Staff Reports
After Republicans took charge of the House last year, they wasted no time in nixing a bunch of policies leftover from the previous Democratic reign. One of those policies was the COVID-era rule that let lawmakers vote from afar – like they were calling into a game show instead of showing up and doing their jobs like the rest of us schmoes.
House conservative reverses stance on proxy voting — but only for new mothers https://t.co/I2A5LIBJIh https://t.co/I2A5LIBJIh
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 18, 2024
Freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) joined her party in January 2022 to scrap the whole remote voting deal, because let’s face it, it’s not like the rest of us get to vote on whether we want to show up for work or not. But now, Luna wants to make a little exception, and guess what? It’s for new moms. She’s feeling all warm and fuzzy about letting these ladies have someone else cast their votes for them, so they can stay home and take care of their little ones. How thoughtful.
In a bill she threw out there, Luna wants to change the no-proxy rule to let new mommies have a stand-in vote for them for up to six weeks after they have a baby. Oh, and she’s not stopping there. This exception is only for the ladies who physically pop out a kid – no love for the adoptive or surrogate mamas here. She’s also not including new dads in this fancy exception.
Now get this – Luna used to be dead-set against remote voting, but her tune started to change after she had her own bundle of joy last year. It turns out that even hardcore Republicans can have a change of heart when they find themselves in the same boat as the folks they used to criticize.
But wait, there’s more. After having a bit of trouble during childbirth, Luna couldn’t make it to Washington for some super important votes, including one to avoid a government shutdown. Since returning, she’s been bringing her baby boy with her to the House floor, rolling him around in a stroller like she’s taking him out for a spin in the park. Pillsbury has nothing on this mama.
And get this – at least 22 other members of Congress are on board with Luna’s plan, including 19 Democrats and a few Republicans who apparently missed the memo on sticking to their party’s stances. No word yet on when this bill might actually get some attention, so keep your eyes peeled.
