Road ahead: Proxy voting begins as House takes up FISA, PPP bills – By Lindsey McPherson (Roll Call) / May 27 2020
More than one-tenth of House plans to vote by proxy
The House will be in session for two consecutive voting days this week for the first time since mid-March as it takes up the Senate-amended bill to reauthorize surveillance powers and legislation to adjust the terms of the relief effort that provides forgivable loans to small businesses.
However, some members will not be returning to the Capitol to vote. More than one-tenth of the 431 House members have sent letters to the clerk designating a colleague to serve as their proxy for voting on the floor.
This week’s votes will see the first use of the proxy voting rule that the House adopted on May 15. Members voting by proxy will be “voting just as real, just as effectively, on behalf of their 750,000 people” as those in the chamber, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer told reporters Tuesday.
Democrats were the first to signal to the clerk their intent to use proxies. That includes several members from faraway states such as California, Washington, Oregon and Texas, as well as a few from states within driving distance, including New Jersey and New York.
The rules allow a member to serve as a proxy for up to 10 colleagues. Nearby Democrats Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia have been among the most popular proxy choices.
Continue to article: https://www.rollcall.com/2020/05/27/road-ahead-proxy-voting-begins-as-house-takes-up-fisa-ppp-bills/
