Trump supports proxy voting for new moms in Congress
President Donald Trump has voiced his support for allowing new mothers in Congress to vote by proxy, a move that has sparked controversy within the House of Representatives. Trump made his stance clear during a press conference on Air Force One, stating, “You’re having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. I’m in favor of that.”
The proposal, championed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., would enable new parents to vote by proxy for a period of 12 weeks while tending to their newborns. With 218 lawmakers backing the initiative, it has garnered enough support to compel a vote on the matter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, has historically opposed proxy voting, citing concerns about its constitutionality and previous misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Despite Johnson’s reservations, Luna revealed that he had reached out to her following Trump’s endorsement of the proposal.
In a tweet, Luna disclosed, “@SpeakerJohnson has called me after POTUS statement and we discussed limiting the vote to just new moms who cannot physically travel in the event of an emergency, etc. This is smart. Remember: only 13 in US history.”
Johnson attempted to thwart the effort earlier in the week, but his efforts were thwarted when nine Republicans joined forces with Democrats, resulting in a 206-222 vote against him. Subsequently, Johnson canceled further votes for the week in light of the defeat.
Despite facing setbacks, Luna emphasized that the issue is not about advancing legislation for the president, reiterating this sentiment directly to Johnson. It remains uncertain whether the issue will be revisited for a vote on the House floor before the upcoming April recess.
Both the offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Representative Anna Paulina Luna have refrained from immediate responses to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Jasmine, a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse residing in New Orleans, authored this article. For story submissions, contact jasmine.baehr@fox.com.
