Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects.
- After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business, the AP reports. Lawmakers cannot pass bills in the 150-member Texas House without at least two-thirds of them present. Democrats hold 62 of the seats in the majority-Republican chamber, and at least 51 left the state, said Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus. Only six Democrats showed up on Monday.
- Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to remove members of the opposition from their seats. On Monday, he called the lawmakers "un-Texan." Democrats have countered that Abbott is using "smoke and mirrors" to assert legal authority he does not have.