Reference News, August 4 - According to EFE, on August 3, several Democratic legislators from Texas announced they would leave the state to block a vote proposed by Republicans. This vote aims to redraw district maps to gain an advantage in the midterm elections.
"We will leave Texas, fighting for the people of Texas. We reject a system that is manipulated and refuses to listen to the voices of the people we represent," said Gene Wu, chair of the Democratic House leadership group from Houston, in a statement.
The first draft proposal submitted by the Republicans on July 30 established five new districts. According to analysis by local media, these districts will benefit the Republicans.
This move was pushed by President Donald Trump, aiming to help the Republicans gain an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections, when all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be up for election.
The Democrats currently hold 62 seats in the Texas House. The spokesperson for the leadership group, Joshua Rush Nissenstein, stated that at least 51 legislators have decided to leave the state.
To hold a regular session, at least two-thirds of the 150 legislators must be present.
According to The New York Times, most Democratic legislators plan to go to Chicago, while some will go to New York, and others have decided to go to Boston.
In 2021, Texas Democratic legislators took the same strategy to block a bill that imposed new restrictions on voting. Afterward, the legislature set a rule that absent legislators could be fined up to $500 per day.
Nationally, the Republicans are striving to maintain and expand their majority in the House of Representatives, thus continuing to control the legislative agenda promoting Trumpism.
If the redistricting plan is ultimately implemented, the Republicans may control 30 out of the 38 Texas House seats, compared to the current 25 seats. (Translated by Zhang Weiyu)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534722261333361198/
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