DALLAS—Texas Democratic lawmakers took definitive action this week to block what they see as a brazen Republican power grab for control of several key districts, which would cement GOP control of the U.S. House and advance the party’s—and President Donald Trump’s—attack on democratic rights.
And a coalition of AFL-CIO state leaders has come to the Texans’ defense, along with the Texas affiliate of the labor-backed Alliance for Retired Americans.
Fifty-seven Democratic state representatives bolted from Texas on Aug. 3 to break quorum and stop a Republican redistricting bill that could undemocratically hand the GOP five additional congressional seats. The Democratic lawmakers defended their decision to break quorum as “fighting fire with fire.”
To pass their legislation, the ruling Republicans needed at least 100 state representatives present. They have 88. The House Democrats left the state—something they had to do before on an anti-abortion bill—to deny the GOP its required number. Some surfaced in metro Chicago; others fled to New York and elsewhere.
Urged on by Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened the absent Democratic lawmakers with arrest, while reports have surfaced that the White House suggested the idea of deploying the FBI against them. These fascistic threats dramatically escalate what has become a battle for maintaining civil liberties and U.S democracy.
To continue Trump’s policies in Washington, the GOP must hold the U.S. House next year, and Texas, where the Republican-gerrymandered map gives the party a current 25-13 edge in the state’s congressional delegation, is a key to that goal. The current U.S. House lineup is 219-212, with three Democratic vacancies and one Republican vacancy.
On Tuesday, the national labor movement entered the struggle. State AFL-CIO leaders from eight states—Texas, California, New York, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Ohio, and Washington state— issued a joint statement vowing that they will fight back against the Republicans’ anti-democratic and anti-worker scheme.
“We are at a pivotal moment—the future of our unions, our democracy, and our freedoms is at stake,” read the labor leaders’ declaration. “Donald Trump is desperately trying to rig the rules in his favor by demanding a corrupt, rigged redistricting process in Texas, and he won’t stop there.”
Earlier, the Texas AFL-CIO noted the cruel irony of lawmakers redrawing maps behind closed doors while thousands of Texas families are still consumed with the destructive aftermath of recent flash floods.
“While families recover from the devastating Central Texas floods, lawmakers have been wasting time redrawing voting maps behind closed doors to cling to power,” they said.
The Republicans’ anti-democratic plan targets majority-minority districts in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio with tactics reminiscent of the Jim Crow-era. By “packing” Black and Latino voters into fewer districts or “cracking” their communities to dilute voting power, Republicans aim to erase gains from historic 2020 turnout of Black voters that flipped key Texas districts from the Republicans.
The joint statement of the state federations, who represent millions of workers, vowed that labor in “blue” states would defend existing workers’ rights and even pursue pro-worker redistricting.
They’ve been joined by Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, who are also talking about counter-redistricting to increase Democratic U.S. House delegation margins in their states. Newsom, however, would have to find a way to sidestep the state’s non-partisan redistricting law and commission; a citizen referendum established both.
As for the labor statement, the unions in “red” states pledged to “fight for fair maps” and “stand against the corrupt political actions in Texas,” knowing their states could be next.
“As labor leaders from across the country, we are in strong solidarity with Texas workers in this fight—because we know this will affect every single worker across the country,” they said.
“If people are robbed of their voting rights in Texas and this corruption is allowed to grow, if Trump keeps his control of Congress, it will mean working people will pay the price,” the statement read.
“We urge every person of conscience to fight alongside us, put workers over billionaires, and fight back alongside us.”
This fight, of course, transcends just a battle over redistricting. The same billionaire-backed forces pushing voter suppression are openly waging class warfare against workers everywhere.
So far, Trump’s executive orders gutted civil service workers’ right to collectively bargain. The capitalist class is also dead-set on gutting the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and workplace protections, while ramming through the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”—which the United Auto Workers characterized as a ”class war bill.”
The Trump administration’s spending bill cements permanent tax cuts for billionaires paired with brutal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
Furthermore, military and ICE funding skyrocketed to outlandish levels and basic social safety net funding for working families was axed. If left unchecked, the ICE roundups of immigrants will continue to impact all workers of color, no matter their immigration status. Trump has vowed to go after “homegrowns” next and deport them to concentration camps like the one in El Salvador and now in Africa.
In addition, the Trump administration continues to deny climate change and has halted Environmental Protection Agency programs that seek to mitigate environmental destruction and address global warming, which directly impacts workers and oppressed people. This decision also affects millions of union workers across several sectors building renewable energy infrastructure and transportation. It’s estimated that it will contribute to $148 billion in lost wages.
With Trump now urging Abbott to “go bigger” in Texas on redistricting and punish oppositional lawmakers, labor and its allies are fighting against an open ploy for permanent minority rule. Florida, Missouri, and Ohio could be next targets if Republicans in Texas succeed, the unions warned.
What’s clear is that the direction of the battle for fair districting and democratic rights in Texas has impacts that go far beyond just a single state. The outcome of this struggle matters to workers of all races and nationalities everywhere.
Mark Gruenberg contributed material for this story.
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