Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) known as Speaker Johnson (R-La.) “anti-family” over her efforts to permit congresswomen to vote by proxy after giving delivery.
In a publish thread on X, Luna defined Wednesday the place her proposal stands. She mentioned she has spoken with Johnson for months concerning the bipartisan effort to permit moms to vote whereas spending time at dwelling with their newborns. On Wednesday, she mentioned she was knowledgeable he wouldn’t assist it.
“Among other things, this is something that I fundamentally disagree with him on,” Luna wrote, later including that it’s “not only anti-family, but is also a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of voters who send members to represent them in DC.”
Luna clarified to The Hill that the Speaker just isn’t permitting a vote on the matter.
“He will not let me bring it to the floor,” Luna mentioned.
She filed a discharge petition on the matter, which might set off a vote if 218 Home members signed on. However Luna mentioned she doesn’t anticipate to earn sufficient assist from Democrats to set off a vote.
Republicans are involved with the slippery slope permitting proxy voting for some conditions may create. They’ve beforehand argued in courtroom that it is unconstitutional.
Final 12 months, Luna grew pissed off by the shortage of any mechanism to vote on behalf of her constituents after she suffered important issues when giving delivery to her son final August.
She joined with Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) to introduce a decision that might amend Home guidelines to permit members to vote by proxy as much as six weeks after giving delivery.
The proposal is not precisely what Democrats would have appreciated because it excludes fathers and oldsters who undertake, however Luna wished to make it troublesome for both occasion to oppose, so she saved it slender.
In her publish Wednesday, Luna mentioned she has heard from ladies in Congress and youthful male members on each side of the aisle that that is discouraging, they usually really feel pressured into not having youngsters since they can not vote.
“Female members should not be forced to choose between representing their constituents and having children. United Congress embraces changes to reflect American’s family values, we will not have true representation in Washington DC,” Luna wrote.
Proxy voting by no means existed on the Home flooring earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, however with the virus surging via the nation, it proved to be a great tool.
It was a hotly debated concern as a result of some members used it to have their votes recorded for attending political occasions. It ended when Republicans retook the bulk within the Home.
In February, a federal decide in Texas dominated that proxy votes solid through the pandemic shouldn’t have counted towards the physique’s quorum, calling into query the validity of these votes.
Emily Brooks contributed.
