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By Jenna Sundel and Gabe Whisnant
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Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said Monday that he's prepared to issue civil arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers who left the state to try to prevent the GOP-led Legislature from redrawing the state's congressional districts.
Burrows urged Democrats to return to "fulfill your duty."
"If you continue to go down this road, there will be consequences," he said.
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Texas House of Representatives Approves Arrest Warrants for Absent Democrats
Moments later, a motion passed in the Texas House to issue arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state and went to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts. It was not immediately clearly whether those can or will be enforced beyond Texas' borders.
Burrows said he signed the arrest warrants and will work with Texas' Department of Public Safety (DPS) to locate members, according to Kayla Guo of The Texas Tribune.
Later Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate the Democratic lawmakers. Abbott, without offering evidence, claimed the Democrats "may have violated" state bribery laws by allegedly accepting money as part of their plan to skip the special legislative session.
David Froomkin, a University of Houston law professor, said the governor — not the absent lawmakers — is on shaky legal ground, noting it is difficult to prove a clear quid pro quo even when campaign donations are linked to an official's duties.
Why Did Democrats Flee Texas?
Texas Democrats stalled the push by President Donald Trump and state Republicans to advance a redrawn congressional map aimed at bolstering GOP prospects in the 2026 midterms as Trump's political standing weakens.
After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republican‑controlled House failed to reach the quorum needed to conduct business.
The 150‑member Texas House cannot pass legislation without two‑thirds of members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the Republican‑controlled chamber, and at least 51 left the Lone Star State, Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, said.
Abbott has threatened to remove some absent Democrats from their seats; a move the minority party says exceeds his legal authority. Democrats accused him of using "smoke and mirrors" to justify the threat.
Burrows said on the House floor in Austin, "In response to this dereliction of duty, and pursuant to the rules of the house, I am prepared to recognize a motion to place a call on the house and any other motions necessary to compel the return of absent members. Should such a motion prevail, I will immediately sign the warrants for the civil arrest of the members who have said they will not be here."
He continued: "Come back and fulfill your duty, because this House will not sit quietly, while you obstruct the work of the people. The people of Texas are watching. And so is the nation. And if you choose to continue down this road, you should know there will be consequences."
The Texas House is now adjourned until Tuesday, August 5 at 1 p.m.
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Texas state Representative Jessica González, a Democrat, reacted to Burrows' comments on X.
"The House dragged its feet as Central Texas families BEGGED FOR ACTION FOR WEEKS," González wrote. "HB 1, the most important flooding bill, was finally filed TODAY. Human trafficking legislation is on the call because Abbott vetoed it. The House has been quiet on the issues most important to Texans. Let us know when you want to get serious about helping the people of Texas."
The standoff between Texas Democrats and Abbott has widened into a national fight over congressional maps, drawing in Democratic governors who have hinted at redrawing their own states' districts in retaliation, despite limited authority to do so.
The clash underscores Trump's aggressive approach to presidential power and his influence over the GOP, while testing the balance of power between states and Washington. At stake for Trump is the chance to add five GOP‑leaning seats in Texas ahead of the 2026 midterms, potentially cementing the party's narrow U.S. House majority; Republicans now hold 25 of the state's 38 seats.
Abbott on Monday defended the effort on Fox News, saying the Supreme Court has ruled it legal for the majority party to shape districts, briefly calling the move "gerrymandering" before reframing it as "drawing lines."
In New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul joined Texas Democrats in calling for the fight to be taken nationwide.
"We're not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern-day stagecoach heist by bunch of law-breaking cowboys," she said Monday, flanked by several of the lawmakers who left Texas. "If Republicans are willing to rewrite rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us with no choice: We must do the same. You have to fight fire with fire."
What Does Redistricting Mean?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing or redefining legislative district boundaries on the federal, state and local jurisdiction levels.
Redistricting for the U.S. House of Representatives happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census Bureau collects and compiles new population data, the agency said in 2023. The agency also said that litigation or changes in how a jurisdiction is managed could lead to redistricting at any time.
Update: 8/4/25, 7:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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