A bunch of Home Republicans rebelled in opposition to GOP leaders on Tuesday over their effort to dam a vote on permitting proxy voting for brand new dad and mom — thwarting different occasion priorities within the course of and dealing an embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
The revolt escalates the battle over proxy voting right into a full-blown legislative struggle as Republicans grapple with arguments over constitutionality, supporting households, and the way a lot energy GOP leaders have over the Home ground within the traditionally slim majority.
9 Republicans — led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) — joined with all Democrats in voting in opposition to the procedural rule, sufficient opposition for it to fall brief in a 206-222 vote. The failed vote permits Luna to pressure motion on her invoice, however prevents the chamber from debating and voting on two unrelated measures.
Democrats applauded when the vote closed.
It is unclear how Johnson proceeds. Luna earlier on Tuesday made a privileged movement — enabled by her discharge petition — to carry a vote on the proxy voting for brand new dad and mom matter. With out with the ability to thwart it, management should take motion on the matter inside two legislative days.
Home management canceled votes for the rest of the week shortly after the rule vote failed.
“It’s a very disappointing result on the floor there, a handful of Republicans joined with all Democrats to take down a rule. That’s rarely done,” Johnson said. “Let me just make this clear: That rule being brought down means that we can’t have any further action on the floor this week. That means we will not be voting on the SAVE Act for election integrity. We will not be voting on the rogue judges who are attacking President Trump’s agenda. We will not be taking down these terrible Biden policies with the CRA votes. All that was just wiped off the table. It’s very unfortunate. We’ll regroup and come back and we’ll have to do this again.”
Tuesday’s failed vote is a victory for Luna, who for weeks has been battling with Johnson over her push to permit proxy voting for brand new dad and mom. The Florida Republican efficiently executed a discharge petition, garnering the required 218 signatures — together with 11 from Republicans — to pressure a vote on Rep. Brittney Pettersen’s (D-Colo.) decision to permit members who give delivery or lawmakers whose spouses give delivery to have one other member vote for them for 12 weeks.
Since then, GOP management — led by Johnson — has been working to dam the decision from coming to the ground, arguing that proxy voting is unconstitutional and warning that the trouble may very well be a “slippery slope” towards increasing the observe for different teams.
“Never bet against a Luna,” the Florida congresswoman mentioned on the Home steps after the vote.
Pettersen, holding her toddler in her arms subsequent to Luna, mentioned their message to the Speaker was: “Don’t f— with moms.”
“We’re changing the way that Congress works, making sure that moms and parents have a voice,” Pettersen mentioned.
And regardless of Luna stressing that the proxy voting decision is restricted in nature and dismissing slippery slope arguments, Pettersen opened the door to proxy voting in additional conditions.
“I think that when there’s life events and medical conditions or people can’t be here physically, that we should have limited circumstances and parameters — When you look at paid family medical leave, that that we passed in Congress, actually, under Republican leadership, we should have those same parameters for people here in Congress,” Pettersen mentioned. “I support that.”
Petersen introduced her toddler son to the chamber to argue for proxy voting on Tuesday, talking on the ground together with her son in her arms. She had beforehand flown to D.C. with him when he was simply weeks outdated to solid votes on key payments.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), in the meantime, had his toddler with him on the vote. Hunt had flown from Texas to Washington to solid his vote for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) shortly after his spouse gave delivery, whereas his new child was hospitalized. Hunt in the end voted for the rule.
Proxy voting was broadly utilized by each events when it was carried out underneath Democratic management through the COVID-19 pandemic, however it drew widespread Republican criticism and unsuccessful authorized challenges.
GOP leaders at first tried to get the Republicans who signed the discharge petition to vary their minds — and succeeded in convincing Reps. Wealthy McCormick (R-Ga.) and Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) to again off their help.
However hardline members of the Home Freedom Caucus — Luna’s one-time allies — pushed for Johnson to take a extra aggressive stance in making an attempt to cease a vote on the push.
Johnson took that step on Tuesday, when the leadership-controlled Home Guidelines Committee superior a rule that included language that might basically “turn off” privilege, blocking Luna or her allies from forcing motion on the proxy voting laws, or any comparable laws sooner or later. By together with that language and different GOP priorities in a single rule, Johnson dared Republicans to vote in opposition to Republican — and Trump — priorities.
Luna railed in opposition to the transfer. She mentioned that attaching it to a measure that might additionally tee up consideration of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — which might require proof of citizenship with a view to register to vote — was designed to make her and her Republican allies appear to be they had been voting in opposition to voter integrity efforts.
And in an act of defiance, Luna and her allies tanked that effort.
Republican “no” votes included Reps. Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Kevin Kiley (Calif.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), Max Miller (Ohio), Greg Steube (Fla.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.) and Ryan Mackenzie (Pa.).
“Rep. Luna followed the rules and deserves a vote on the merits of her proposal,” LaLota, who didn’t signal the discharge petition, mentioned in a press release. “Members who oppose her proposal should negotiate with her to amend it or persuade 218 members to vote no, rather than deny her a vote on the merits. Accordingly, I’ll vote no on the rule that quashes her petition.”
Tuesday’s failed vote marks the most recent twist within the parental proxy voting saga, which has been a subject of debate on Capitol Hill for weeks. The battle escalated on Monday when Luna introduced that she was leaving the Home Freedom Caucus after a few of its members labored with management to attempt to thwart her proxy voting effort.
“I cannot remain in a group that would smear me as being against election integrity and extort the Speaker to derail a just cause,” Luna mentioned in a letter to Home Republicans. “This undermines our integrity and the future of this body. Supporting female representation and new families is not a fringe issue—it is a cornerstone of a vibrant, representative Congress.”
Up to date at 3:03 p.m.
