U.S. House Republican leaders are suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to block proxy voting.
Proxy voting allows members to cast votes on behalf of other members. House Democrats backed proxy voting as a way to carry out their duties while allowing some members to remain quarantined or otherwise isolated during the coronavirus pandemic.
Republican leaders say this dilutes lawmakers' votes and, by extension, their constituent's representation.
Minority Whip Steve Scalise is among the Republican plaintiffs in the suit.
"The House made its will clear two weeks ago when it voted to implement remote voting by proxy and other necessary measures to ensure that Congress can continue to protect lives and livelihoods," Pelosi said in a statement after the lawsuit was announced. "The House’s position that remote voting by proxy during a pandemic is fully consistent with the Constitution is supported by expert legal analyses. Further, the Supreme Court made clear over a century ago that the Constitution empowers each chamber of Congress to set its own procedural rules."
-- BREAKING NEWS --House Republicans are suing Nancy Pelosi to block her proxy voting power grab that lets her unilaterally pass legislation with just 20 Members present.It's simple: one representative should equal one vote.We can't let her get away with this.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 26, 2020
