House Republican leaders failed today to block a bid to allow new parents to vote by proxy in the House.
Nine Republicans across the ideological spectrum — including Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) — joined Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) to oppose a rule that would have in effect killed the proxy voting push. It was a notable defeat for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who has opposed allowing members to vote without being present in the chamber.
Luna previously got 218 signatures on a discharge petition enough to force a vote on allowing proxy votes even amid resistance from GOP leaders.
The defeat spurred Johnson to scrap all other votes in the House this weekend, including a bill pushed by conservatives to limit judicial injunctions.
Unless Johnson finds another way to block Luna’s resolution, he’ll need to bring it up for a floor vote in the next two legislative days, likely next week.
Johnson and Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) have called the discharge petition a tool of the minority, though Republicans used it successfully to force votes twice last Congress.
House Democrats on Tuesday slammed GOP leaders for opposing the push.
“Congress was not made for young families, and definitely not young women,” said Rep. Brittney Pettersen (D-Colo.), who recently gave birth and has been vocal about the need for remote voting. She even brought her newborn onto the House floor for a crucial budget vote.
Freedom Caucus members, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who sits on the Rules Committee, have pushed Johnson to block the proxy voting resolution arguing it violates the Constitution. Also, Republican leaders are no fans of a measure that would make is easier for Democrats to vote, given they hold a narrow majority.
Luna left the Freedom Caucus Monday in protest. She pointed out that Republicans including Johnson voted by proxy under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
The vote is the first rule failure of the 119th Congress. Hardliners blocked multiple rules last Congress under ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Johnson in protest of the underlying legislation. But Tuesday’s rule is the first in recent memory that’s been used to squash a discharge petition led by a member of the majority party.