Pelosi extends proxy voting to October
By Cristina Marcos - 08/13/21 12:36 PM EDT
House members can continue to vote by proxy during the COVID-19 pandemic through at least Oct. 1, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Friday.
Proxy voting was set to expire on Aug. 17 under the previous extension issued by Pelosi absent further renewal. But other COVID-19 restrictions that had been relaxed slightly earlier this summer, such as the House mask mandate, have since gone back into effect, making it all but inevitable that proxy voting would remain in place.
Proxy voting has been in place since May 27 of last year, when House Democrats first established alternative ways for members to cast votes and participate in committee business virtually to address the risks of travel during the pandemic and so that they could all still work if they get sick or have to quarantine.
Under the rules Democrats first adopted last year, proxy voting is only allowed for 45 days at a time unless the Speaker authorizes an extension, which requires confirmation from the House sergeant-at-arms and Capitol physician that there is still a public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/567764-pelosi-extends-proxy-voting-to-october
