Some conservative lawmakers are celebrating the end of proxy voting following the Republican-led House’s vote approving of a new rules package Monday.
GOP lawmakers finally adopted rules for the 118th Congress following Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) historic speakership battle, which comprised 15 rounds of voting. On Saturday after midnight, he finally reached 216 votes after reaching an agreement with holdouts on certain concessions, which included lowering the threshold on the motion to vacate.
However, Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Bob Good (R-VA), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT), and Rep.-elect Eli Crane (R-AZ), voted “present” in the final round.
The House officially adopted rules on Monday in a 220–213 vote. As Breitbart News reported, those rules were focused on “reducing government spending, increasing legislative transparency, and shifting power away from leadership and toward rank-and-file members.”
“Congress has been broken for a long time. Over the years, a concentration of power within the Speaker’s Office has kept lawmakers on the legislative sidelines. Lawmaking should be open to all members—not just a select few—so that the best ideas win,” McCarthy said in a statement, noting that the rule changes include the end of proxy voting — something celebrated by some conservative lawmakers.
He continued in a social media post:
Rules that:
→ Empower members to debate
→ Increase transparency
→ Reopen Congress to We the PeopleAre replacing rules that:
→ Silenced representative’s [sic] voices
→ Kept deal-making hidden behind closed doors
→ Allowed for unconstitutional proxy voting
Rules that:
→ Empower members to debate
→ Increase transparency
→ Reopen Congress to We the PeopleAre replacing rules that:
→ Silenced representative's voices
→ Kept deal-making hidden behind closed doors
→ Allowed for unconstitutional proxy voting— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 10, 2023
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) celebrated. “Proxy voting has ended in the House! It was rarely used for its stated purpose of dealing with COVID.”
“But it was frequently abused by members to attend fund raisers, campaign, go on vacation, and avoid traveling for work. I’m one of a small minority who never voted by proxy,” he added:
Proxy voting has ended in the House!
It was rarely used for its stated purpose of dealing with COVID.
But it was frequently abused by members to attend fund raisers, campaign, go on vacation, and avoid traveling for work.
I’m one of a small minority who never voted by proxy.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 10, 2023
“Tonight the House passed a rule to end proxy voting. Some members of Congress are upset they can no longer vote from the golf course,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) remarked:
Tonight the House passed a rule to end proxy voting. Some members of Congress are upset they can no longer vote from the golf course.
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 10, 2023
“Today, House Republicans will vote to END proxy voting once and for all. The House of Representatives isn’t a tech company,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said. “Its members should work IN PERSON in the People’s House!”:
Today, House Republicans will vote to END proxy voting once and for all.
The House of Representatives isn't a tech company.
Its members should work IN PERSON in the People's House!
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) January 9, 2023
Indeed, the new rules essentially nix proxy voting, which was instituted due to the Chinese coronavirus nearly three years ago.
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