Anna Paulina Luna escalates proxy voting standoff with House GOP leaders
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, is taking a stand on behalf of new parents serving in Congress by pushing for legislation that would allow them to vote remotely in the weeks surrounding the birth of their child. Luna introduced this measure as a “privileged resolution” on Tuesday, giving House leaders a limited amount of time to address the issue.
This move by Luna has sparked a contentious battle between her and House GOP leaders, who have joined forces with some of Luna’s former House Freedom Caucus colleagues to block the legislation from moving forward. Initially, Luna attempted to expedite the bill using a discharge petition, which would have allowed the legislation to bypass typical procedures and be brought to the House floor for a vote. Despite garnering support from a majority of lawmakers, Republican leaders managed to thwart this effort by inserting language into an unrelated package of bills that effectively neutralized Luna’s resolution.
The House Rules Committee ultimately approved the measure, but not without some dissent from within the Republican Party. Some members of the committee expressed frustration over what they viewed as a last-minute power play by leadership that lacked transparency and consultation with GOP lawmakers. Moving forward, House GOP leaders are likely to employ procedural tactics to either table the resolution or refer it to committee, effectively derailing the bill. However, if these efforts fail, the legislation could pass with the backing of Democrats and a few Republican defectors.
In response to conservative opposition to her proposal, Luna penned a letter to her Republican colleagues accusing them of holding Speaker Mike Johnson “hostage” on the issue. She also announced her resignation from the House Freedom Caucus, citing pressure from a faction of conservatives seeking to undermine her efforts. Luna’s bill, co-led by Rep. Brittney Pettersen, a Democrat from Colorado, seeks to grant new parents in Congress the ability to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks surrounding the birth of their child.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has voiced concerns about the constitutionality of proxy voting, echoing sentiments shared by some of his Republican colleagues. Despite his personal support for families, Johnson raised questions about the potential implications of implementing a proxy voting system solely for young parents, emphasizing the need for clear boundaries and principles in such a policy.
As the debate over remote voting for new parents in Congress continues to unfold, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna remains steadfast in her advocacy for this important issue. Her determination to champion the rights of working parents in the legislative branch reflects a broader conversation about work-life balance and family-friendly policies in the political arena.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering developments in the House of Representatives. Follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
