House Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended proxy voting until May 14, citing the continued threat of COVID-19.
The pandemic-era rules change in the lower chamber was set to expire Wednesday before Pelosi, under the guidance of the House’s sergeant-at-arms and the office of the attending physician, extended them by nearly seven more weeks. She announced the extension in a Dear Colleague letter Monday.
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Pelosi’s last extension in February stretched the “covered period” to the end of March. The ability to use other members to vote on one’s behalf and allow remote participation in committee proceedings began May 20, 2020, and extended through the end of the 116th Congress and into the current session.
Proponents of proxy voting and remote committee participation say these protocols allow members impeded from traveling to Washington due to the pandemic to still be able to represent their constituents.
Democrats are generally in favor of continuing the pandemic’s allowances, while Republicans generally oppose them, even as GOP members have made use of the pandemic-era rules. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has even gone to court to end proxy voting but was rejected by the Supreme Court in January.
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A hearing before the House Rules Committee earlier this month put the divide on display.
Those opposed to allowing representatives to do their jobs from afar questioned the constitutionality of the rule and said the lack of a physical presence impaired their ability to be congenial and make deals across the aisle. Supporters said the possibility of remote work ensured room for life events that may take members away from Washington and leave constituents temporarily unrepresented.
