The FBI will help lawmakers locate the “runaway” Texas Democrats who fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum needed to move forward in their redistricting fight, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said Thursday.
Involving the FBI in apprehending the lawmakers could boost hopes of getting them back into the state to reestablish a quorum and pass more Republican-friendly congressional maps.
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“I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” he said.
A group of legislators left the state late last week, taking refuge in blue states such as New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts. With the FBI now assisting Texas, the lawmakers now face scrutiny from a federal source instead of the limited powers Texas holds in other states.
“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” Cornyn added.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the FBI “may have” to get involved. “I know they want them back. Not only the attorney general, the governor wants them back. The governor of Texas is demanding they come back. Lot of people demanding they come back.”
“You can’t just sit it out,” Trump added. “You have to go back, you have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”
Texas House Democrats suggested they were forced to make the decision to leave.
“This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” said Democratic Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) pressured Texas Democrats further on Tuesday, filing an emergency petition to the state’s Supreme Court asking to remove Wu from office.
“Today I took emergency action to begin the removal from office of derelict Democrat Texas House members who refuse to show up for the special session,” Abbott said in a post on X announcing the lawsuit.
Without the lawmakers, Texas cannot pass its new maps and will be delayed until they have the numbers to reach a quorum. The new maps will grant the GOP a chance at five new Republican House seats after the 2026 elections.
TEXAS SAYS FBI ‘MAY HAVE TO’ ARREST TEXAS DEMOCRATS WHO FLED STATE OVER REDISTRICTING PLAN
Democrats across the nation have pondered their response to Texas. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said he will call a special election later this year in order to enact Democrat-friendly maps to combat Texas directly.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the FBI for confirmation, but did not receive a response.