Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has granted his request for the federal government to assist with locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.
Cornyn’s letter requesting federal help with locating and investigating the state legislators was sent on Tuesday.
“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” Cornyn said in a news release.
Cornyn also joined “The Mark Davis” radio show on Thursday morning and expressed his gratitude for Patel’s prompt response.
“Just to get to the bottom of it, I asked Kash to look into it and he responded promptly, I’m grateful to him,” the senator said.
Cornyn also called the Democrats “irresponsible” for breaking quorum — and rendering the legislature unable to take up any legislation, including some in responds to the floods that devastated the region recently.
“There are a number of things on the call that Gov. Abbott has listed, including redistricting, but they’re missing all of those. And I think that’s irresponsible, and I think we just need to get to the bottom of it,” said Cornyn. “They got to come back home sometime … it’s not going to be successful. They’re not going to be able to ultimately escape their responsibility. It’s a stunt.”
The Texas House of Representatives failed again on Tuesday to move forward on enacting the GOP’s new congressional map, which could net Republicans between three and five seats in next year’s midterm elections. Those added seats could be the difference maker over who has control of the U.S. House — a chamber where Republicans have a small majority.
House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said the legislature would try again on Friday to establish a quorum.
In the meantime, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest those Democrats, an order Abbott said will remain in effect until they are “accounted for and brought back” to Austin.
President Donald Trump earlier this week told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce the FBI “may have to get involved.”
“You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about,” the president said at the time.
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