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Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson made headway in negotiations with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna regarding the contentious issue of remote voting for new parents. This situation had previously caused significant disruptions in the House, potentially impacting critical votes on President Trump’s policy initiatives scheduled for the near future.
On Sunday, Luna, a Republican from Florida, disclosed that she and Johnson reached an agreement to implement vote pairing. This mechanism allows a representative who is absent to have their vote virtually nullified by a colleague who is present and votes in opposition. The present member records their vote before formally withdrawing it and announces the pairing. Although this vote doesn’t count toward the official tally, the individuals’ voting positions are recorded in the Congressional Record.
According to Luna, this arrangement will be available for use by all members of Congress who find themselves unable to vote due to various circumstances, including new parenthood, bereavement, or emergencies.
However, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, faced criticism after an unsuccessful attempt to block the initiative allowing new parents to vote remotely during the early days postpartum. Johnson has expressed his belief that proxy voting contradicts constitutional principles and decided to halt any further deliberations, sending members home.
This negotiated agreement may pave the way for House leaders to proceed with additional legislative actions, such as voting on a Republican budget resolution that recently passed in the Senate.
President Trump entered the discussion on Thursday, revealing his support for Luna’s initiative in a conversation with the press. However, the following day, Johnson shared on social media that Trump conveyed to him, “Mike, you have my proxy on proxy voting.”
The initiative allowing new parents to vote remotely was originally introduced by Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado back in January. This proposal aims to permit new parents to designate a colleague to cast their vote on their behalf for a duration of 12 weeks post-birth. It also includes provisions to allow for an earlier activation of this voting period in cases of serious medical issues or safety concerns related to travel.
Luna, who co-sponsored the proposal, sought to bypass the usual leadership route by initiating a discharge petition. This procedural maneuver enables legislation to be advanced without the speaker’s approval. The petition garnered the necessary support swiftly, with 206 Democrats and 11 Republicans endorsing it.
In an attempt to thwart Luna’s initiative, Republican members attempted to insert provisions into a procedural rule concerning debate on a separate bill about election security, aiming to table her discharge petition. A procedural vote held on Tuesday resulted in nine Republicans aligning with all Democrats to defeat the effort.
Overall, the ongoing discussions illustrate the complexities within the House regarding family rights and voting mechanisms, indicating the potential for evolving legislation in the context of modern parental concerns.
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