Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) ramped up his party’s fight with Texas Democrats on Tuesday by asking the FBI to help Gov. Greg Abbott (R) track down and arrest lawmakers who left the state to block a controversial redistricting vote.
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cornyn asked if the bureau could help find or arrest the Democrats serving in the state’s House who denied Republicans a quorum on Monday by leaving Texas and called them “potential lawbreakers.”
“In a representative democracy, we resolve our differences by debating and voting, not by running away,” Cornyn charged.
“These legislators have committed potential criminal acts in their rush to avoid their constitutional responsibilities and must be fully investigated and held accountable,” he continued.
Though Texas’ Republican-dominated House issued civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats, state troopers Abbott deployed cannot pursue them outside the state of Texas.
