Nine House Republicans voted with Democrats on Tuesday to reject Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to block a GOP member from allowing lawmakers who are new parents to vote by proxy.
House Republican leaders inserted language into a procedural measure that would effectively kill Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s proxy-voting proposal, which was 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 of Tennessee, Kevin Kiley of California, Nick LaLota of New York, Mike Lawler of New York, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Max Miller of Ohio, Greg Steube of Florida and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey.
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.
