House Proxy Voting Extended Through Mid-August
Proxy voting has been extended through mid-August in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday.
House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul D. Irving, in consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician, notified Pelosi that the public health emergency due to the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic remains ongoing.
“I am hereby extending the ‘covered period’ designated on May 20, 2020, pursuant to section 1(a) of House Resolution 965, until August 18, 2020,” Pelosi wrote.
The proxy voting period was implemented on May 20, for an initial period of 45 days. It allows lawmakers who do not feel comfortable traveling to Washington because of the pandemic to stay in their district and still vote on the House floor and participate in committee meetings.
The historic rules change that allowed for implementation of a proxy voting period also gave Pelosi the authority to extend the 45-day period or end it early based upon future consultations from the Sergeant-at-Arms about the status of the public health emergency.
