[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12032]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING BY TEXAS LEGISLATURE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 2003

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, with all of the unresolved fiscal issues on 
the Texas Legislature's plate, the state's Republican leadership is 
attempting a brazen and appalling gerrymander of Texas Congressional 
representation.
  Now, two years after the federal court did the Legislature's job of 
congressional redistricting in Texas in 2001, Congressman Tom DeLay is 
trying to ramrod State Rep. Joe Crabb's bill to redraw congressional 
district boundaries to favor Republicans.
  Originally baiting the move with a ploy to create a new congressional 
district that ostensibly favors Hispanics in South Texas is something 
more than crass. The Legislature had its chance to participate two 
years ago but opted out--and mid-decade is no time to throw Texas' 
Congressional delegation into chaos.
  The leadership in Austin is to blame for the discord last week that 
sent the 50 or so Texas House members into Oklahoma exile. Their 
defection is not just arbitrary quorum-busting but in courageous 
protest of DeLay's attempt to hijack the Legislature for his own 
political ego's sake.
  Further, as a former federal law enforcement officer, I am very 
concerned that federal law enforcement entities were dragged into the 
State's efforts to retrieve Texas House members from across state 
lines.
  Crabb's bill, which has set off a storm of national coverage, asks 
for full-blown redistricting that will require new rounds of public 
hearings across the state. Also, new redistricting would no doubt end 
up back in court and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
  The guarantee is slim that any new redistricting in the Rio Grande 
Valley will benefit minorities Statewide since redrawing district 
boundaries appears to further disenfranchise minorities--even in the 
huge proposed border district numbered 23, adjacent to my own. Under 
the plan, five current Democratic districts are also in jeopardy.
  The Legislature ducked redistricting in 2001 and now Republicans are 
poised for an outright power-grab after the court-drawn plan minimally 
changed the State's 32-district map, returning 17 Democrats to 
Congress. And, the court's plan received Justice Department approval.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the Texas state 
legislators who stood up to this attempted power-grab and hope that the 
attention of lawmakers at the State and Federal levels returns to the 
real issues facing our communities--creating jobs, educating our 
children and ensuring all have access to health care.

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