Happening now battle lines drawn, Texas Democrats leaving the state, the Republican governor now threatening to remove them and possibly charge them with felonies all over redistricting.

Plus one-on-one in the situation room, the House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries will join me live next hour.

We'll hear his response to Governor Abbott's threats to Texas Democrats.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in the Situation Room.

Happening now, Texas Democrats trading Austin for Boston, Chicago, and New York to deny their Republican-controlled legislature a vote on a new congressional map.

Democrats say the proposed districts are gerrymandered to boost Republicans'

chances of winning greater control of the U.S. Congress. But Republicans argue the move is about

political competition. CNN's senior national correspondent, Ed Leverandera, is in Austin, Texas

for us.

Ed, what have you heard from Republican officials today about how they plan to handle Democratic lawmakers who have now left the state?

Well, Republican lawmakers is incredibly angry about what Texas Democrats are doing.

You have Texas Governor, Republican Greg Abbott,

threatening to remove the Democrats who have left the state of Texas with removal from office.

Democrats pushed back saying that the governor does not have the authority or the legal authority

to be able to do that. You have the AG and several other members also saying that these

Democrats should be arrested and brought back

here to the Capitol.

It's not clear whether or not that could actually happen outside of the state, but the Speaker

of the House here in Texas, Wolf can issue civil arrest warrants for the Texas Democrats

who have left the state, but that wouldn't happen until after the legislative

body tries to convene here at 3 o'clock central time. So everything pushing toward this 3 o'clock

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