Republican lawmakers who oppose a new rule permitting proxy voting accused a Democrat of skipping out on the House to attend a rocket launch.
Rep. Charlie Crist was among more than 70 Democrats absent from the House this week who assigned another lawmaker to vote for them by proxy.
Crist, a former Republican, wrote to the House clerk, Cheryl Johnson, to inform the body he would be absent “due to the ongoing public health emergency.”
Crist on Wednesday drove more than two hours to attend the planned launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“To get there, it took him about 2 1/2 hours to drive there about the same amount of time as a flight from Tampa to D.C.,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday. “But instead of going to work and serving as a voice of his constituents, Charlie decided to play hooky. I wonder if Charlie will cash his check this month. I wonder if those 70 Democrats will still take their check.”
Republicans this week sued Democrats in federal court to block proxy voting, which the GOP says is unconstitutional.
The House this week took up several measures by proxy vote, passing a bill to condemn China’s treatment of ethnic minorities.
A second vote to expand reporting requirements for a small business aid package failed to garner the two-thirds majority needed to pass it.
The proxy rule is temporary, according to Democrats, who said it would be in use only during the coronavirus pandemic. The rule expires in 45 days, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi can unilaterally extend it.
McCarthy said Crist’s use of the proxy undermines claims by the Democrats that it is needed to lower the threat of spreading the coronavirus.
“The speaker insisted voting by proxy was intended to be the last resort,” McCarthy said.
Crist made no secret of his plan to attend the launch, which ended up getting scrubbed due to the threat of lightning.
“Looking forward to attending today’s historic manned @SpaceX launch,” Crist tweeted yesterday.
Crist granted fellow Florida Democrat Stephanie Murphy the authority to vote on eight measures under House consideration this week.
