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Rep. Casar yells at Democrats for 'showing up with a butter knife to a gunfight' in redistricting fight

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, is challenging Democrats for not fighting hard enough to oppose Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts. 

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, criticized fellow Democrats on Tuesday for not fighting hard enough to oppose Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts. 

During an interview on MSNBC’s "Ana Cabrera Reports," Cabrera asked Casar if Democrats can get "rid of gerrymandering altogether" and also "fight fire with fire," questioning if the party can "have it both ways."

"Absolutely," Casar said. "Every Democrat in Congress right now is on the record and has voted for or sponsors national legislation to get rid of gerrymandering nationwide. And I would vote for that tomorrow, and I challenge any of my Republican colleagues to vote for it."

"We need to get to fair rules across the nation and not have Democrats showing up with a butter knife to a gunfight," he continued.

'ALL-OUT WAR': FLEEING TEXAS DEMS SIDE WITH NEWSOM AS REDISTRICTING STANDOFF CONTINUES: 'FIRE WITH FIRE'

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, is challenging Democrats for not fighting hard enough to oppose Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Fox News)

Casar’s frustration reflects a growing sentiment among progressives that Democrats are handicapping themselves when it comes to redrawing congressional districts. 

Last week, Texas House Republicans introduced a redistricting proposal that could net five new Republican congressional seats. The draft map is likely to change before approval by both state legislative chambers. The proposal would redraw district lines to include more Republican-leaning suburbs or surrounding areas in heavily Democratic cities like Dallas and Houston.

"But Republicans have been the ones who have blocked that kind of independent redistricting across the nation," Casar sid. "So let’s be clear about who is doing the gerrymandering. It’s the Republicans. The question before us is, should California continue to play by a certain set of rules while letting Greg Abbott suppress people’s voting rights? I don’t think that’s the right way to do it."

Casar added that he thinks "California should have an independent commission when Texas has one," and that "New York should have a law that says New York will have an independent commission when Florida has one."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) have both said if Texas moves forward with their redistricting plan, they will look at redrawing their congressional discrts in their states to make it more favorable to Democrats. 

TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR

Last week, Texas House Republicans introduced a redistricting proposal that could net five new Republican congressional seats. The draft map is likely to change before approval by both state legislative chambers. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

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Earlier in his conversation with Cabrera, Casar said Republicans are guilty of gerrymandering. 

"Right now, under our current maps, Congress already has been gerrymandered 16 seats total towards the Republicans,"  Casar claimed. "So, at the end of the day, we do need to get rid of gerrymandering nationwide. Pass a federal bill, like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to get rid of gerrymandering and get big money out of politics. But what Democrats can’t continue to do is to allow right-wing extremists in states like Texas to silence our voices, while in blue states we don’t fight back."