New Bill Proposes Proxy Voting for New Mothers in Congress

Introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the legislation seeks to accommodate postpartum lawmakers, amidst controversy over Luna's stance on migrant family separation.

• Freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, has introduced a bipartisan bill that would allow new mothers in Congress to vote by proxy for the first six weeks after giving birth.
• The bill comes after Luna experienced post-pregnancy medical complications that prevented her from travelling to Washington to cast votes.
• Luna's bill has drawn 24 co-sponsors as of Thursday, with only four being Republicans.
• Luna has also voiced support for the temporary separation of migrants claiming asylum at the U.S. border from any children who accompany them, until it can be confirmed if they are the actual biological parents.
• Proxy voting became a partisan issue on Capitol Hill after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi authorized the practice in May 2020 during the Covid pandemic.

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