United States President Donald Trump expressed his support of proxy voting for new parents, marking a rare moment where his stance is at odds with other GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson.
The Republican's stance was made public when Trump talked with reporters who were flying with him to Florida aboard Air Force One. He said, "You're having a baby, you should be able to call in and vote. I'm in favor of that."
Donald Trump's Support of Proxy Voting for New Parents
Trump's endorsement of the bipartisan effort came after he talked with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who has been aggressively pushing for a resolution. It would allow lawmakers to vote remotely for up to 12 weeks following the birth of a child.
Under existing legislation, lawmakers do not have access to any sort of parental leave in order to vote. Luna has been spearheading the charge to approve proxy voting for new parents, initially for new mothers but now for everyone, according to the New York Times.
Luna took advantage of a maneuver known as a discharge petition, which is a demand that was signed by 218 members of the House, to force consideration of the bipartisan measure that aims to change the chamber's rules.
Johnson tried, unsuccessfully, to block the resolution from reaching the House floor earlier this week. He then later canceled votes for the remainder of the week, which prolonged a battle that it was not clear he could win.
Mike Johnson's Opposition
Despite Trump initially sharing his support of Luna's proxy voting for the new parents bill, he said he would still defer to Johnson on the operations of the House. He added that he had no idea why the matter was so controversial, the Associated Press reported.
Luna's push for the proposal was echoed by Democratic Rep. Brittany Petterson and has received the support of the majority of the House. Johnson's reluctance to support the bill is because, he claims, it is an affront to the Constitution.
The speaker added that allowing new parents to vote by proxy would "open a dangerous Pandora's box for the institution." He said that he believes the process violates more than two centuries of tradition and institution.
This is not the first time that proxy voting was talked about, as it was allowed in the 117th Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic following the support of a Democratic majority. On the other hand, Republicans have long been opposed to the process, as per Forbes.
