Procedure aims to allow legislators to continue working while helping prevent spread of virus
United States:
US lawmakers voted by proxy for the first time on Wednesday in a controversial coronavirus era procedure that has drawn constant criticism from congressional Republicans.
Some 70 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted at a distance on a measure condemning human rights violations in China.
The use of proxies in the House – the Senate has not approved such changes – ends more than 200 years of precedent in Congress.
The new rules, adopted this month according to party principles, will only remain in effect for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
The procedure aims to allow legislators to continue working while helping to prevent the spread of a virus that has killed 100,000 people in the United States.
Democrats argue that it would endanger the lives of colleagues, staff and the general public to require legislators to repeatedly fly between their home states and Washington to meet in person during a health emergency.
Republicans have described the change as an unconstitutional takeover that could allow a small minority of lawmakers to control legislative action in Congress.
Proxies can vote for up to 10 colleagues in the 435-member body.
“It could allow only 20 representatives to control the votes of 220,” McCarthy tweeted.
Currently, 218 votes are required for a majority in the House.
“This is NOT the representative democracy envisioned by our founders or what our Constitution allows,” said McCarthy.
The Republicans filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop proxy voting. The president of the House of Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, described this decision as “a sad blow”.
California Democrat Zoe Lofgren was the first member to vote remotely.
His attorney, Democrat Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, approached a microphone and said that, under the new rules, “I inform the House that Miss Lofgren will be voting” yes “”.
A handful of American lawmakers have already been infected and recovered from COVID-19.
Many MPs wear masks in the House and in the Senate, and strict social distancing guidelines are in place when voting.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
