Latest news with #centralTexas
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Republicans might redraw Congressional maps. Democrats plan to strike back
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's recent decision to consider redrawing his state's congressional districts mid-decade, which could eke out more seats for the Republican Party, has prompted Democrats to issue new threats to draw Republicans out of seats in blue states. Redistricting plans are expected during an upcoming special session, which will begin on July 21, interspersed into an agenda focused on flood preparation and relief after major flooding in central Texas. The special session can only last a maximum of 30 days. The Republican-controlled state legislature drew the current map in 2021, which was set to remain in effect until 2031. President Donald Trump's political operation floated the prospect last month, in efforts to shore up the GOP's fragile House majority, to tepid responses from the state's Congressional delegation. Yet, just this week, Trump rubber-stamped the effort, and wants his party to pick up five seats if Texas redraws its Congressional maps. He suggested that there "could be" other states that follow suit. He did not specify which states. MORE: White House, Texas Republicans weigh redistricting to protect GOP House majority State Republicans have some prior precedent of shifting things around— in 2003, Texas Republicans attempted to tweak their districts mid-cycle. In trying to thwart the effort, around 50 Democrats at the time fled to neighboring Oklahoma, denying the session a quorum, and paralyzing the legislative session. Even still, the Democrats were only able to delay talks and Republicans eventually successfully redistricted that session. Democrats are pushing back. On Monday, state lawmakers held a call with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, and former Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the special session. They did not directly encourage members to stage a walkout, a source who was on that call told ABC News. Still, the source added the state House members are continuing to keep all their options open. California's Gov. Gavin Newsom is being more explicit – telling the Pod Save America podcast that he has spoken to state lawmakers about calling a special session to begin making changes to state law in order to redraw their districts in response to Abbott. "If we're gonna play fair in a world that is wholly unfair, we may have the higher moral ground, but the ground is shifting from underneath us. And I think we have to wake up to that reality," Newsom said. California has an independent redistricting commission intended to prevent gerrymandering, but Paul Mitchell, an elections and redistricting expert, said Newsom could go around the commission either by getting voters' approval on a ballot measure in a special election or by arguing in court. A potential ballot measure could halt the commission's authority to draw congressional districts until other states began using similar commissions, and "could all be done in time for the next election" without legal issues. The biggest uncertainty in this scenario would be whether or not voters would support it. Alternatively, Newsom could argue the commission only has authority over decade-end redistricting, but the legislature can still redistrict mid-decade. Mitchell said it was a coin toss whether the California Supreme Court would uphold this argument. MORE: Newsom slams Trump admin during South Carolina tour: 'America in reverse' Jeffries huddled with California's congressional delegation to discuss the prospect Wednesday, a source familiar said. Experts suggested to ABC that other Democratic-held states could follow California's lead, such as New York, Maryland or Illinois, but it's unclear if there would be a significant strategic advantage. Marina Jenkins, the executive director Holder's National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Republicans are trying to "suppress votes" and believes an "an immediate avalanche of lawsuits" will come if the maps are redrawn. "This moment requires all hands on deck to stop them," said Jenkins. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, stated in a joint announcement that Texas' "egregious" redistricting attempts "cannot go unanswered." A spokesperson for Abbott, asked about such accusations, wrote, "While partisan activists focus solely on political issues, Governor Abbott is dedicated to delivering results on issues important to Texans," including flood relief. Chad Wilbanks, a Republican strategist and former Texas GOP executive director, told ABC News, "The Republicans I talk to are very supportive of a mid-decade redistricting." He thinks that the GOP could gain at least three seats thanks to population changes in the state. Wilbanks dismissed Democrats' claim that the redistricting gambit is politically motivated as "standard politics." Democrats are going on offense regardless. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, made a verbal commitment to Texas Congressional Democrats to invest six figures to support digital ads and other actions to pressure Republicans over redistricting attempts, a source close to the committee told ABC News. Martin traveled to Texas on Friday at the invitation of state Democrats to strategize on next steps. "If Texas Republicans want a showdown, we will give them a showdown," Martin said in a statement. ABC News' Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
Fox News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Country singer Pat Green takes action after losing family members to Texas floods
Despite having suffered a personal loss, Pat Green is still thinking of others. The country singer, who lost his brother, sister-in-law and two nephews in the central Texas floods this month, has put together a relief concert to raise money for those impacted by the disaster. "Our targets are Kerr County relief, TEXSAR, and the Do It For Durrett [Foundation,]" Green told Fox News Digital hours before the concert. "And what I can say about Do it For Durrett is we can actually give straight to the children that have suffered this amazing loss, like my niece did." While he lost his brother John, his brother's wife and their two sons, his niece survived. "Here's to my brother, John, and his wife, Julie, and the two boys that were swept away. But I don't want to get too deep into that or I'll start crying, as I have been," Green said. In his grief, the "I Like Texas" singer said that he's mainly concerned about his parents. "You should never watch your children die, much less your grandchildren," he said. "It's beyond me, you know?" "You should never watch your children die, much less your grandchildren. It's beyond me, you know?" He said he has "good days and bad days" thinking about his family. "I was there when John came out, and he was carrying that blue goop, you know? And I was just like, 'That's my brother,'" the singer remembered of his younger brother's birth. WATCH: PAT GREEN OPENS UP ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER TEXAS FLOOD RELIEF CONCERT WHILE GRIEVING He added, "But more than anything, I think about my mom and dad right now going through losing a child and grandchildren. And I mean, my loss is great as well, but I think mostly about them." Green said he only felt he could get through Wednesday night's concert by making a "small departure" from thinking about his grief and "turning on the personality that I've been given to be in music and be a person in the public." "Now that doesn't mean that I'm not going to lose my brains because it's pretty likely that I will," he admitted, "but that's why I asked two guys from the radio around here to do it [help him with the show], because at least they can talk to each other if I start to lose my senses." The fundraiser's lineup will include a bevy of country music stars like Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, John Pardi, Corey Kent, Casey Donahew, Josh Abbott, Ryan Bingham, Eli Young Band, Joe Nichols, Kaitlin Butts, Kevin Fowler, and Bob Schneider, among others. "I've never seen Texas not stand up for Texas," Green told Fox News Digital. "And to that end, I really didn't think that there would be anybody that wouldn't at least participate or answer the call. Everybody I asked made a video or is going to be online or going to be here tonight here at Globe Life [Stadium]. And I haven't said it yet, but thanks so much to the Texas Rangers for like, you know, putting their best foot forward and letting us accomplish, hopefully, what we're going to try to accomplish and raise a bunch of money." WATCH: PAT GREEN HAS 'GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS' AS HE GRIEVES LOSING FAMILY IN TEXAS FLOODS Green added that he's extremely grateful to the "people that work and live around me, for giving and sharing their time. They've been doing a wonderful, wonderful job." "There are people that are going out of their way right now," he added. "It's not just the people that have passed, it's the people that it has affected, you know, the mother-in-laws, the brother-in laws, the sisters, the aunts, the people who lived with these people day-to-day that have to right now come to grips with an enormous change that will grip your life. I'm just…gratitude. That's all I've got." The concert will be livestreamed on YouTube Wednesday, July 16 at 6:30pm local time from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Green said people can donate through and he has the information on his social media accounts as well. The flooding has killed more than 130 people in Texas.
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Jasmine Crockett claims GOP would rather 'bury their constituents' than fight climate change
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, accused Republicans on Friday of wanting to "bury their constituents" after the deadly Texas floods by rolling back ways to combat climate change. She specifically called out the Trump administration and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for what she claimed was a delayed response to the flash flooding that devastated parts of central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. She went on to blame the Republican Party for voting on the "big, ugly bill" to effectively begin "clawing back" on ways to help combat climate change and prevent similar disasters. "The reality is that we are going to continue to face emergencies, especially since as we just got done with the big, ugly bill, they are clawing back those things that would have hopefully started to cool this planet down, because they don't believe in science," Crockett said on MSNBC's "The Weeknight." "The least that they could do is believe in helping American people. Unfortunately, we continue to see Republicans decide that they want to bury their constituents instead of actually doing everything that they can to make sure that they live amazing and full lives." More than 120 people were killed in the flash flooding with dozens reported missing. Since last week, several Democratic figures have been quick to politicize the floods by blaming climate change and President Donald Trump's government cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) for exacerbating the damage. In a statement to Fox News Digital last week, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called it "shameful and disgusting" to see Democrats politicizing the tragedy and insisted accusations that the NWS was understaffed had been "debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting." Last month, Crockett also agreed with a statement from CNN analyst Michael Fanone that "Republicans want poor people to die as quickly as humanly possible." "I agree," Crockett responded. "I don't think that is a glitch, but that's actually part of the design."
CNN
13-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Former head of FEMA reacts to agency's response to Texas floods
New reporting reveals multiple urban search and rescue teams from across the country that responded to the deadly floods in central Texas told CNN that FEMA did not deploy them until days after any victim had been found alive. Former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell reacts to the agency's actions under President Donald Trump.
CNN
13-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Former head of FEMA reacts to agency's response to Texas floods
New reporting reveals multiple urban search and rescue teams from across the country that responded to the deadly floods in central Texas told CNN that FEMA did not deploy them until days after any victim had been found alive. Former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell reacts to the agency's actions under President Donald Trump.
