This article has been updated to include more posts on how Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) may be working on a proposal for proxy voting for new parents.
On Tuesday, House leadership cancelled votes for the week after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) used the discharge petition method to force a vote on a resolution from Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) to allow new parents who have given birth or whose spouses have given birth to make use of proxy voting and have another member vote for them for 12-weeks. Nine Republicans joined with all Democrats for the move. With the cancellation of votes, there have been concerns about what this means for President Donald Trump's agenda. Luna has also left the House Freedom Caucus (HFC). Trump, however, weighed in on proxy voting on Thursday.
As it turns out, the president is in favor of proxy voting for new parents, as he expressed to reporters on Air Force One.
"You’re having a baby, you should be able to call in and vote. I’m in favor of that," he offered. Trump also said that "I don't know why it's so controversial."
Trump tells reporters on AF1 that he supports Luna's proxy voting proposal for new parents.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) April 3, 2025
"You’re having a baby, you should be able to call in and vote. I’m in favor of that.”
cc @SpeakerJohnson
NEWS -- PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP endorsed @realannapaulina's proxy voting measure for new and expectant parents.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 3, 2025
"I don't know why it's so controversial."
BIG NEWS
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is reportedly acting to get something figured out, after he spoke to Trump, with Luna also having spoken to the president.
More may also be coming, as Punchbowl's Jake Sherman teased, when it comes to further comment from Trump as well as a plan that Johnson is trying to figure out.
Recommended
🚨NEWS -- SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON has spoken to PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP in the wake of his comments supporting @realannapaulina's proxy voting effort.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 3, 2025
JOHNSON provided the the president with his view opposing proxy voting -- Trump has not been involved until now. And there may be… https://t.co/nUCV7CZ6QC
NEWS -- @SpeakerJohnson has begun socializing a plan on @realannapaulina's discharge petition on proxy voting for new mothers and fathers, according to multiple sources close to the process.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 3, 2025
Johnson has said that he will not try to kill the petition. But contingent on Luna…
Johnson very much plays a role in this, as POLITICO also reported on Thursday that Trump is deferring to the speaker. "I’m going to let the speaker make the decision, but I like the idea," he's also quoted as saying.
The Hill also has more on Trump about his support for proxy voting:
“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” Trump said.
“I’m gonna let the Speaker make the decision, but I like the idea of being able to — if you’re having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. I’m in favor of that,” Trump added.
He also told reporters, while flying to Miami on Air Force One, that he spoke with Luna on Wednesday.
“I spoke to Anna yesterday. She and some people feel strongly about it, and I would agree with them,” he said.
Luna told NewsNation on Wednesday night that she had talked to Trump about the matter.
“The president assured that this would get resolved,” Luna said.
Luna has posted frequently to X about proxy voting, especially on Thursday in light of Trump's position. She had also previously indicated to NewsNation that she spoke to the president, when it still remained to be seen if Trump would weigh in, as she criticized the decision to send members home.
The House will vote soon on important legislation such as that which Luna referenced, the SAVE Act, which makes clear that only American citizens can vote in elections.
New: @realannapaulina on NewsNation says she spoke to TRUMP about her parental proxy voting push.
— Mychael Schnell (@mychaelschnell) April 3, 2025
"They did not have to send us home. They tried to do that to get people upset. It's just disingenuine, we could've voted on the SAVE Act. We'll vote on legislation this week. I will…
In addition to expressing her thanks for Trump's support on proxy voting, she also sought to clear up some details, such as how she has not voted by proxy and will not even be eligible. Her son was born in August 2023.
Let's get another lie straightened out.
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 3, 2025
I've never voted by proxy. If my resolution passes, I wouldn't even be eligible to vote by proxy.
But we have multiple members expecting children. We lose precious time to pass President Trump's agenda if we lose those members for even…
The pro-life, pro-family, pro-America President. 🇺🇸
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 3, 2025
Thank you, @POTUS https://t.co/N7semao8rl
I appreciate your support, Mr. President. I want our entire conference - including the recovering new moms among us - to be able to pass your agenda through Congress🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rKqBQZq0i9
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 3, 2025
I'm confident that with President Trump's support, my proxy voting resolution will pass and new moms and dads in Congress will be able to vote for the America First agenda we promised.
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 3, 2025
Thank you to the Members of Congress who stood with me when it wasn't easy.@RepTimBurchett…
Those Republicans voting alongside Luna included Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Kevin Kiley of California, Nick LaLota of New York, Mike Lawler of New York, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Max Miller of Ohio, Greg Steube of Florida, and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey. Luna tagged those members in at least one of her posts. Many of those members are new parents themselves.
Johnson, unlike Luna, has not posted to his X account on Thursday about proxy voting, though his most recent post is currently a video clip of his Fox News appearance stressing how the House is united with the president, specifically on "President Trump’s one big, beautiful bill" to do with the budget.
Later on Thursday night, however, Luna shared how she is working with Johnson to limit proxy voting to new moms who cannot travel and in events of emergency. "Also, this should not have anything to do with the legislation being passed for the president. I’ve told him this," she added, potentially putting to bed any concerns about working on Trump's agenda.
The congresswoman also made clear, in sharing a clip of Trump communicating his support, that "this is *not* a return to universal proxy voting."
Update: @SpeakerJohnson has called me after POTUS statement and we discussed limiting the vote to just new moms who cannot physically travel in event of emergency etc. This is smart. Remember: only 13 in US history. Also, this should not have anything to do with the legislation…
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) April 3, 2025
Thank you @POTUS for supporting this pro-family resolution!
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 3, 2025
Despite misinformation, this is *not* a return to universal proxy voting.
This will help preserve our majority to pass the president’s agenda 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MxpUgi9fR9
Pettersen, who has garnered attention for bringing her infant son to the House floor, has yet to chime in over X in reaction to Trump's support for proxy voting. She has, however, made a post calling the president out over tariffs from her official account. Her political account has also reposted the Colorado Democratic Party and the pro-abortion EMILYs List, which thanked Pettersen and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) for their involvement while leaving out Luna.
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