The US House of Representatives has fired back at the announcement that the FBI has agreed to assist local law enforcement in tracking down Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to break quorum over a GOP-drawn congressional map. “We will not be intimidated,” said House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
The Democrats’ response comes after Republican Senator John Cornyn praised FBI director Kash Patel for his support. The statement from the House minority leader emphasizes that there is no federal law applicable to this situation and that the arrest of lawmakers would be “unwelcome” in several states.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also weighed in on the issue, stating that Texas lawmakers had not broken any laws and that any arrests by FBI agents would be “unwelcome” in his state. The Democratic governor described the actions as “grandstanding.”
The move is seen as a rebuke to the Trump administration’s tactics of using law enforcement to target political adversaries. It comes amid a growing trend of Republican efforts to undermine Democratic lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Commerce has announced plans to conduct a new census that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the official count. The announcement was made by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
The move is expected to have significant implications for states that are heavily reliant on immigrant populations and could lead to a decline in representation for minority communities.
In other news, the US Air Force has announced plans to deny transgender service members who have served between 15-18 years the option to retire early. The decision was made by Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, but was reportedly overruled by President Trump.
The move is expected to cause concern among LGBTQ+ advocates and could lead to a further decline in morale among military personnel.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/aug/07/donald-trump-jd-vance-indiana-texas-tariffs-ukraine-russia-us-politics-live-news-updates