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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement on the current Texas redistricting map proposal.

“Republicans, at the behest of Donald Trump, have engaged in a mid-decade redistricting that will impact federal representation for urban communities in Texas, including El Paso. The current proposed map strips major parts of El Paso County, all of Fort Bliss, the El Paso International Airport (ELP), and the new Veterans Affairs Health Care Center (that I was able to secure $700 million in funding for) from having local representation. Instead, they are moved to a district that spans from San Antonio to the Borderland, includes two other military installations, and holds the conflicting interests of 27 counties across Texas (forcing Fort Bliss, our airport, and VA Center to compete for limited and shrinking resources). This means our needs would be handed over to a representative who regularly votes against the interests of El Pasoans (who has voted to cut Medicare, Medicaid, veterans programs, nutrition programs, infrastructure funding, water and wastewater funding, and more), only briefly visits the district when time permits, and who prioritizes assets and needs of constituents who are closer to his home in San Antonio.

The proposed map, however, is nearly identical to the 2021 proposed map that El Pasoans successfully pushed back against, proving definitively that this fight isn’t over. We’ve been through this redistricting battle before and El Pasoans stood up to demand our community be represented by someone who lives here, not over 500 miles away.I’d encourage El Pasoans to stay engaged and informed,  participate in the hearing scheduled for Friday and make their voices heard.”