Rep Anna Paulina Luna muscles measure for parent proxy voting past Johnson to get full House vote

House Democrats and Republicans joined Tuesday to force a full floor vote on a bipartisan measure to allow House members with newborns to proxy vote for the first 12 weeks of parenthood – defeating House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's opposition to the measure.

As part of a series of procedural moves, the attempt to block such proxy voting fell short when members of both parties united to defeat it. Nine Republicans joined with all Democrats in the 206-222 vote. 

The effort is being led by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, who gave birth two years ago, and Brittany Pettersen, a Colorado Democrat who also had a baby while serving in office.

Johnson opposes such voting, calling it unconstitutional. The Louisiana Republican called the failed vote "disappointing."

The bill, if passed, would allows a House member who is a mother or father of a newborn to give his or her voting privilege  to a fellow member on Capitol Hill so that they can cast their vote for them.