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PBS News Hour - Segments

News Wrap: Texas AG attempts to expel Democrats who left state to block redistricting vote

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

41K Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In our news wrap Tuesday, the Texas Attorney General is ramping up pressure on Democrats who left the state to block a vote on a new congressional map, a central California wildfire exploded in size to nearly 130 square miles and the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to the News Hour. We begin tonight in Texas where the state's Attorney General is ramping up pressure on House Democrats who left the state to block a vote on a new congressional map.

0:10.4

Ken Paxton says he's seeking court orders to declare the Democrat seats vacant if they aren't back to work by Friday.

0:18.5

There being 94 members present, a quorum is not present.

0:23.1

For a second day in a row, the state's legislature failed to reach a quorum.

0:27.1

The map the Democrats are trying to block would help give Republicans as many as five more seats in next year's midterm elections.

0:33.6

Some of the Democrats are in Illinois.

0:35.4

They said today that the redrawn map would disenfranchise voters of color and that they're not backing down.

0:42.0

Right now there's folks saying that we walked out.

0:45.6

And I think everyone behind me will say we're standing up and as Texans would say we're standing tall.

0:52.8

There's others that are saying and warning us that they're

0:56.1

going to arrest us or make us pay fines. I'll pay that price for America. Today, Republican, Texas

1:03.7

Senator John Cornyn called on the FBI to take, quote, any appropriate steps to help law enforcement

1:09.1

find and arrest the Democratic lawmakers.

1:12.1

President Trump was asked about that today as he signed an executive order related to the upcoming

1:16.4

Olympics. Well, they may have to. They may have to. No, I know they want them back. Not only

1:21.0

the Attorney General, the governor wants him back.

1:25.7

President Trump has been pushing for Texas to redraw its congressional map.

1:30.0

Earlier, he said in an interview with CNBC that Republicans are, in his words,

1:34.3

entitled to five more seats since he won the state in last year's presidential election.

1:40.2

In central California, a massive wildfire has exploded in size to nearly 130 square miles and is still barely contained.

1:48.0

The Gifford fire started on Friday and is tearing through the state's Los Padres National Forest.

1:53.3

It's threatened hundreds of homes in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

...

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