January 19, 2023 9:49am EST
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy officially ends proxy voting
McCarthy says members of Congress need to show up to work if they want their vote to be counted
By Chris Pandolfo | Fox News
House Republicans have officially ended the practice of proxy voting, which was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to permit lawmakers to vote without being present in-person.
"No more proxy voting," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Thursday. "Effective immediately, Members of Congress have to show up to work if they want their vote to count."
Proxy voting was established by former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in May 2020 to allow Congress to operate under COVID-19 pandemic protocols. Instead of showing up for votes, a member of Congress could submit a letter to have a colleague announce their position on bills and amendments and even cast votes in their name.
Republicans have argued this policy enabled abuse and permitted legislators to neglect their responsibilities, though many GOP lawmakers took advantage of proxy voting in the last Congress.
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