The push to end proxy voting for new mothers in Congress has officially ended. The original plan, championed by Republican Anna Paulina Luna and Democrat Brittany Pettersen, would have allowed new mothers to vote from home (remotely) instead of coming to Washington, D.C.. Luna and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson struck a deal that gave them the consolation prize of “vote pairing”, which has been around for a very long time. Vote pairing, in it’s newest form, would allow people to “pair’ their vote with someone who is present on the House floor.
This vote would only count as “present” and would not count toward the officially tally. If a vote is to count, then the Representative must still come to Washington, D.C.. Critics of the bill say that it shows just how lazy Congress is, especially when they only work about 57 full days in D.C. in a year. Brittany Pettersen says that the House is “inaccessible” to a growing portion of America. Luna said that this would affect Republicans considering how such of a slim majority they have in the House and Senate.
SOURCES:
For Congress, Better Results Starts with a Better Schedule | Bipartisan Policy Center
How Many Days Congress Is in Session
Daycare for U.S. House employees to encourage women in politics.
House votes to block bipartisan push for proxy voting by new parents
Johnson Reaches Agreement to Kill Proxy Voting Proposal in the House – The New York Times
