'Don't f--- with moms': Proxy voting for young parents kept alive in Congress

We said don't

No, public moms. Young moms in Congress kept their proxy voting resolution alive Tuesday afternoon

when they successfully stopped House Speaker Mike Johnson from burying the measure

The lawmakers introduced a resolution more than a year ago to allow young parents to vote remotely while they're at home taking care of their newborn

House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the measure and would not bring it up for a vote

So the resolution sponsors, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna and Brittany Peterson, started a petition that would allow them to overrule Johnson and bring it forward despite his objections

That's when Johnson, his leadership team and others started playing hardball. Remember, leadership's been threatening, they've been whipping against it

but their arguments fall flat when you realize that they themselves have voted by proxy. Tuesday afternoon, nine Republicans joined every Democrat to oppose the legislative rule

Johnson was hoping would end the effort once and for all. For the House of Representatives to pass legislation, it must first approve

a rule that governs the amendment and debate process that precedes the final vote. If the rule

fails, the vote can't happen. In this case, Johnson attached a measure to sink the petition

to the rule for another bill. He failed, and now the petition will move forward, and his bill will

have to wait. Let me just make this clear. That rule being brought down means that we can't have any

further action on the floor this week. That means we will not be voting on the Save Act for

election integrity. We will not be voting on the rogue judges who are attacking President

Trump agenda We will not be taking down these terrible Biden policies with the CRA votes All that was just wiped off the table It very unfortunate While votes on bills that are essential to President Trump agenda are now canceled

the final vote on the proxy resolution is expected Thursday. Proxy voting was allowed for the first and only time in Congress during the coronavirus pandemic

Absent members could authorize another lawmaker to place their vote on their behalf

allowing it in perpetuity for young parents was controversial. Congress would look a lot different if we had more moms here in Congress

and we're working to address the barriers that we face to serving

This is an important step forward, but we still have a long ways to go

Johnson said proxy voting is unconstitutional because the founders intended for the House of Representatives

to be a deliberative body that meets in person. Others who oppose say if young parents can vote remotely

then lawmakers would start asking for the exception to be extended to those who are sick, injured, or caring for a loved one

Being a member of Congress is a privilege. You're serving your district

There's lots of seasons of life. I'm a mother. I've raised three children. And when my children were babies and were young

I prioritized them in that season of life. Now I serve in Congress because I'm not raising children

Yes, we signed up to serve in Congress, but their denial and their inability to adjust to changing times

and make sure that they're addressing the needs of the workforce today makes it so someone like me when I was pregnant

I was unable to fly on a plane to get here. I'm Ray Bogan for Straight Arrow News

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