Proxy voting for new parents has become the latest point of contention for GOP officials as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna faces off against House GOP leaders over looing action regarding the idea.
The issue is intensifying as both sides are standing with their arguments, which could result in a potential clash as soon as next week. On one hand, Luna argued that she had no plans to back down from her effort.
Republicans Argue Over Proxy Voting
Her firm stance comes despite leadership offering her prime committee spots or other incentives, as she claims, to do so. Furthermore, Luna said that she is confident that she will be the one who will come out on top.
During an interview, the representative said she doesn't "play to lose," adding that her supporters will receive good news sometime next week. On the other hand, Speaker Mike Johnson has tried to convince other Republican lawmakers to oppose proxy voting itself.
He argued that this is something that can be considered unconstitutional, noting that it creates a delicate environment. Johnson was successful in persuading some GOP officials to change their minds about the matter, according to The Hill.
However, Johnson is running out of ideas and is now being pushed by other anti-proxy voting members to handle the situation using a more aggressive approach. One of the ways he could do this is by pitching a way to "turn off" the procedural privilege mechanism, which could force a vote.
Currently, Rep. Luna has circumvented GOP leadership by getting signatures from 218 members, including 11 other GOP lawmakers. This was on a rarely successful tool known as a discharge petition that would force floor action on the matter.
Is the Procedure Unconstitutional?
In a social media post, Luna previously wrote about Johnson, saying that the speaker is a kind man whose heart is in the right place. However, she argued that he was wrong about proxy voting for new parents being unconstitutional, USA Today reported.
Luna accused other Republican officials of threatening and bribing their colleagues to go against her regarding proxy voting for new parents. However, she said she would not be bought, adding that others have reached out to her multiple times now to get her to change stances.
The entire situation stems from the time when the 35-year-old Republican became the 12th lawmaker to give birth while serving the House in 2023. He appealed to GOP leaders to adjust the rules so that new parents can still cast votes remotely around the birth of their child, as per NPR.
