Representative Anna Paulina Luna from Florida sharply criticized Speaker Johnson of Louisiana, describing his stance as “anti-family” after he declined to support her proposal for proxy voting for congresswomen following childbirth.
In a series of posts on X, Luna outlined the status of her bipartisan proposal, which she had been discussing with Johnson for months. The initiative aimed to allow mothers in Congress to cast votes remotely while caring for their newborns. On Wednesday, she revealed that Johnson had decided not to back the effort.
Anna Paulina Luna criticizes Speaker Johnson over refusal to back proxy voting for postpartum mothers
Expressing her frustration, Luna stated her strong disagreement with Johnson’s decision, calling it both “anti-family” and disrespectful to voters who expect representation in Washington. She later clarified to The Hill that Johnson is preventing the proposal from reaching the House floor for a vote.
Luna has filed a discharge petition to bypass the Speaker, which would require 218 signatures to force a vote. However, she admitted that securing enough support, especially from Democrats, is unlikely. Critics within the GOP have expressed concerns that introducing proxy voting in any form could lead to broader applications they view as unconstitutional.
Luna’s push for reform stems from her personal experience after facing severe complications during the birth of her son last August. Alongside Representative Sara Jacobs of California, she introduced a resolution to modify House rules, allowing proxy voting for up to six weeks post-childbirth. The measure excludes fathers and adoptive parents to make it harder for either party to oppose.
Luna shared that members from both parties, including younger men and women, feel disheartened by the lack of accommodations for parents. She emphasized that Congress needs to embrace family-oriented changes to ensure authentic representation.
Proxy voting, first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, was controversial from its inception, with some lawmakers using it for political events. The practice was discontinued when Republicans regained control of the House. A federal judge in Texas later ruled that proxy votes during the pandemic should not have counted toward quorum, further fueling debates about its validity.
