AUSTIN, Texas — A state House panel is set to debate Wednesday a proposed map redrawing congressional districts. It was passed along party lines by the Senate on Friday. The proposal largely protects incumbents while decreasing the amount of minority-majority districts.

Two Democratic members of Congress came to the Capitol to oppose it because it pits them against each other. Democratic Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green of Houston argued the map breaks up communities of Black voters and draws Jackson Lee out of her district and into Green's. Green said if it’s not redrawn, the map will end up in court.

“I think we can negotiate our way out of this,” Rep. Green told Capital Tonight. “This does not have to be litigated. It really does not. It can be easily remedied and I hope that it will be.”

Green said he’s been told the state House is going to propose its own map that puts Jackson Lee back in her district.

“Then we won’t have to take this to court. Because if we take it to court, and we don’t have a choice if this continues as it is. If we take it to court, the entire map will be up for grabs as it were, to borrow a phrase. What they’ll be doing is putting everything at risk because once we start moving lines, I don’t know where it will end,” he said.  

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with Rep. Green.