House Democrats have abandoned a plan to make a historic rules change to allow proxy voting.
Democrats hoped to pass the measure in an emergency House session on Thursday, but they postponed consideration due to GOP objections, a Republican and Democratic aide told the Washington Examiner. The matter could be considered in the future.
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House Republican leaders told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday they do not support the change in part because GOP lawmakers did not participate in drafting the proposal. Republicans are more eager to have lawmakers return to the Capitol to work in person. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday expressing his opposition to the move.
“McCarthy is generally opposed because 200 years of House history should not be flippantly ignored, and [he] believes any sort of discussion on the matter would have to be bipartisan,” a McCarthy spokesman told the Washington Examiner.
The House will gather in an emergency session Thursday for a roll-call vote on a $484 billion economic aid package for small businesses, hospitals, and coronavirus testing.
Lawmakers will also vote on a resolution to create a select committee to oversee the federal response to the coronavirus.
Democratic lawmakers have been eager to come up with a plan to allow them to work remotely, including voting on legislation. The House has been in recess since mid-March and is not expected to reconvene regularly until May 4. Lawmakers have been conducting business by telephone and video conference but cannot conduct official committee votes or House votes.
House rules do not permit proxy voting. Democrats proposed changing the rules to permit lawmakers to vote for each other.
It would permit lawmakers who are not able to come to Washington to provide “a letter to the Clerk authorizing another Member to vote on their behalf and providing exact instruction, which must be followed, on how that Member should vote for each scheduled vote.”
