NEW: 9 GOP members were w/Trump at the border but still had their votes count bc they proxy voted, allowing a colleague to vote on their behalf. The problem? Proxy voting requires members to sign a letter citing the pandemic as the reason they miss the vote. Then we dug for data:
Even though GOP leadership is against proxy voting, 37% of Rs have bucked their party's stance & used it at least once. Members of the GOP even filed a lawsuit against proxy voting but 40 of the initial plaintiffs have voted via proxy, a total of 734 collective votes among them.
Dems use proxy voting even more—73%. 5 Dems have voted solely by proxy since January: Reps. Al Lawson, Frederica Wilson, Grace Napolitano, Ted Lieu & Alan Lowenthal.
A 6th, Donald Payne, voted by proxy for every vote except one. Most cite health reasons for why they use it.
A 6th, Donald Payne, voted by proxy for every vote except one. Most cite health reasons for why they use it.
So what does this all mean? By extending proxy voting Dems hold onto their slim majority regardless of whether all their members are on Capitol Hill. Rs have started to use it more, despite their party’s objections, because it’s the only way to challenge Dems on close votes.
Some members like proxy voting because it allows their schedules to be more flexible, even though that’s not what the practice was created for. It has raised questions though about whether there’s room for Congress to implement some element of remote voting going forward.
Has proxy voting been abused? Leader Hoyer, the architect of the practice: "I think you're right on that," the Maryland Democrat told CNN when presented with examples of how members have misused the practice. "On both sides."
It’s also changed the culture of the House. Pressure that an impending recess puts on getting a deal done, decreases significantly if members are casting their votes from home.
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