Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
The House approved rule changes so Congress can keep functioning even while partly closed.
Historic rules changes include vote by proxy
WASHINGTON — Neither the Civil War nor the Great Depression nor any other national crisis has pushed the House to allow lawmakers to vote by proxy — without being “present,” as the Constitution requires. That’s about to change during the coronavirus pandemic.
The House approved Friday a package of historic rules changes so Congress can keep functioning even while it’s partly closed. The shift will dramatically change the look, if not the operation, of the legislative branch — launching a 21st century WFH House, like others, “working from home.”
“This House must continue legislating,” Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, said during a lengthy session ahead of the vote. “And we have to do so in a way that is safe for all those around us.”
Debate over the changes has been fierce. As President Donald Trump encourages Americans back to work, the 435-member House has stayed away due to health risks while the smaller Senate has resumed operations.
Democrats argue the House can rely on technology for remote work as the pandemic drags on. But Republicans objected to what they see as a power grab during the crisis. The vote was 217-189.
Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the rules panel, warned the changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution, “and not for the better.”
Republicans lined up Friday to speak against it.
“We should all get to Washington, do our jobs,” said Rep. Bradley Byre, R-Ala.
Under the new rules, House lawmakers will no longer be required to travel to Washington to participate in floor votes. They will be allowed to vote by proxy — assigning their vote to another lawmaker who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them. Eventually, a provision allows for direct remote voting, once the technology is approved.
Just as important, the House committees — the bread and butter of legislative work — will be able to fully function remotely. Committee hearings are prime time for lawmakers — the chance to grill officials, spar with colleagues and have much of it captured on C-SPAN. House lawmakers will be able to draft bills, conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes.
“This is about allowing the people’s House — and the people’s representatives in committees — to work,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who has helped lead the effort, testified before the Rules Committee.
With the Capitol physician warning it could be years before Congress resumes full operations, lawmakers are anxious to chart a new normal and not be sidelined.
An earlier proposal was shelved two weeks ago as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted she wanted any change of this significance to be bipartisan. She tapped a task force to try to reach a bipartisan compromise.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy proposed a “hybrid” plan that would allow committees to conduct work remotely but stopped short of allowing proxy voting.
A key Trump ally, McCarthy argues if other Americans are at work, Congress should be, too. “It’s a very sad day inside this House,” the California Republican said.
The changes are expected to be temporary, only through the remainder of this session of Congress.