McCarthy Ends Controversial Proxy Voting in House of Representatives

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday ended the controversial practice of proxy voting that allowed lawmakers to cast their votes remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No more proxy voting,” McCarthy declared. “Effective immediately, Members of Congress have to show up to work if they want their vote to count.”
The controversial proxy voting system in the U.S. House of Representatives was extended through the Christmas period by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who cited an ongoing “public health emergency.” Pelosi originally pushed the absentee voting measure through Congress in May 2020 and has consistently extended it.
The measure passed by a vote along party lines in January 2021, allowing lawmakers to work from home amid the pandemic while purportedly satisfying the Constitution’s requirement that lawmakers be present at Capitol Hill to vote on and approve legislation. This was achieved by allowing other legislators to vote on their behalf….}