President Donald Trump said he supports letting new moms in Congress vote by proxy, putting him at odds with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“You’re having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote,” Trump told reporters Thursday on Air Force One. “I’m in favor of that.”
“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” he added.
He said he had spoken with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., one of the lead GOP voices behind the plan.
ANNA PAULINA LUNA FORCES HOUSE LEADERSHIP’S HAND ON PROXY VOTING AS GOP WAR ESCALATES
President Trump said he supports proxy voting for new mothers in Congress. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Luna and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., are pushing a proposal that would let new parents vote by proxy for 12 weeks while caring for their newborns. With 218 lawmakers backing the move, it has enough support to force a vote.
Johnson, however, has historically opposed proxy voting, previously calling it unconstitutional and warning it was misused under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi during COVID. But after Trump’s endorsement, Luna revealed that Johnson reached out to her.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is pushing for proxy voting for new parents in Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“@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,” Luna tweeted. “Remember: only 13 in US history.”
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Johnson had tried to kill the effort earlier this week, but nine Republicans joined all Democrats to block him, voting 206-222. After the loss, Johnson canceled votes for the rest of the week.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has opposed proxy voting. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Despite the setback, Luna made it clear the issue isn’t about advancing any legislation for the president, saying she personally told Johnson as much.
It is unclear whether the issue will be brought back for a vote on the House floor before the April Recess.
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The offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Representative Anna Paulina Luna did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
