Aug. 12 (UPI) — The Texas Senate voted 19-2 along party lines on Tuesday to approve a congressional redistricting map that is identical to a version in the Texas House.
The measure, Senate Bill 4, redraws the state’s U.S. House of Representatives districts.
Nine of the 11 Democrats in the Texas Senate walked out immediately before the chamber voted to approve the new redistricting map.
The only Democrats who remained were Sens. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo and Chuy Hinojosa of McCallen, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The other nine Democrats briefly met with reporters outside of the Senate chamber.
“There’s only one party here that has actually abdicated its responsibility, and that’s the Republican Party,” Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, said.
The measure now goes to the state House of Representatives, which has not been able to conduct business since its Democratic Party members walked out on Aug. 4.
Many are staying in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles to prevent a quorum that is required to conduct business in the Texas House.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday threatened to call for a series of special legislative sessions to keep the Texas House in session indefinitely.
He also has threatened to expand the number of revised congressional districts to as many as 10 to punish the state’s House Democratic caucus if they don’t return soon.
If the House eventually convenes and approves the redistricting bill, at least one legal challenge will be filed.
“Under this new, even worse, millions of Texans … will have their voices silenced,” John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a prepared statement.
Bisognano accused the Texas GOP of “targeting Texans of color” in the redistricting effort.
“Make no mistake, if Texas Republicans enact this discriminatory map, they will face swift, significant resistance from the people and in the courts,” he said.
If enacted, the new U.S. House districts would be created before the 2026 mid-term elections and potentially flip five seats currently held by Texas Democrats to the Republican Party.
The Texas GOP undertook the redistricting task upon the suggestion of President Donald Trump in mid-July.
Trump in July accused Democrats of gerrymandering in the respective states in which they control the legislatures and suggested Texas revise its congressional districts.
Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, in July described four U.S. House districts in Texas as “coalition districts” that are comprised of different racial groups who generally support the same candidate.
Such districts are not protected by the Voting Rights Act and are subject to redistricting, Dhillon said.
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