A proposed bill aiming to approve proxy voting for new parents is moving forward with support from both Democrats and Republicans despite opposition from other lawmakers.
House Republican leaders are struggling to stop Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from triggering a vote on a bill that proposes proxy voting for new parents. The situation has led to a procedural hurdle that will expectedly challenge the supporters of the legislation.
Proxy Voting for New Parents
Many opposition lawmakers are using arcane parliamentary warfare to prepare a vote for Tuesday that would issue a dare to the GOP officials. They will be given a choice of voting for Luna's bill and allowing it to come to the floor but be hit with halt action on other legislation that President Donald Trump supports.
The latter includes limiting the power of federal judges and requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. On Tuesday morning, the House Rules Committee advanced a procedural rule to set up that particular vote, according to The Hill.
Opposition lawmakers argue the proposed bill's constitutionality, and it could create a slippery slope against a desire among "pro-life" Republicans to show support for new moms and families. This all comes with major potential consequences for how much control leaders maintain over the House floor moving forward.
Luna has long been pushing for proxy voting for new mothers, even more so after she had her first child a few months into her first term. On Monday, she resigned after members of the group pushed Speaker Mike Johnson to take a more aggressive approach to stopping her measure.
Democrats and Republicans Join Forces
The Republican also got support for her proposed bill from another mother, Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who has been working with Luna on the measure. The latter added that it was a historical day for the entire conference, showing that the body wants to give parents a voice in Washington, NPR reported.
The bill would allow new parents to vote by proxy for 12 weeks around the birth of a new child in the household. Luna has tried several times using different tactics to get the bipartisan bill passed. Originally, Johnson refused to put the bill on the floor before Luna joined forces with Democrats to bypass him and force a vote on the matter.
Other supporters of the proposed bill who opposed Johnson's opposition include Reps. Tim Burchett, Jeff Van Drew, Greg Steube, Mike Lawler, Ryan Mackenzie, Nick LaLota, and Max Miller, as per ABC News.
