The Texas House of Representatives gaveled back into session Wednesday morning with the controversial proposal to redraw congressional maps up for a vote after Democrats fled the state to protest the earlier attempt to bring the bill to the floor.

Texas Republicans are moving closer to approving new congressional maps amid a Democratic show of protest over the GOP House speaker’s order that members who fled the state weeks earlier be placed under law enforcement watch.

Tensions are at a tipping point in Texas with troopers shadowing lawmakers and threats to kill over divisive vote to hand more seats to the GOP.

Follow here for the latest updates as the Texas House debates President Donald Trump's plan to gerrymander five new GOP congressional seats in the state.

The Texas House is debating the GOP's redistricting plan ahead of a final vote that could add five more Republican U.S. House seats. NBC News' Ryan Chandler reports the latest from the statehouse chamber in Austin.

U.S.-NATO MEETING: U.S. and NATO military officials will meet today to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as the White House works to arrange a summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he supported a proposal by California Democrats to redraw congressional lines in response to a Republican-led push in Texas to gain additional US House seats but expressed unease with the broader effects of political gerrymandering.

A Democratic lawmaker is staying in the Texas Capitol rather than accept an around-the-clock police escort that Republicans imposed to keep she and her colleagues from leaving the state again and further delaying the GOP's redrawing of congressional districts as President Donald Trump wants.