, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House,' Abbott said. The governor also suggested that some Democrats may have committed felonies, alleging they are 'soliciting funds to evade fines they will incur under House rules.' Abbott vowed to use his full extradition authority to bring any 'potential out-of-state felons' back to Texas. 'This truancy ends now. The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025,' Abbott stated in an August 3 press release. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FBI Agrees To Help Texas GOP Locate Democrats Who Fled To Block Quorum
The political standoff in Texas continues to escalate. GOP U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced that FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to assist in locating House Democrats who fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum during a special session on congressional redistricting. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Gov. Greg Abbott criticized the walkout, accusing Democrats of abandoning their elected duties. The walkout prevented the Texas House from reaching quorum during a session called to pass legislation on election integrity and border security. Abbott has vowed to call special sessions every 30 days and has initiated removal proceedings against at least one absent lawmaker. The Texas House has issued civil arrest warrants, suspended pay and per diems, approved budget cuts for offices of members participating in the walkout, and the state's Attorney General is investigating a Democratic PAC that may have funded the effort. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has also joined calls for the Democrats' return. 'In a representative democracy, we resolve our differences by debating and voting, not by running away,' Cornyn wrote in his letter to the FBI, according to The Hill. 'I request the FBI's assistance, as federal resources are necessary to locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law. 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.' Legal observers caution that the FBI's involvement—with no clear statutory basis in this purely state-level dispute—raises serious concerns. Breaking a quorum is not a crime, and the bureau has yet to confirm any active operational role. 'I don't see why the FBI would be involved in this at all. I mean this is Texas politics and the FBI has no business trying to enforce Texas state law,' said Richard Painter, former associate counsel to President George W. Bush. The stalemate has left the legislative agenda frozen, with both sides showing no sign of backing down.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Why doesn't Washington have a governor like states do?
Washington, D.C. is a district not a state. It does have a mayor, but is still largely controlled by the federal government. President Donald Trump's decision to send National Guard troops to Washington and put the Metro Washington Police Department under direct federal control comes in part because of the city's unique status as a district, rather than a state. Trump made the announcement in a August 11 press conference, saying the move is intended to bring down crime in the city. According to crime statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department released August 11, show that violent crime in the city is down 26% from 2024. Why doesn't Washington have a governor like states do? Washington is a district, not a state, so it doesn't have a governor. For most of it's history it didn't have control over its own budget or affairs. Instead, U.S. Congress and the president both play some of the roles managing the district that a governor would. In 1973, Congress gave locals some authority with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allowed citizens to elect a Mayor and Council. But, Congress still reviews all legislation passed by the Council before it can become law and has authority over the District's budget. The president appoints District judges, and citizens have a delegate in the House who cannot vote rather than a representative. Trump cited Section 740 of the Home Rule Act in taking control of the police department. Who is Mayor Muriel Bowser? Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser is the district's seventh elected mayor. She was elected in 2015 after serving as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner from 2004 to 2006 and as a Member of the D.C. Council from 2007 to 2015. Bowser and Trump clashed during his first term, but so far have had a cordial relationship in his second term. More: Trump to send National Guard into Washington, DC, and take over police: Live updates On Aug. 8 she pushed back on Trump's claims that rising crime warranted the federal government taking over law enforcement in the city, but acknowledged that he can. "We are not experiencing a crime spike," she said on MSNBC's "The Weekend." "The President is very aware of our efforts. He established a task force, which our police department and agencies support with information and anything else they ask us for. ... It is always the President's prerogative to use federal law enforcement or the National Guard."
