U.S. House Formalizes Proxy Voting for New Parents

A tentative agreement has been reached in the U.S. House to end a standoff regarding proxy voting for new parents, spearheaded by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Instead of allowing new parents to vote by proxy for 12 weeks, the deal formalizes a 'live/dead pairing' system, where members can cancel each other's votes if one is absent due to family emergencies. This decision is aimed at facilitating legislative work that had been stalled, including key budget discussions tied to former President Trump's agenda. Despite the agreement, some Democrats expressed disappointment over the lack of a formal vote on the original proxy voting proposal. Johnson had previously criticized the proxy voting plan as unconstitutional, while Trump had shown support for it but deferred to Johnson's leadership. The new arrangement allows for Republicans who are unable to vote to use pairing, but requires bipartisan cooperation to function effectively.