Democratic members of the Texas state legislature left the state Sunday as part of a bid to block Republicans from redrawing the congressional map to make five additional seats favorable to the GOP.
The move to leave the state and deny a quorum drew cheers from Texas Democrats in Congress, including those at risk of having their districts carved up or being thrust into primaries against fellow members.
“This isn’t just about the five seats in Texas. This is about a power grab,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said on MSNBC. “It is about basically setting the tone for what Donald Trump will try to do throughout this country, so that he can suppress the voices of Black and brown folk just so that he can stay in power.”
