US House allows proxy voting, and one North Carolina rep will cast another’s vote
The U.S. House of Representatives was set to allow proxy voting for the first time in history Wednesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, was among the members planning to have someone else vote for them. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, was to cast Price’s vote, according to a letter Price sent to the clerk of the House.
“COVID-19 remains a threat to our communities, here in North Carolina, Washington, DC, and across the country. I supported the long overdue rule change to allow proxy voting, which ensures the House of Representatives continues to function during this pandemic or a future national crisis,” Price said in a statement to The News & Obsever.
“In this case, each Member must make a personal decision about his or her own health and the well-being of family and neighbors. I determined, since Washington, DC is still under a stay-at-home order, the particular measures under consideration do not require my personal presence, and the proxy process allows me to fully participate in this week’s votes, that I would work from home.”
In March, the 79-year-old Price self-isolated after being in contact with Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who tested positive for coronavirus. Price is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on housing and transportation. Diaz-Balart is the top Republican on the committee.
Nearly 100,000 people nationwide had died from the virus as of Wednesday afternoon. In North Carolina, there are more than 24,000 cases and 800 deaths. People over the age of 75 have accounted for more than 60% of the deaths in North Carolina.
The House voted earlier this month to allow the use of proxy voting temporarily during the coronavirus pandemic. The change is only good for 45 days, though it can be extended until the end of the congressional term. Price, Butterfield and Rep. Alma Adams, a Charlotte Democrat, voted for the historic change. No Republicans voted for the measure.
Price was one of 71 members to file proxy letters as of Wednesday afternoon. The letter is the first step in the process, which the House outlined to ensure that votes are cast as intended.
Republicans, led by the House’s top GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, are suing to block proxy voting, claiming it is unconstitutional.
“Outsourcing the duty of a member of Congress is unconstitutional and wrong,” Rep. Ted Budd, a Davie County Republican, wrote on Twitter. Budd is among the Republicans involved in the lawsuit.
Rep. Mark Walker, a Greensboro Republican, said he signed onto the suit as well.
“Americans need Congress working together in one place to help them navigate this crisis and get back to work, not phoning in their public service while their constituents have to go back to work,” Walker wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
The House was scheduled to vote on reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Wednesday, but a schedule change was possible due to President Donald Trump’s late opposition to the bill.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 4:16 PM.
