In Washington, legislative progress in the U.S. House experienced a breakthrough with an agreement reached between House Speaker Mike Johnson and Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna regarding proxy voting for new parents. This development, occurring after days of halted legislative activities, paves the way to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Rep. Luna, advocating for a bipartisan approach, announced on social media that a consensus had been reached on utilizing a “pairing” system. This method, long-established in Congress, allows a present member to counterbalance the vote of an absent one. The arrangement is designed to accommodate all Republicans unable to vote due to parenthood, bereavement, or medical emergencies, thus fostering a family-friendly legislative environment.
While additional specifics were not immediately disclosed, the acceptance of this agreement by other lawmakers previously supporting the proxy voting proposal remains uncertain. This preliminary agreement seeks an end to the impasse over whether new parents should have the right to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks, a notion House Speaker Johnson has vigorously debunked as an unconstitutional measure potentially leading to numerous complications.
However, a faction of Republicans diverged from Johnson’s stance against the resolution, as evidenced by a recent defiance by nine Republicans in a vote. This new agreement clears a path for progressing key legislative agendas, specifically the revision of the budget framework critical for implementing significant tax breaks as proposed by President Trump. The Senate recently approved this budget framework following an extended deliberation session.
Despite initial opposition, President Trump expressed passive support for proxy voting for new parents, albeit deferring to Johnson on the operational modalities within the House. Trump questioned the controversy surrounding the measure. Luna, who recently became a mother while serving her first Congressional term, collaborated with Democratic Representative Brittany Pettersen from Colorado, who has a young child, in championing the resolution.
The resolution seeks to allow lawmakers who have either given birth or face pregnancy-related travel restrictions, and those with spouses who are expecting, the ability to vote by proxy. It garnered significant bipartisan backing, with 218 lawmakers, including numerous young parents, signing a petition advocating for a floor vote on the matter.
Rep. Pettersen, having recently brought her infant onto the House floor, stressed the necessity for Congress to adapt to socio-cultural shifts. Historically, about twelve female lawmakers have given birth while in office, with many male colleagues becoming fathers as well. “It is unfathomable that in 2025 we have not modernized Congress,” Pettersen remarked.
Opposing proxy voting was a hallmark for Johnson, as with previous GOP leaders. The practice had been previously instated during the COVID-19 pandemic, only to be abolished subsequently by Republicans over concerns of misuse, a sentiment reiterated by Johnson to avert a resurgence of that policy.