[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4176-H4177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PARTISAN POWER GRAB IN TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, the improper and purely partisan power grab 
by Tom DeLay and Washington, D.C., Republicans to redistrict Texas and 
destroy rural representation is an affront to the citizens and the 
voters of the great State of Texas.
  This arrogant play is not about our State, our communities, our 
constituencies. This is political gluttony, selfishness. Even the 
Republicans' own witness in their 2000 redistricting battle has 
acknowledged that this plan is a partisan feeding frenzy. Listen to 
what the Republican witness said in a trial in 2001. The Republican 
expert witness, Rice University Professor John Alford, called the plan 
``a pro-Republican partisan gerrymandering, on top of an already pro-
Republican existing plan.'' That is what their expert has said about 
the current map.
  Mr. Speaker, in Texas, we say pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. 
Overreaching is apparently the word of the day. Mr. Speaker, this plan 
does not just destroy Democratic representation, this map destroys 
rural representation. This map displaces rural northeast Texas into a 
Dallas suburban district. Southeast Texas becomes dominated by Houston 
suburbs. Deep east Texas becomes a Tyler district just

[[Page H4177]]

east of Dallas. Waco would become a part of Fort Worth. And Abilene 
would be dominated by Lubbock.
  In addition to arrogant politics, this is poor public policy. Urban 
districts and rural districts have different interests, different 
needs, different representations. My district has issues such as water, 
timber, rural health care, steel. Issues are different in urban areas. 
Texarkana, meet Plano. Sulfur Springs, this is Highland Park. Tatum? 
Houston is calling. Red River County's median income, $28,000 a year; 
Collin County's median income, $73,000 a year.
  If you live in Texas, you know this plan will not work, yet the 
Republican powers that be in Washington continue to run roughshod over 
the Texas Legislature, both Democrats and Republicans.
  Everyone knows this process is a sham, a joke, an embarrassment, and 
illegal. In fact, it is no process at all. This is an insult to the 
word ``process.'' It is a naive, weak-kneed Republican-controlled 
statehouse letting Washington, D.C., insiders run over it. As a result, 
53 principled Democrats in the statehouse stood up for the citizens of 
our State and said, enough. They broke the politically decreed quorum. 
Thank God these men and women stood up against the tyranny and heavy-
handedness of the mindless majority. Thank God fierce independence 
still lives.
  But, Mr. Speaker, let us step back and see what Republican 
representatives in Texas, not Republican Representatives in Washington, 
D.C., working their will are saying. Let us see what they say in Texas. 
Representative Charlie Geren, Republican, Fort Worth, said the 
Democrats were doing what they believed they needed to do in order to 
represent their constituents. ``I understand what they're doing. It's 
just really the only tool in their toolbox,'' Geren said. ``They're 
passionate about the map that's in front of us not being good for their 
constituents.''
  Representative Pat Haggerty, Republican, El Paso. ``It's the smartest 
move they could have made,'' Haggerty said. ``Under the circumstances, 
it was the only alternative they had. It's been done before. It's in 
the rules, and they're playing by the rules.''
  That is what the Republicans in Texas said. The Democrats are working 
hard, standing tall, standing up for their constituents and playing by 
the rules.
  Let us stop this Tom and Gerrymandering dead in its tracks. Let us 
get the State back to the issue of education, back to the issue of the 
budget, back to the issue of taxes, back to the issue of homeland 
security. Mr. Speaker, let us get the State House back to the issues of 
the people. That is what they expect, and that is what they deserve.

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