http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0208-03.htm
"California now has more clout in the House of Representatives than at any time in previous history," said U.S. Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-Rocklin), referring to the committee chairmanships held by California Republicans.
"It would seem to me self-defeating if we set in motion forces that could result in the loss of seats in California, which in conjunction with a loss of a handful of seats elsewhere in the country could spell a return to the minority for Republicans in the House. I just don't think that's a risk worth taking."
Doolittle bristled at an argument made by proponents of new voting districts, who say that the move would bring more moderates into elective office.
"As a conservative Republican, it makes me very nervous when I hear people say that their overt objective is to remove the conservatives," Doolittle said. "I don't want to see that happen. I will fight to the death to make sure that does not happen."
https://www.fairdistricts.com/news/news_sb-12-26-04.asp
Doolittle, a close political ally of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay - who orchestrated a redistricting plan in Texas that added three Republican seats in Congress - said he is "vehemently opposed" to a similar move in California.
In Texas, he said, the situation was quite different. A majority of voters statewide were Republican and a majority of Republicans held statewide office, but Democrats held an advantage in the congressional delegation because of the way the congressional boundaries were drawn, he said.
In California, Democrats are the majority party, and the politics of the Legislature, the congressional delegation and all the state offices except governor reflect that.
"It is a huge waste of time and effort," Doolittle said. "It's a quixotic quest, or a quest with malice aforethought on the part of some who basically bring a more liberal philosophy to bear in the Republican Party, which is something I am not interested in promoting."