Proxy-voting chaos in the House could obstruct the GOP's plans
Speaker Mike Johnson displayed no indications of retreating from a confrontation with his fellow Republicans that has stalled legislative operations.
TroibNews 
Speaker Mike Johnson aims to finalize a budget plan next week and push Republicans toward passing their “big, beautiful” domestic policy bill. However, he currently lacks control of the House floor.
An internal GOP dispute regarding whether new parents in the House should be allowed to vote by proxy has escalated into a clash between different factions of Republicans. This internal struggle culminated in a surprising vote Tuesday, where nine Republicans sided with Democrats to reject Johnson’s attempt to block the proxy-voting proposal.
In response, Johnson sent lawmakers home for the week, canceling planned votes on election integrity, judicial overreach, and other important GOP initiatives. He is now urgently searching for a resolution as he commits to completing work on a fiscal blueprint for the party-line agenda next week.
Publicly, he reaffirmed his opposition to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s proxy-voting initiative on Wednesday. The Florida Republican successfully gathered support from several GOP colleagues to sign a discharge petition, bypassing Johnson's influence to force a vote on the House floor.
Behind closed doors, Johnson has been in regular communication with Luna to explore other legislative options aimed at alleviating the impasse, according to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
On Wednesday, Johnson stated he was “actively working on every possible accommodation to make Congressional service simpler for young mothers.” By the end of the day, he implied that a resolution might be within reach.
“I think there may be a path through this,” Johnson told reporters. “We're trying to work through and resolve it in a way that satisfies everybody. So I think we can do that.” He hinted at possible accommodations for new mothers, such as establishing a nursing room off the House floor and revising travel policies.
The stakes are high, not only for Johnson’s command of the House but also for the GOP’s tight timeline for advancing their significant megabill. Senate Republicans released a revised budget blueprint on Wednesday, a crucial step in the process, and are set to work throughout the weekend to pass it. Johnson expressed his desire for the House to grant final approval next week.
However, he must navigate demands from Luna and her GOP allies, who are determined to push through their proxy-voting proposal, while also addressing the strong opposition from a faction of Republican hard-liners threatening to obstruct House business if Luna's proposal is disregarded.
Luna has yet to indicate any willingness to compromise on her demand for a vote on her bill. She possesses leverage as the discharge petition is now ready for consideration and could bring the measure to a vote as soon as the House reconvenes. If Johnson attempts to block the vote again, Luna and her GOP supporters have pledged to align with Democrats to oppose it.
This coalition includes a diverse array of GOP members who are not typically considered rebels, such as Reps. Kevin Kiley of California, Mike Lawler of New York, Max Miller of Ohio, and Greg Steube of Florida.
Johnson's staunch opposition to allowing new parents to vote by proxy may seem perplexing to those outside the House—and even to many within it. This position is at least partially influenced by the intense partisanship that developed during the Covid pandemic.
Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House established widespread proxy voting less than three months into the national emergency, despite objections from the Republican minority, which unsuccessfully attempted to block the measure. Proxy voting persisted for nearly three years until the GOP retook the majority and reversed it in 2023.
In a statement on social media Wednesday, Johnson referenced these tensions: “Nancy Pelosi experimented with proxy voting during the 117th Congress, and it was quickly abused,” he remarked, citing his “responsibility to defend and uphold the Constitution and the integrity of this institution” and asserting that he “cannot allow it again.”
Pelosi responded by pointing out that the Supreme Court declined to hear the Republican leaders’ lawsuit challenging the practice and noted that Johnson himself had voted by proxy 39 times. “It’s just another shameful case of Republicans’ ‘rules for thee, not for me,’” she stated on X.
Johnson's political motivations for opposing proxy voting are also significant: If he does not work to quash Luna’s petition, fellow GOP leaders warn that the House Freedom Caucus hard-liners, who vehemently oppose proxy voting, could derail any attempts to resume regular House business.
Johnson is in a tricky situation now, especially since he has achieved several critical victories this year after initially struggling to maintain order in the House. His success can largely be attributed to Trump's influence, who has helped secure votes on vital budget and spending measures.
While Trump has not publicly weighed in on the proxy-voting dispute, he has maintained a close relationship with Luna. Meanwhile, some House leaders are cautioning Luna and the eight Republicans who supported her on Tuesday to reconsider their stance.
“I wouldn't want to be one of the nine people that stand in front of the Trump agenda,” cautioned Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the No. 4 House Republican, who did not rule out potential presidential involvement.
“I'd rather be able to clean up our own house and deal with it internally and not have the president weigh in,” she commented. “But the president is pretty focused on his agenda, and if he needs to weigh in, I think he will.”
On NewsNation Wednesday night, Luna confirmed she had spoken to Trump. "The president assured that this would get resolved," she stated.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
An internal GOP dispute regarding whether new parents in the House should be allowed to vote by proxy has escalated into a clash between different factions of Republicans. This internal struggle culminated in a surprising vote Tuesday, where nine Republicans sided with Democrats to reject Johnson’s attempt to block the proxy-voting proposal.
In response, Johnson sent lawmakers home for the week, canceling planned votes on election integrity, judicial overreach, and other important GOP initiatives. He is now urgently searching for a resolution as he commits to completing work on a fiscal blueprint for the party-line agenda next week.
Publicly, he reaffirmed his opposition to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s proxy-voting initiative on Wednesday. The Florida Republican successfully gathered support from several GOP colleagues to sign a discharge petition, bypassing Johnson's influence to force a vote on the House floor.
Behind closed doors, Johnson has been in regular communication with Luna to explore other legislative options aimed at alleviating the impasse, according to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
On Wednesday, Johnson stated he was “actively working on every possible accommodation to make Congressional service simpler for young mothers.” By the end of the day, he implied that a resolution might be within reach.
“I think there may be a path through this,” Johnson told reporters. “We're trying to work through and resolve it in a way that satisfies everybody. So I think we can do that.” He hinted at possible accommodations for new mothers, such as establishing a nursing room off the House floor and revising travel policies.
The stakes are high, not only for Johnson’s command of the House but also for the GOP’s tight timeline for advancing their significant megabill. Senate Republicans released a revised budget blueprint on Wednesday, a crucial step in the process, and are set to work throughout the weekend to pass it. Johnson expressed his desire for the House to grant final approval next week.
However, he must navigate demands from Luna and her GOP allies, who are determined to push through their proxy-voting proposal, while also addressing the strong opposition from a faction of Republican hard-liners threatening to obstruct House business if Luna's proposal is disregarded.
Luna has yet to indicate any willingness to compromise on her demand for a vote on her bill. She possesses leverage as the discharge petition is now ready for consideration and could bring the measure to a vote as soon as the House reconvenes. If Johnson attempts to block the vote again, Luna and her GOP supporters have pledged to align with Democrats to oppose it.
This coalition includes a diverse array of GOP members who are not typically considered rebels, such as Reps. Kevin Kiley of California, Mike Lawler of New York, Max Miller of Ohio, and Greg Steube of Florida.
Johnson's staunch opposition to allowing new parents to vote by proxy may seem perplexing to those outside the House—and even to many within it. This position is at least partially influenced by the intense partisanship that developed during the Covid pandemic.
Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House established widespread proxy voting less than three months into the national emergency, despite objections from the Republican minority, which unsuccessfully attempted to block the measure. Proxy voting persisted for nearly three years until the GOP retook the majority and reversed it in 2023.
In a statement on social media Wednesday, Johnson referenced these tensions: “Nancy Pelosi experimented with proxy voting during the 117th Congress, and it was quickly abused,” he remarked, citing his “responsibility to defend and uphold the Constitution and the integrity of this institution” and asserting that he “cannot allow it again.”
Pelosi responded by pointing out that the Supreme Court declined to hear the Republican leaders’ lawsuit challenging the practice and noted that Johnson himself had voted by proxy 39 times. “It’s just another shameful case of Republicans’ ‘rules for thee, not for me,’” she stated on X.
Johnson's political motivations for opposing proxy voting are also significant: If he does not work to quash Luna’s petition, fellow GOP leaders warn that the House Freedom Caucus hard-liners, who vehemently oppose proxy voting, could derail any attempts to resume regular House business.
Johnson is in a tricky situation now, especially since he has achieved several critical victories this year after initially struggling to maintain order in the House. His success can largely be attributed to Trump's influence, who has helped secure votes on vital budget and spending measures.
While Trump has not publicly weighed in on the proxy-voting dispute, he has maintained a close relationship with Luna. Meanwhile, some House leaders are cautioning Luna and the eight Republicans who supported her on Tuesday to reconsider their stance.
“I wouldn't want to be one of the nine people that stand in front of the Trump agenda,” cautioned Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the No. 4 House Republican, who did not rule out potential presidential involvement.
“I'd rather be able to clean up our own house and deal with it internally and not have the president weigh in,” she commented. “But the president is pretty focused on his agenda, and if he needs to weigh in, I think he will.”
On NewsNation Wednesday night, Luna confirmed she had spoken to Trump. "The president assured that this would get resolved," she stated.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
