U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said the FBI has agreed to assist in locating dozens of Democratic Texas lawmakers who recently left Texas to block the passage of a Republican-backed redistricting plan.
In a Thursday morning statement, Cornyn said FBI Director Kash Patel approved his request to have federal agents assist in locating "runaway Texas House Democrats."
"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," Cornyn said. "We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities."
It remains unclear how the FBI's involvement might affect the ongoing quorum break. The agency declined to comment on its involvement in the matter Thursday morning.
It's been several days since more than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state to prevent a vote on the redistricting plan. The proposal would significantly reshape the state's congressional map, potentially adding up to five new GOP-held seats — a key priority for President Donald Trump. Without enough members present to reach a quorum, the House remains paralyzed and unable to conduct any legislative business.
Many of the Democratic lawmakers have relocated to Illinois and pledged to remain out of state for the rest of the special session — a move that, so far, has kept them beyond the reach of Texas law enforcement.
Still, jurisdictional limits haven't stopped Texas Republicans from escalating the fight. Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have repeatedly called for the arrest of absent Democrats, and Abbott has asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove the House Democratic leader from office.
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