USA 2020 Elections: Thread

[grarpamp]

Do no work, jerk off at home, steal the people's money into
your pockets anyway, soon to become protected remote 1984...


Republicans Call For Pelosi To End House Proxy Voting

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/08/17/republicans-say-its-time-to-end-proxy-voting-in-congress/65404935007/
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nearly-150-house-members-active-proxy-voting-letters-ahead-vote-dems-social-spending-tax-bill
https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/officers-and-organizations/sergeant-at-arms
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/18/us/politics/congress-remote-voting.html
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/12/gop-plans-sabotage-inflation-reduction-act
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/24/supreme-court-proxy-voting-house-00001243
https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1558140056895905794
https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/0/9B22C2D63E3CE68385258718005123FA/$file/20-5240-1906976.pdf
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1365396869707411463
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1548886978762096642

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the so-called Inflation
Reduction Act, a $420 billion package that funds 87,000 more IRS
agents, raises corporate taxes, throws hundreds of billions of dollars
at climate projects and imposes a new tax on stock buybacks.

There was plenty at stake in a bill that proponents are calling
"historic," and yet 158 House members -- more than a third of the body
-- didn't even bother showing up for the vote. Rather, they were
content to take advantage of proxy voting rules that House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi controversially ushered in during the pandemic and still
clings to like microchip stocks.

To use proxy voting, House members must submit a signed statement to
the House clerk declaring they are "unable to physically attend
proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health
emergency." In reality, members are using the scheme to take early
recesses, schmooze donors and campaign for office.

    "When those people go up, and they vote by proxy, they're LYING."

    Watch Rep. Roy demand Republicans END proxy voting on
@IngrahamAngle: pic.twitter.com/0nPUl1kTML
    — Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) August 17, 2022

Despite the fact that only a few hardcore Branch Covidians still think
Covid-19 presents a "public health emergency," Pelosi on Aug. 9
extended proxy voting rules until Sept 26. Serving as an accomplice in
the farce, House Sergeant at Arms William Walker continues to certify
that a public health emergency exists.

Even The New York Times has spotlighted the ulterior motives:

    Perhaps no one has benefited more from the arrangement than
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who recently informed lawmakers that proxy
voting would be in effect for the remainder of the summer. It has
allowed Ms. Pelosi, whose majority is so slim that she can afford to
lose no more than four Democrats if every member is present and
voting, to all but ensure that absences alone do not cost her pivotal
support.

Central Texas House Republican Chip Roy decried the state of affairs
in a colorful text to the Austin American-Statesman:

    “It’s bullshit the Democrats can just call a last-minute vote
knowing half their caucus are free to vote by proxy. And it’s perhaps
even higher level bullshit that many Republicans (even ones who signed
litigation challenging it) similarly proxy vote and stay on vacation
while those of us trying to defend any semblance of fidelity to the
Constitution and respect of the institution to look each other in the
eye and treat our offices with respect — and it’s exquisite next level
bullshit that the Supreme Court hid behind speech and debate to avoid
the plain text, obvious unconstitutionality of not being present to do
our jobs.”

Chip Roy represents parts of San Antonio, Austin and the Texas Hill
Country (Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters)

In January, the Supreme Court chose not to hear an appeal by House
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who'd argued proxy voting is
unconstitutional. Earlier, in a 3-0 decision, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia said courts had no jurisdiction
to rule on House procedures, which are adopted under the
Constitution's speech or debate clause. The court didn't rule on
whether proxies count toward a quorum.

That lawsuit originally had more than 150 Republican House members
listed as plaintiffs. In the end, there were just two: McCarthy and
Roy. While others still supported the suit, many removed their names
after they'd used proxy voting themselves and reasoned it wouldn't
help the case to keep plaintiffs who'd taken advantage of the very
rule they were challenging.

Austin Republican representative Michael McCaul told the Statesman
that proxy voting is having an insidious effect:

    “The broader concern is that it encourages disengagement by
members — hearings and markups are nearly empty with little
attendance. There is no reason to extend remote voting. It’s time we
return to regular order — members should be here in D.C. working for
their constituents.”

While this tweet doesn't actually show proxy voting, it does
illustrate the disengaged culture that McCaul spoke of, as an Arizona
Democrat casually registers a committee vote from some leisurely
setting far from DC:

    This is one example of what proxy voting (the fancy congressional
term for "working from home") has looked like over the past two years.
Phoning it in from a boat. pic.twitter.com/agmfXbVd26
    — Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) August 12, 2022

The Senate hasn't adopted a proxy voting provision. The House rule
does not allow a "general proxy." Absent members must provide exact
instruction on each vote. Present members can vote on behalf of up to
10 others.

In the military, Democratic New Jersey Rep. Albio Sires would be
derisively called "retired on active duty." Cruising through his final
term, the 71-year-old voted entirely by proxy from January through
April.

As mentioned earlier, many Republicans are indulging in the rule, too.
For example, several GOP members declared they were unable to
physically attend proceedings because of the purported health
emergency, only to instead attend the Conservative Political Action
Conference (CPAC).

Pelosi may not have the power to extend proxy voting much longer. "If
Republicans earn back the majority, proxy voting will be eliminated on
Day One,” a spokesman for McCarthy said in January.

    “Proxy voting” in Congress was supposedly created for those who
had COVID or feared contracting COVID and therefore couldn’t come to
work. Now it’s being abused by members who are campaigning for other
offices or raising money. Number of times I’ve voted by proxy? ZERO.
https://t.co/Oe6rUxcZPj
    — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 18, 2022