Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, has successfully obtained approval from FBI Director Kash Patel to enlist the help of federal authorities in locating Texas lawmakers who have left the state. This escalation follows the Democratic legislators’ efforts to flee in an attempt to obstruct a quorum and stall the state’s legislative proceedings.
In a letter dated August 5, 2025, Cornyn expressed pride in announcing the FBI’s agreement to assist state and local law enforcement regarding the missing Texas House Democrats. He acknowledged the support of President Donald Trump and Director Patel in his pursuit to ensure accountability for the lawmakers who have abandoned their duties.
“We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” Cornyn remarked.
Cornyn’s letter highlighted that many members of the Texas House of Representatives had left the state on August 3, 2025. Their actions, he stated, were aimed at preventing the legislature from meeting properly, thus violating their oaths of office.
The senator underscored the necessity of federal assistance, particularly since the fugitive lawmakers had crossed state lines, with some reportedly heading to locations in New York and Illinois. He also raised alarms about possible bribery and public corruption offenses, suggesting that some legislators may have solicited or accepted funds to facilitate their departure from legislative duties.
Cornyn emphasized the importance of utilizing federal resources to track down the absconding lawmakers who might be acting unlawfully. He pointed out that the FBI possesses the tools required to assist state law enforcement agencies when individuals flee across state lines, either to evade legal consequences or to avoid testifying on issues of public concern.
In addition, Cornyn urged the FBI to collaborate with Texas officials to provide necessary support, acknowledging the limitations faced by Governor Greg Abbott and state law enforcement in their attempts to bring back the missing legislators. The absence of these representatives has severely hindered the legislative process, particularly during a special session focused on urgent matters, including a flood emergency in Kerrville.
As tensions escalated, Governor Abbott filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court aimed at removing Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu from his position. The move came after Wu’s commitment to assisting fellow Democrats who fled the state to obstruct proposed redistricting measures.
In an emergency petition submitted to the state’s Supreme Court, Abbott stated that if the absent Democratic lawmakers were not back by the time the House reconvened on Monday at 3 p.m., measures to remove them would commence. Wu’s case marks the first official action in this dramatic saga.
Governor Abbott claimed that Wu’s and other Democrats’ refusal to participate in the legislative process represented an abandonment of their duties, which warranted their permanent removal from office. However, Wu countered, asserting that denying a quorum was consistent with fulfilling his oath to the office—a responsibility he believes belongs to the voters in his district, rather than to Abbott.
“To Governor Abbott: You have failed the people of Texas, and you are using the courts to punish those who refused to fail with you,” Wu stated defiantly.
In the wake of these developments, Abbott remained adamant regarding the need to reclaim control over the legislative agenda, declaring the Democrats had effectively “held hostage critical legislation.” He previously gave the Texas Department of Public Safety the directive to start efforts to locate and return the fleeing legislators to the state on Monday.
Cornyn’s appeal to the FBI arose from the challenges faced by Texas DPS in executing arrests outside of state boundaries. The senator expressed heightened concern about the potential criminal actions of lawmakers, emphasizing the need for thorough investigations into their conduct.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows also called for the absentees to return and indicated he would authorize arrest warrants for those who remained missing. However, according to sources, these warrants would be largely symbolic as their jurisdiction is confined to within Texas.
This standoff is occurring amid significant changes proposed in Texas’s congressional maps, which are expected to have substantial political ramifications. The GOP plans to increase the number of congressional districts that would have favored Trump by at least 10 percentage points. Currently, Republicans hold 25 out of 38 Texas congressional districts.
Significant alterations are on the horizon for districts in North Texas, with key Democratic representatives facing changes to their boundaries. For instance, the district of Democrat Rep. Marc Veasey will shift from Tarrant County to Dallas County, and Democrat Rep. Julie Johnson’s district will be realigned from Dallas and Collin County into more conservative areas of East Texas.
Furthermore, Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s district is set to transform into one of the only two majority Black districts statewide, while neighboring districts held by Democrats Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett will see substantial revisions that eliminate core parts of Travis County.
The newly drawn maps in Houston will also reshape four districts previously held by Democrats, fundamentally altering the seat currently representing Rep. Al Green by moving it from southern Harris County to the eastern part of the county.
As legislative tensions play out and federal assistance is called upon, the fate of the Texas lawmakers remains uncertain, with implications resonating far beyond the state lines.
image source from：fox26houston
