Whats next for proxy voting and hybrid committees?
Lawmakers are exploring what practices implemented during the pandemic could hold value for years to come and which should become relics of the age of COVID-19, particularly proxy voting and hybrid hearings. Before Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the latest 45-day extension of the proxy voting period through Aug. 17, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise urged Democratic leaders to let the authority expire. Can we let Congress get back to the normal work and not renew proxy voting because, as weve seen, theres a lot more cooperation, a lot more agreements you can reach when youre here in person working together that you just cant get on a Zoom or Webex call or just somebody standing at home proxy-voting and not coming here to Washington, the Louisiana Republican said during a June 25 colloquy on the floor with Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C.  Republicans have opposed proxy voting since it was introduced and implemented in May 2020, and even sued Pelosi, alleging that proxy voting was unconstitutional. Some Republicans got on board eventually, using the tool most notably when opportunities to appear with President Donald Trump arose. In recent weeks, Pelosi has pointed out that the vaccination rate for the Capitol community is over 85 percent, which prompted the lifting of a mask mandate on the House floor and in committees. But top Democrats say the proxy voting extension is still needed as the country battles variants and regular family patterns are still in flux.