House Republicans blocked a proposal to allow new parents and other members away from the Capitol for emergencies to vote remotely, using a method called “vote pairing” instead. The provision was included in a rule package passed by the House. This came after a week-long GOP standoff over the issue, which had previously halted legislative business. The original proxy voting proposal, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, was tabled in favor of the vote pairing compromise. Luna and Pettersen had gathered bipartisan support for their proposal, but faced opposition from conservative lawmakers who deemed it unconstitutional. Despite the compromise, Democrats felt it fell short of the original proxy voting proposal. Pettersen, who had given birth in January, expressed frustration at the situation, highlighting the challenges faced by new mothers in Congress. She criticized Speaker Johnson for blocking the original proposal and stressed the importance of having more women and mothers in Congress to bring about change. Rep. Sara Jacobs echoed these sentiments, calling the GOP’s actions disheartening and hypocritical. Ultimately, the vote pairing compromise was seen as inadequate by Democrats, who expressed disappointment at the lack of support for new parents and families in Congress.
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