A group of House Republicans rebelled against GOP leaders on Tuesday over their effort to block a vote on allowing proxy voting for new parents — thwarting other party priorities in the process and dealing an embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
The revolt escalates the battle over proxy voting into a full-blown legislative war as Republicans grapple with arguments over constitutionality, supporting families, and how much power GOP leaders have over the House floor in the historically slim majority.
Nine Republicans — led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) — joined with all Democrats in voting against the procedural rule, enough opposition for it to fall short in a 206-222 vote. The failed vote allows Luna to force action on her bill, but prevents the chamber from debating and voting on two unrelated measures.
Democrats applauded when the vote closed.
Luna earlier on Tuesday made a privileged motion — enabled by her discharge petition — to bring a vote on the proxy voting for new parents matter. Without being able to thwart it, leadership will have to take action on the matter within two legislative days.
Tuesday’s failed vote is a victory for Luna, who for weeks has been battling with Johnson over her push to allow proxy voting for new parents. The Florida Republican successfully executed a discharge petition, garnering the necessary 218 signatures — including 11 from Republicans — to force a vote on Rep. Brittney Petersen’s (D-Colo.) resolution to allow members who give birth or lawmakers whose spouses give birth to have another member vote for them for 12 weeks.
Since then, GOP leadership — led by Johnson — has been working to block the resolution from coming to the floor, arguing that proxy voting is unconstitutional and warning that the effort could be a “slippery slope” toward expanding the practice for other groups.
Pettersen brought her infant son to the chamber to argue for proxy voting on Tuesday, speaking on the floor with her son in her arms. She had previously flown to D.C. with him when he was just weeks old to cast votes on key bills.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), meanwhile, had his toddler with him at the vote. Hunt had flown from Texas to Washington to cast his vote for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) shortly after his wife gave birth, while his newborn was hospitalized. Hunt ultimately voted for the rule.
Proxy voting was widely used by both parties when it was implemented under Democratic leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it drew widespread Republican criticism and unsuccessful legal challenges.
GOP leaders at first tried to get the Republicans who signed the discharge petition to change their minds — and succeeded in convincing Reps. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) and Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) to back off their support.
But hardline members of the House Freedom Caucus — Luna’s one-time allies — pushed for Johnson to take a more aggressive stance in trying to stop a vote on the push.
Johnson took that step on Tuesday, when the leadership-controlled House Rules Committee advanced a rule that included language that would essentially “turn off” privilege, blocking Luna or her allies from forcing action on the proxy voting legislation, or any similar legislation in the future. By including that language and other GOP priorities in a single rule, Johnson dared Republicans to vote against Republican — and Trump — priorities.
Luna railed against the move. She said that attaching it to a measure that would also tee up consideration of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — which would require proof of ...
