Exclusive: Gov. Abbott says Republicans are considering expanding GOP Congressional seats beyond the 5 already proposed
In an exclusive interview with CBS News Texas Monday, Governor Abbott said, "What we are doing is looking at all options. We're looking at a lot of different alternatives in part to make sure we do have fairness. If you compare Texas to California or Illinois or New York or Massachusetts, those states are truly gerrymandered and have hardly any Republicans."
When asked if Texas has also gerrymandered districts, the Governor said, "Well, no, there's a higher percentage of Democrats in Texas than in the Congressional delegation than there are Republicans in California, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts. So if Texas were to draw its maps the way the Democratic states have drawn their maps it could means as maybe a ten seat pick-up."
Of California's 52 Congressional seats, Republicans serve in just nine. In Illinois, only 3 of the state's 17 Congressional districts are served by Republicans. In Texas, Democrats hold 13 of the state's 38 Congressional seats.
The Governor called out Texas Democrats who continue to break quorum and prevent the House from voting on the new Congressional maps favoring Republicans. Last week, Abbott filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court to remove House Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Wu, who led Democrats on their out-of-state quorum break.
Democrats have said they're doing what their constituents want them to do and point to the Supreme Court's opinion four years ago that said the Texas Constitution enables them to break quorum. When asked why that isn't an adequate defense for the Democrats, Abbott said, "An interstate highway enables you to go to 100 miles per hour but doesn't authorize it. It's against the law. Same thing here. Even though the Constitution enables Democrats to break quorum, the Constitution does not authorize them to do this. In fact the Constitution does the exact opposite. It requires them to show up and cast votes on bills."
When asked if the Constitution needs to be changed because it doesn't explicitly ban breaking quorum, or if he thought winning the lawsuit would resolve this, Abbott said "If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the lawsuit that I filed, it will end quorum breaking. They did not think of at the time they wrote the Constitution that people would not show up and do their job."
On Monday, the Supreme Court released an expedited schedule for both the Governor and Representative Wu to file their legal briefs. Deadlines extend to September 4.
Democratic lawmakers who have been at the Capitol and who have broken quorum and are out of state criticized the Governor and Republicans. Democratic Representative Eddie Morales or Eagle Pass told CBS News Texas Monday, "I would say that the last 30 years of a Republican controlled statewide office from top down has put us in the situation that we're in, that they're failing 100% and making sure that all Texans are being represented well, that they're playing this political theater and these political games."
Representative Ramon Romero, Jr., D-Fort Worth, who also serves as Chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus told CBS News Texas Monday that he believes Republicans will lose the House in next year's midterm elections. "They are preparing for huge losses in 2026, and that's why they have to do this at the expense of Latino voices that have been in Congress for a long time and have had overwhelming support from their communities. That's what's really happening."
Democrats have vowed to stay away for the rest of the special session which ends August 19th. When asked if he will start the second special session on that same day, the Governor said he will.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming.
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