Nine House Republicans voted with Democrats Tuesday to reject Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to block a GOP member from allowing lawmakers who are new parents to cast their votes by proxy vote.
House Republican leaders inserted language into a procedural measure that would effectively kill Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s proxy-voting proposal, which is due to come to the floor later this week. Luna had circumvented party leaders by successfully pursuing a discharge petition.
That measure failed on a 222-206 vote. Joining Luna were GOP Reps. Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Kevin Kiley (Calif.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Ryan Mackenzie (Pa.), Max Miller (Ohio), Greg Steube (Fla.) and Jeff Van Drew (N.J.).
Approving the “rule,” as the measure is known, would have tabled the discharge petition and blocked future similar proposals, leading Luna and other Republicans to line up against it. Luna and 11 other House Republicans had signed onto the discharge petition to force consideration of the proxy-voting measure.
Luna called it a “pretty historical day” in comments to reporters. “It’s showing that the body has decided that parents deserve a voice in Washington, and also to the importance of female members having a vote,” she said.
The failure of Tuesday afternoon’s vote also effectively killed the House GOP’s legislative plans for the week. The rule would have teed up the rest of the legislative agenda, including a closely watched measure to rein in federal judges who have opposed President Donald Trump, but GOP leaders instead opted to send members home for the week.
Speaker Mike Johnson called the outcome “very disappointing.”
“A handful of Republicans joined with all the Democrats to take out a rule,” Johnson told reporters. “That’s rarely done. It’s very unfortunate in this case.”
The proxy-voting proposal has roiled House Republicans, with Luna opting to leave the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus over the dispute. GOP leadership, with the support of conservative hard-liners, has opposed the proxy-voting proposal, calling it unconstitutional.
Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report