House Dems Blockade for Congress Map
Doesn't Stop Special Flood Panel Hearing
Capitol Inside
August 5, 2025
Texas House Democrats found a way to block a vote on congressional redistricting on Tuesday for the second day in a row without preventing a special committee from conducting a public hearing on legislation that stems from the horrific flood on the Guadalupe River on July 4th.
Texas House Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows sent a warning on Tuesday to missing Democrats when gave the green light to the state police to round them up and bring them back to Austin under civil arrest to vote on a congressional redistricting plan and other measures.
Burrows also sought to lay a guilt trip on Democrats who've absent for two days when he announced from the dais that they'd put a hearing of the Select Disaster Preparedness & Flooding Committee in peril on Tuesday afternoon when four bills were set for airings on its calendar.
"That's the kind of important work that is being done in the House," Burrows said before the chamber adjourned six minutes after convening at 1 p.m. But the walkout that strangled the Republicans' remap plans didn't stop the special panel from doing business after all.
GOP State Rep. Ken King of Canadian said in his role as the select committee chair that some suggested that the panel wait until the full chamber secured a quorum. But after announcing a quorum for the hearing with eight of nine committee members on the stage - including two of its three Democrats - King said he believed the lawmakers on the panel should get to work instead of waiting while "the games" were played.
King had been the only Republican listed as absent along 54 Democrats when the roll was called on the floor today. The House would have had 96 members with King on the floor - four short of the number that would be required for a quorum. State Rep. Ann Johnson of Houston was the flooding committee's only missing member at the Tuesday hearing where Democratic State Reps. Armando Martinez of Weslaco and Joe Moody of El Paso participated in the hearing.
Burrows, who depended heavily on Democrats in a winning speaker's race in January, has eschewed the incindiary rhetoric and baseless threats that Governor Greg Abbott has fired off in the past two days. Abbott has threatened to get the Texas Supreme Court to circumvent the normal judicial process for the sake of removing Democrats from elected offices on the grounds of forfeiture for extended absences.
The governor would have less than three months for the historic partisan purging if the Republicans hope to have a reconfigured U.S. House map in play for the primary elections in 2026. Regardless of technical possibility, this appears to be pure fantasy in light of the time constraints alone. Abbott is venturing into perilous territory with vows to pursue bribery charges against Democrats who solicit campaign contributions for the sake of paying fines for missing time in Austin.
Abbott has raised more money from donors than anyone in Texas history without rival. Some of the governor's most generous givers have specific agendas that he's helped push through the Legislature. Accusing lawmakers of corruption based on political squabbling would open up a massive can of worms that the governor apparently hasn't anticipated or has no concern. The governor's threats appear to be as unenforceable as they are inflammatory.
Burrows posted photos on social media that showed him in a briefing in his Capitol office with State Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, DPS Director Freeman Martin and Lieutenant Colonel Walt Goodson on the enforcing of the arrest warrants that the speaker signed on day one of the walkout on Monday.
With the Democrats who bolted staying as special guests of Democratic governors in Illinois and New York, the DPS appears destined for failure in the quest for missing lawmakers until Democrats are ready to return on their own. The civil warrants are mostly for show as a result.
Burrows' subtle attempt to shame Democrats for putting flood protection legislation at risk raised eyebrows in light of the Republicans lack of urgency and interest on the issue until they had their new U.S. House map in hand. The Republicans thought they'd keep Democrats from breaking quorum on redistricting with the disaster preparedness proposal dangling as a carrot to dissuade them from leaving.
But Burrows had only referred one of more than four dozen flood-related measures to the select committee before Monday. Three other bills that the panel considered today were assigned to it on Monday after the Democrats' walkout was under way in earnest. King sponsored two of the bills on the committee schedule for today while two others have Republican State Rep. Drew Darby of San Angelo as sponsors.
Republicans were still grasping on Tuesday for ways to put the heat on Democrats get back so they can approve the new congressional plan. Rookie Republican Rep. Mitch Little of Lewisville raised the specter of a General Investigating Committee probe that could get under way without the need for a quorum on the floor. But Burrows punted - saying he did not entertain speculative questions on committees while in the chair.
Moody - the House speaker pro tem - is Burrows' top confidant and ally in the Democratic caucus. That's an important piece of trivia to remember as this fight unfurls.
Eight Democrats - State Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Philip Cortez of San Antonio, Oscar Longoria of Mission, Armando Martinez of Weslaco, Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass, Joe Moody of El Paso, Sergio Munoz of Mission and Richard Raymond of Laredo.
Fifty-four representatives for the minority party were listed as absent on Tuesday along with State Rep. Ken King - a Canadian Republican who chairs the special flooding panel and serves as the author on two of the measures that were scheduled for public hearings. At least 51 of 62 Democrats must be gone to block a quorum.
The list of Democrats on the floor for roll call on Tuesday includes State Reps. Terry Canales of Edinburg, Philip Cortez of San Antonio, Oscar Longoria of Mission, Armando Martinez of Weslaco, Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass, Sergio Munoz of Mission and Richard Raymond of Laredo. At least 51 of 62 Democrats must be gone to block a quorum if all the Republicans are present.
more to come ...
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