Democrats reject Johnson-Luna deal to kill proxy voting 

The Democratic sponsors of legislation empowering new parents to vote remotely are rejecting a recent alternative from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) designed to block the proxy vote legislation from reaching the floor.

Over the weekend, Johnson cut a deal with GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), who was leading the charge to force floor action on proxy voting. Their compromise would create a system of “vote pairing,” designed to empower pregnant lawmakers and young mothers with some remote voice during the consideration of bills on the floor, though not a direct vote.

The compromise appeased Luna, but not the Democratic sponsors of the underlying proxy vote legislation — Reps. Brittany Pettersen (Colo.) and Sara Jacobs (Calif.) — who are accusing Johnson of watering down their parental-empowerment proposal while abandoning lawmakers with young families. 

“The reality is — this outcome does not address the barriers we’ve fought so hard to overcome,” Pettersen said Monday in a statement.

“Instead of letting us vote, he has instead gone to historic lengths to kill our resolution and make sure the large majority of his Members don’t have a voice,” she continued. “Let’s be clear: these changes are not a win for us and Speaker Johnson has turned his back on moms and dads in Congress and working families.”

Proxy voting became highly controversial after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) adopted it as a public health precaution in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was loudly denounced by many Republicans, who had downplayed the public health threat of the virus and characterized remote voting as unconstitutional. 

Johnson was among those GOP critics. And he’s amplified his constitutional argument in refusing to bring Pettersen’s bill up for a vote, despite the support it enjoys from a majority of the House.

The impasse prompted Luna to file a procedural motion, known as a discharge petition, that forces bills to the floor — even against the wishes of the majority leaders who control the chamber — if supporters can win the signature of at least 218 lawmakers. 

Last month, Luna did just that, setting the stage for the proxy voting bill to pass on the floor. 

Johnson, however, had other ideas. And last week the Speaker attempted an unusual effort to block the vote from happening, installing special instructions in a rule that would prevent the bill from reaching the floor. Behind Luna, nine Republicans joined all Democrats in killing that rule, which forced Johnson to cancel votes for the remainder of the week. 

On Sunday, Johnson and Luna appeared to break their impasse, announcing a compromise that features “vote pairing.” Under that system, pregnant lawmakers and new mothers at home could coordinate with members in Washington who were planning to vote on the opposite side of an issue. If such a member agreed to abstain from voting, it would nullify the absence of the young mothers. 

In praising the compromise, Luna suggested it would also apply to lawmakers who can’t be in Washington due to an illness or the recent death of a loved one. 

“If we truly want a younger Congress,” Luna said, “these are the changes that need to happen.”

Democrats are not so enthused. They’re vowing to push ahead for true proxy voting for young parents, even if it means waiting for the House to be controlled by Democrats.

“From the very beginning, our shared goal has been to support new parents so they can do their jobs and vote on behalf of their constituents while also taking care of themselves and their families,” Jacobs said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this ‘deal’ falls short of that goal – silencing new parents and perpetuating the status quo and the notion that Congress is ineffective and obsolete."

“We will keep pushing for innovative ways to support young people and parents in Congress – including by modernizing how we vote – even if it takes a Democratic majority to do so.”