Republican leaders have repeatedly shot down proposals for proxy voting in the House, including some narrowly tailored to give new parents flexibility. But lawmakers are already voting on their colleagues’ behalf — whether they call it “proxy voting” or not — all the time.
Several Republicans told NOTUS that it’s common practice for lawmakers to hand over their voting cards to other members to physically swipe in the electronic tallying machines on the floor, which goes against House rules and undercuts Republicans’ position on proxy voting.
It’s an open secret in the House. Lawmakers said this de facto proxy voting most often occurs out of convenience when multiple lawmakers are huddled in the same House aisle and one member is closest to the machine. But it also frequently happens when a member stays behind in the cloakroom or runs to the bathroom.