The Traitor Caucus: Nine Republicans Join ALL 213 Democrats To Bring House Voting to a Halt

Failed again. Perhaps this is why Republican voters don’t show up when Trump is not on the ticket. Every time we deliver, they fail us.

Nine House Republicans joined all 213 Democrats Tuesday to keep alive a bill that would allow lawmakers who are new parents to cast proxy votes for three months after their child’s birth. A band of Republican lawmakers sank an effort Tuesday by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to kill a plan to allow remote voting for lawmakers who become new parents.

A procedural rule vote to advance the House GOP’s package of bills for the week failed 206-222, with nine Republicans bucking Johnson and voting with all 213 Democrats. The failed vote means that, for now, those pieces of legislation cannot move forward for final votes.

I had children, I worked (in office) until the day I went into labor, breast fed them all and while working full time – in office. If you can’t do the job, don’t run for office. And unlike Congress, my workplace did not have a nursery and childcare provided.

“Can any rationale poster on this site think of any reason this legislation was even considered ? With the variety of significant issues facing our country and this administration, worrying about proxy voting for new parents has stupidity written all over it. This might be the type of issue to be considered in the last several months of 2028, not in the first few months of this presidency. Democrats must be astonished that republicans are doing a better job of diverting attention from President Trump’s agenda than they ever could!” (comment)

Here are the 9 Republicans who defied leadership to vote against it.
Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)
Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.)
Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.)
Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.)
Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)
Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.)
Greg Steube (R-Fla.)
Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.)
Max Miller (R-Ohio)

Breitbart: A resolution by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) to allow new parents to vote by proxy without traveling to Washington triggered the fight. Luna, who gave birth to a child last year, has crusaded to return Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) pandemic-era practice of proxy voting but limited to parents.

Opponents of Luna’s resolution, including Johnson, argue it is unconstitutional – the Constitution requires that a quorum, defined as a majority of House members, be present on the House floor while transacting business.

Luna, with the assistance of all House Democrats and a handful of Republicans, secured the necessary 218 signatures on a discharge position to force Johnson to bring her resolution to the floor. Under the rules governing discharge petitions, the resolution must receive a vote within two House business days after the petition is filed with the requisite signatures.

Johnson, wanting to avoid a vote on Luna’s resolution, which was certain to pass, included a provision in a rule – a procedural measure to allow other unrelated legislation to advance for a vote on the floor – to effectively sideline the resolution.

Rule votes are historically a mere box check, with the party in power generally voting to a man in favor with the minority party voting nay even on rules to advance underlying legislation they support. But under Johnson, Republicans have routinely bucked leadership to block legislation.

The rule engineered by Johnson to sideline Luna’s resolution was defeated decisively 206 to 222, with eight Republicans – notably, no females – joining Luna. Three Republicans did not vote.

SOTH Mike Johnson had to shut down all floor votes for the rest of the week due to a rebellion by 9 Republicans who joined all Democrats. Speaker Johnson said he’s very disappointed and condemned what happened on the floor today. https://t.co/bkIjPKVrVt

— Robbie Mouton (@mcgmouton57) April 1, 2025

Our House Republicans have everything they need, the Senate and the White House.

We should have everything we wanted done already. We got nothing.

Our team sucks.

— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) April 1, 2025

Two things are true:

1. Proxy voting is Unconstitutional.

If you cannot find a babysitter, resign and let someone else do the work.

2. Speaker Johnson is a clown and should bring all Trump bills to the floor immediately.

— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) April 2, 2025

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna defeats GOP effort to block proxy voting for new moms and dads in blow to Speaker Johnson

By: NY Post,

Nine House Republicans joined all 213 Democrats Tuesday to keep alive a bill that would allow lawmakers who are new parents to cast proxy votes for three months after their child’s birth.

The GOP revolt, spearheaded by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), was a blow to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who swiftly moved to cancel scheduled votes for the remainder of the week.

Last month, Luna (R-Fla.) secured the required 218 signatures to a parliamentary tool known as a discharge petition, forcing a vote on her bill to allow proxy voting for new moms, pregnant women who are unable to travel safely or have a serious medical condition, and lawmakers whose spouses are pregnant or giving birth.

A bid to quash the petition and prohibit further proxy voting proposals — tucked into an otherwise routine rules package — failed 222-206 Tuesday, giving the House two legislative days to consider Luna’s measure with a final vote expected next week.

“Never bet against a Luna,” the Florida lawmaker, who gave birth to her first child in August 2023, cheered after the vote.

Tuesday’s vote came one day after Luna left the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, saying they had “blackmailed” Johnson into trying to kill her petition.

Democrats rallied around Luna’s measure, with Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) addressing the House with her crying two-month-old, Samuel, in her arms.

Continued….