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Axios
More than a dozen Republicans dropped vote on $ 2 trillion COVID relief bill to attend CPAC
CPAC has proven such a draw, conservative Republicans have chosen the conference over their constituents. Why it matters: More than a dozen House Republicans voted proxy on the $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill in Washington so they could speak at the conference of conservative political action, known as CPAC. And Senator Ted Cruz chose to be there instead of his hometown of Houston when President Biden visited to investigate storm damage.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic news with Axios Markets. Proxy votes have been particularly strident, given that the GOP sued to end the practice when Democrats created it to allow safe voting during the coronavirus pandemic. And Cruz’s visit to Florida – which, he joked, was not as pleasant as his – maligned trip to Cancun – cost him the same facetime that Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) got when he hosted and accompanied the president to Texas. (Cruz) to attend. There are a number of members from both sides who attend and join the President on the trip. Cruz’s office did not offer immediate comment but later added: ‘Senator Cruz has not been invited but remains in close contact with state and local authorities and is working to ensure a full federal response to these storms. The big picture: CPAC drew a crowd of Republicans for four days, with some simply seeking the party limelight and others positioning themselves All had to cross the fine line between promoting their own interests and rendering tribute to former President Trump, who gave Sunday’s closing address. The appeal of thousands of attendees – and near-hammer-to-hammer coverage on Fox News – prompted some to put personal politics ahead of responsibility At least 13 Republicans in Congress who were scheduled to speak at CPAC have asked their colleagues to vote by proxy – a voting procedure that allows House members to vote remotely during the pandemic. Representatives Ted Budd and Madison Cawthorn from North Carolina and Matt Gaetz and Greg Steube from Florida, who were all scheduled to speak at the conference on Friday, asked their colleagues to vote on their behalf . due to the ongoing public health emergency, and I hereby authorize to cast my proxy vote on the Honorable Scott Franklin (FL-15), who has agreed to serve as my proxy, ”Gaetz wrote in his explanatory letter. Jim Banks from Indiana, Paul Gosar from Arizona, Mark Green from Tennessee, Darrell Issa and Devin Nunes from California, Ronny Jackson from Texas, Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania, Ralph Norman from South Carolina and Lauren Boebert from Colorado have all voted by proxy after signing up According to CNN, a Budd spokesperson told Yahoo News the congressman still opposes the procedure but was forced to use it because “Democrats rearranged the schedule of the House with extremely late notice “. Budd also donated his salary for the day to the North Carolina Restaurant Workers Relief Fund, the spokesperson said. (R-Calif.), 20 other House Republicans and four voters have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of proxy voting. It was dismissed, but McCarthy filed an appeal. That same day, Republican House Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) Urged his conference to forgo proxy voting if members could not show up for an in-person vote. submit their voting positions for the Congressional Record rather than using the Democrats’ proxy voting system, ”he wrote. More than a dozen Republicans did not vote on May 27, including Rep. Don Young, effectively depriving the entire state of Alaska. Overall, more than 9 million voters were not represented in a vote to amend the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Republicans are not alone in some questionable uses of procedure. Democratic Representatives Charlie Crist and Darren Soto of Florida attended a rocket launch in their home state after asking to vote by proxy in the last Congress. As the launch was canceled due to inclement weather conditions, McCarthy lambasted the two by posting a copy of their letter of proxy alongside photos of Crist and Soto at the event. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect John Cornyn accompanying the president only to Texas, Jen Psaki’s comment about Ted Cruz not asking or being invited to President Biden’s trip to Texas, and the explanation from the office of Cruz that he remains in contact with federal officials. Get more Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
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