Should Congress Allow Voting by Proxy?

May 2, 2020 8:33am

Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats are proposing a rule change that would allow members of Congress to vote by proxy.

Is it a good idea? Is it even legal? Our Constitution (Article 1, Section 5) requires a majority to be present before any business may be conducted. Sure, Article 1, Section 5 also allows the House to determine the rules of its proceedings, but those rules can't run afoul of the Constitution.

Mark Strand, the President of Congressional Institute analyzed the proposed rule change in an opinion piece published by The Hill titled "Remote Voting Would Further Undermine Civility." This morning, I interviewed Mark Strand to discuss both the constitutionality of proxy voting and whether it would be beneficial to Congress and our Republic.

I believe it is worth your time to read his piece and to listen to our interview.

LINKS:

Mark Strand's Opinion Piece in The Hill
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/493280-remote-voting-would-further-undermine-civility

Mark Strand's interview on The Mike Bates Show
www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/200502

The Congressional Institute's website
www.congressionalinstitute.org