Washington — The House on Tuesday defeated an effort that would have effectively killed a push to allow new parents to vote remotely around the birth of their child, an embarrassing loss for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Nine Republicans joined all Democrats during a procedural vote to help sink it. Johnson called the outcome “disappointing,” adding that a “handful of Republicans joined with all the Democrats to take down a rule — that’s rarely done.”
Johnson said it halted further legislative action this week.
“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,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters after the vote. “It’s very unfortunate. We’ll regroup and come back.”
The fight over whether to allow remote voting for new moms and dads who serve in Congress came to a head this week with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, leaving the conservative House Freedom Caucus as her colleagues plotted against the bipartisan measure.
The measure, which was introduced by Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado in January, would allow new parents to designate a colleague to vote for them for 12 weeks after they or their spouse gives birth. The bill would also allow that period to begin earlier if the lawmaker has a serious medical condition or isn’t able to travel safely.
But Johnson and other Republicans have opposed proxy voting, arguing that it’s unconstitutional. Republicans claimed the measure would create a slippery slope for members to abuse the practice, despite it being narrowly tailored toward new and expectant parents.
Luna, a cosponsor of the bill, moved to bypass leadership and launched a discharge petition that forces a vote on a measure if it secures at least a simple majority. Luna’s discharge petition quickly reached the threshold, with 206 Democrats and 11 other Republicans signing on.
Republicans then sought to derail Luna’s effort by inserting language into a rule governing debate on an unrelated bill on election security that would table her discharge petition.
In a letter resigning from the House Freedom Caucus on Monday, Luna accused members of threatening Johnson with halting floor proceedings indefinitely unless her effort was blocked. She called the tactic “a betrayal of trust.”
“The speaker is being held hostage,” Luna told reporters Monday.
Luna has argued that allowing new parents to vote remotely is not unconstitutional because members voting by proxy would not count toward a quorum. Those against the practice have themselves voted by proxy during the pandemic, including Johnson, Luna noted.
Democrats instituted proxy voting during the pandemic, but it was ended by Republicans when they regained the House majority in 2023.
Pettersen introduced the bill in January weeks before she gave birth to her son in Colorado. The Democrat rushed back to Washington with her then-4-week-old son to vote on a budget resolution.
On Tuesday, Pettersen bounced her fussy baby in her arms on the House floor as she urged her colleagues to support remote voting for new mothers.
“It is unfathomable that in 2025 we have not modernized Congress to address these very unique challenges that members face. These life events, where our voices should still be heard, our constituents should still be represented.”
Luna experienced complications from the birth of her son in 2023 that prevented her from attending votes.
contributed to this report.
