FBI Joins Hunt for Texas Dems
Texas Democrats are under mounting pressure to return to the state as Republicans push for a quorum to advance key legislative measures Friday.
Dozens of state Democrats left Texas earlier this week to block a special session agenda that includes redrawing voting maps in a way that could give Republicans five more House seats. The session is also set to address funding for flooding victims and other issues, CBS 12
In an effort to compel Democrats back to Austin, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows sent a memo to House members requiring those who broke quorum to collect their paychecks in person. House leaders announced direct deposits will be suspended until a quorum is restored, meaning enough members must be present to conduct business.
On Thursday, the FBI agreed to assist in apprehending the Texas Democrats who fled to block the House from meeting, according to a top U.S. senator representing the state.
More than 50 Democratic lawmakers left Texas on Sunday, many traveling to Chicago, to stop a scheduled vote on redistricting and freeze all legislative activity during the special session. Their departure also allowed them to avoid potential arrest by state law enforcement.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Tuesday he had asked FBI Director Kash Patel to help state and local law enforcement locate and detain the Democrats
“I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,” Cornyn said.
“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” he added.
During a White House press conference Wednesday, President Trump was asked about Cornyn’s request.
“Well, they may have to,” he said of FBI involvement. “I know they want them back. The Governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it. That’s what elections are about.”
The move, along with actions from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has left political experts questioning the legality.
“The challenge is that there’s a political side to this and there’s a legal side to this,” said Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project.
Blank noted that federal involvement could trigger a constitutional crisis if agents attempt to force state lawmakers to return.
Paxton has given Democrats until Friday to return to the Capitol or face legal action. He has also filed a petition to remove Texas House Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Wu from office.
The Democrats have been charged with a civil offense under Texas House rules, which experts say means the FBI does not have constitutional authority to make arrests in this case.
But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who is challenging Cornyn in a primary next year, didn’t think much of getting the FBI’s assistance. “This is a state issue. I don’t know what the FBI would have to do with this – nothing. This is a purely state issue,”
Cornyn countered that “the FBI has tools to aid state law enforcement when parties cross state lines, including to avoid testifying or fleeing a scene of a crime.”
“Specifically, I am concerned that legislators who solicited or accepted funds to aid in their efforts to avoid their legislative duties may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses,” he added.
On Monday, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, signed civil arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers, and by Tuesday, only eight Democrats had returned to the Capitol. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the remaining members to return to Austin by Monday or face arrest and possible removal from office.
He instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety to detain them upon reentering the state and directed the Texas Rangers to investigate potential bribery charges.
A Little Girl Saves a Billionaire’s Life — Then He Discovers Who She Really Is
It was a scorching afternoon in Dallas when Alexander Reed, once celebrated as a tech prodigy and self-made billionaire, collapsed on the sidewalk — and no one noticed.
People rushed past without slowing down. Some assumed he was drunk. Others thought he was just another exhausted executive in an expensive suit. No one realized that the CEO of Nexora Technologies was lying there, barely conscious.
He had just lost fifty million dollars in a disastrous investment. His mother was in intensive care after suffering a stroke. Years of sleepless nights and relentless pressure had finally broken him.
But fate had other plans.
A little girl in a bright red dress, chasing butterflies nearby, froze when she heard the sound of his fall. She ran toward him, placed her tiny hand on his chest, and whispered softly, “He’s still breathing.”
With trembling fingers, she grabbed his phone and dialed emergency services. Her calm voice and quick thinking saved his life.
Neither of them realized that this moment — a stranger’s compassion on a blazing Texas afternoon — would change everything.
Because the man she had just saved was not a stranger.
He was…
Her father.
A child born from a brief love story years ago.
Alexander blinked in shock as he looked at her. The little girl stared back with eyes that felt hauntingly familiar.
Her smile. Her gaze. Something deep inside him stirred. A memory long buried surfaced — a summer night, a soft laugh, a promise he never kept.
“Daddy…” she whispered, her voice small but certain.
The word pierced through him.
He leaned forward slowly, hands shaking.
“Are you… are you really mine?” he asked, his voice barely steady.
She nodded shyly, clutching the worn teddy bear she carried everywhere.
In that moment, Alexander felt his heart shatter and mend all at once. For years, he had chased success and wealth, ignoring the fragile human connections that truly mattered.
And now destiny — in the form of a fearless little girl — was giving him a second chance.
The paramedics stood nearby, quietly respecting the scene.
Alexander gently brushed her hair from her face, tears filling his eyes.
“I will never let you go again,” he whispered.
That day, on the scorching pavement of Dallas, a life was saved — and a family long separated was finally brought back together.
Past mistakes and future hope met in the eyes of a little girl brave enough to change everything.
