Texas Republicans Look to Jam Democrats With Vote on Redistricting By taking up new congressional maps pushed by Preside

Source: NYT

"Republicans in the Texas Legislature are planning to hold off on voting on measures to address the state’s deadly July 4 flooding until after they approve a partisan redistricting of Texas’ U.S. House boundaries, hoping to thwart Democrats’ efforts to block new House maps, according to two people briefed on the discussions.

Texas Republicans had been working quietly for several months to take up Mr. Trump’s call for an aggressive redrawing of the state’s congressional maps, aiming to gain five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House and help the party keep control of the chamber after the 2026 midterms.

... Forty-eight Texas House Democrats on Monday signed a letter urging the State House speaker, Dustin Burrows, to take up flooding legislation ahead of redistricting.

“There is no greater purpose of the government at this time,” the letter stated. “Texas families are grieving their dead and Texas communities are hurting,” the members said. “In this special session, flood relief must come first.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/politics/texas-redistricting-floods.html