Texas Senate Democrat to use catheter to filibuster redistricting plan
The article reports on Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado,a Democrat,who is undertaking an extended filibuster against a Republican-led redistricting plan. To sustain the lengthy filibuster, Alvarado is using a catheter to urinate discreetly and received an IV infusion for hydration. She plans to stand and speak for as long as possible, drawing on her experience from a previous 15-hour filibuster in 2021.
Alvarado’s filibuster is part of the Democrats’ efforts to oppose the new congressional maps, which are expected to favor Republicans by granting them five additional seats. Texas Republicans have already resumed their push to pass the redistricting plan after Democrats’ earlier quorum-denying walkout. While Alvarado acknowledges that her odds of successfully blocking the bill are low, she views her stand as a symbol of Democratic determination.
Republicans dismiss the filibuster as a political stunt unlikely to stop the legislation. If unsuccessful, Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the new maps into law. Alvarado is preparing physically and mentally for the marathon filibuster, aiming potentially to surpass the U.S. Senate record for longest filibuster. Her efforts highlight the high political stakes surrounding redistricting battles in Texas.
Texas Senate Democrat to use catheter to filibuster redistricting plan
One Texas Senate Democrat is taking drastic measures to ensure her filibuster of the state Republican redistricting plan is successful.
Democratic state Sen. Carol Alvarado is using a catheter to urinate into a urine bag, which will be hidden by a long dress she plans to wear. She also received an IV infusion to hydrate herself before the marathon filibuster attempt.
Texas Republicans are trying to pass their redistricting plan after the state’s Democrats recently returned from their mass exodus to deny their opposition a quorum. The state’s Senate Democrats are the Democratic Party’s last line of defense, outside of legal challenges, to the new map.
Alvarado, 57, is the minority leader of the Texas Senate and has served in the state’s upper chamber since 2018. Before that, she served nine years in the Texas House and several years as a city councilwoman for Houston.
Alvarado says she’s been preparing to filibuster “for a few days.” She last attempted a filibuster in 2021, which lasted 15 hours and 7 minutes, the longest in the state’s modern Senate history.
But this one could be even longer, with Alvarado saying she will try to filibuster “as long as I can stand.”
Alvarado noted that while her chances of a successful filibuster are slim, she believes it will still have a positive effect.
“It demonstrates how tough Texas Democrats are: the determination to push back. We can’t kill this. But we’re not going down without a fight,” she said.
Texas Republicans rejected that characterization, casting Alvarado’s filibuster as an attempt to further her political career.
“She can definitely use the process, but she cannot filibuster long enough to hold this bill back,” Republican Rep. Mitch Little said.
Alvarado initially kept her filibuster plans secret from Republicans before notifying them on Friday. The stakes are high in this situation: If she fails to block the bill, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) will sign the map into law.
The new maps are set to grant Republicans in the state five congressional seats. California Democrats are already fighting the effort by holding a special election in their state to ask voters for permission to draw a congressional map favoring Democrats.
Other measures Alvarado has already taken include removing the plastic mat under her seat to make standing more comfortable, and loading up on protein with a heavy meal before her attempt. Once she begins her filibuster, she’ll be unable to eat, drink, or leave to use the bathroom. If Alvarado breaks the rules three times, her filibuster ends.
She could aim to beat Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) U.S. Senate record of 25 hours and 5 minutes. The attempt left Booker dehydrated and scrambling for the bathroom by the end.
Alvarado posted a picture of her shoes on the new congressional map as she began her filibuster.
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“Republicans think they can walk all over us. Today I’m going to kick back. I’ve submitted my intention to filibuster the new congressional maps,” Alvarado posted on X.
“Going to be a long night,” she added.
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