(5 Aug 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Warrenville, Illinois – 4 August 2025
1. Wide of Democrats from Texas House of Representatives who left state to prevent redrawn congressional map
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Robin Kelly – (D) Illinois:
"And I’d like to say welcome to all of my Texas colleagues. We want you to know you are welcomed in Illinois. Stay as long as you want. Whatever we can do to make your stay more comfortable, we want to do that."
3. Pan of Democrats at briefing
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos – (D) Texas:
"When families can’t afford to buy groceries, when families don’t know if they’re going to be able to keep their children alive because they can’t no longer afford health care, that is what our focus should be. But instead their focusing on pushing these racist radical redistricting map."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. John Bucy III – (D) Texas:
"At the end of the day, 137 Texans lost their lives. That’s an emergency. That demands our action. But instead of holding hearings on flood prevention, Greg Abbott and Donald Trump held eight hearings on redistricting. Not for fairness, not for representation, but to manufacture five more Republican seats in Congress to enable Trump to cling on to power."
++BLACK FRAMES++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jasmine Crockett – (D) Texas:
"This governor talks a lot of noise. And I made sure that I put up my warrant from four years ago to make it plain that they talk a lot of noise. But these guys are weak. That’s why they’re over here trying to bully people. Bullies are always weak. The difference is they expect Democrats to be the nice guys we are. They expect us to take the punch and say thank you. Well I am here to tell you not only are going to punch back, but we about to beat you down. We are going to win."
++BLACK FRAMES++
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D) Illinois:
"Greg Abbott, don’t mess with Texas. Don’t mess with Texas because the people here represent Texas. You can silence them, you can smear them, you can saddle them with debts and fines, but you cannot intimidate them."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Texas House Democrats spoke in Illinois on Monday after fleeing Texas state to prevent the Republicans’ redistricting plan.
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 Donald Trump to shore up Republicans’ 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters.
"These guys are weak," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett at a news briefing in Illinois. "That’s why they’re over here trying to bully people. Bullies are always weak."
After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using “smoke and mirrors” to assert legal authority he does not have.
The Republican-dominated House quickly issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and Abbott ordered state troopers to help find and arrest them, but lawmakers physically outside Texas are beyond the jurisdiction of state authorities.
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