House of Representatives Continue to Skip Work and Get Paid: Pelosi Extends Proxy Voting Until After Midterms
158 lawmakers decided to vote by proxy on the $700 billion “Inflation Reduction” Act.
Why would you end a program that allows you to vacation and still gets paid by voters? If you were the Democrat Speaker of the House, you wouldn’t. Rep. Nancy Pelosi has extended proxy voting until after the election. The reason she gave is the continued “public health emergency.”
Proxy voting extended until after the election. pic.twitter.com/nbT9mmciDt
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 23, 2022
Hey, Pelosi, Biden’s calling with a message that the pandemic is over.
We’re not joking when we say you can vacation while you pretend to work. Fox News reported that Iowa Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne voted for the “Inflation Reduction Act” by proxy on Aug. 12 as she vacationed in Europe.
Following the measure’s passage in the House, a tweet from Axne’s Twitter account read: “PASSED! I just voted YES on the #InflationReductionAct – a historic bill to lower health care costs, cut prescription drug prices, lower the cost of energy, and much more.”
Proxy voting was instituted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the resolution establishing the process, to avoid interpersonal contact among members. To vote by proxy, a House member must submit a letter that states they are “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency” and designate someone to vote for them.
PASSED!
I just voted YES on the #InflationReductionAct — a historic bill to lower health care costs, cut prescription drug prices, lower the cost of energy, and much more.
My full statement:https://t.co/XgHMzWFG5l
— Rep. Cindy Axne (@RepCindyAxne) August 12, 2022
Exhibit #743 on why House proxy voting is bad.
If you’re going to vote to raise taxes on middle class families and double the size of the IRS, you should have to do it in person, not by proxy while vacationing in Europe.
Horrible look for @RepCindyAxnehttps://t.co/nI5kGXcQMU
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) September 21, 2022
Don’t worry she wasn’t the only one—158 lawmakers decided to vote by proxy on the $700 billion “Inflation Reduction” Act.
The LA Times published an article in February giving a bunch of reasons House members used as a reason to vote proxy.
Rep. Karen Bass voted by proxy in the House last week as she filed paperwork in Los Angeles to run for mayor. Rep. Mo Brooks did the same to campaign for a Senate seat, tweeting a picture of himself shaking hands with Alabama Republicans.
Rep. Ro Khanna used proxy voting while sitting in a car in the Capitol parking lot, doing an online interview about his new book.
Nearly two years into Congress’ first foray into allowing House members to vote remotely, lawmakers are using the practice for a wide array of reasons not originally intended.
Rep. Greg Stanton, a freshman Arizona Democrat, voted remotely in mid-July to advance the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes $10 billion in water infrastructure projects.
Stanton appeared virtually on a monitor during the Transportation and Infrastructure hearing room. Stanton’s image on the screen startled the members attending in person who noticed that Stanton appeared to be rowing a boat while he voted “no” on an amendment.
Stanton, who was visiting Utah at the time, quickly apologized on Twitter.
“There’s no getting around it: I messed up and I’m sorry for it. I participated in the five-hour markup mostly from inside and went outside to watch my kids (while listening in the entire time) shortly before the vote was called,” Stanton tweeted.
The policy allows members to skip the 231-year-old requirement that House lawmakers must debate and vote in person. With such a close House of Representatives, some bills may not have passed without the proxy vote. Republican members have promised to end the policy if they take control in November.
Pelosi’s House — skip work, get paid. Meet the top 15 proxy voting members in ’21. #FirePelosi pic.twitter.com/sZCl0WLGzm
— Kevin McCarthy (@kevinomccarthy) February 3, 2022
.@RepGregPence (R) demands an end to proxy voting after Joe Biden said the "pandemic is over":
"In any other job in America, if you don't show up, you get fired." pic.twitter.com/ZiLT8TSP4E
— J.W. Gibbons (@JoelWGibbonsV) September 20, 2022
Scalise on if GOPers win the majority: We will end proxy voting..We're over a hundred members of Congress weren't even here in person voting. That will change under a House Republican majority.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 20, 2022
B) Gallagher: By extending proxy voting, Speaker Pelosi continues to allow members to forgo the most important component of their job – voting..The day when Republicans..eliminate this unconstitutional and unethical practice can’t come soon enough.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 23, 2022
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Comments
Nonessential. Send Congress home with a minimum wage stipend, and open the People’s house to representatives.
Why not vote yourself to be able to work from home, it’s a germ filled world out there
Day drinking and day voting don’t mix.
But they haven’t passed a law against it (surprise!!)
Honestly, we’d probably be better off if Reps were required to live and work in their district.
They’d be more connected to the people they’re supposed to represent and less immersed in the corrupt culture of D.C.
Nancy Pelosi is a corrupt, treasonous, horrid piece of shit. She typifies everything gone wrong with our nation, no less than Hillary Clinton, Obama and Biden do.
On the other spectrum (the GOP), there’s Boehner, and the treasonous lizards like Liz Cheney and rats like McConnell – and milquetoasts like Kevin McCarthy (a Boehner in waiting).
The political parties in our country are institutionally corrupt and have become complete b.s. – they both need to be destroyed.
Trump and DeSantis are the standards.
I feel if Congress does not want to be in the Capitol then they should not get paid. I can see having limited vacation time, but I do not understand these massive trips overseas.