{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hres965-116/featured_authorizing-remote-voting-by-proxy-in-the-house-of-representatives-and-providing-for-official-remote-committee--1589495644.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hres965-116/featured_large_authorizing-remote-voting-by-proxy-in-the-house-of-representatives-and-providing-for-official-remote-committee--1589495644.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hres965-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2020-05-13","title_override":"Temporarily Changing House Rules to Allow Remote Proxy Voting & Hold Remote Committee Hearings","summary_override":"

This resolution would change the rules of the House of Representatives until 45 days after the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency ends to allow members to cast their vote remotely by proxy and committees to conduct hearings remotely. It would also allow members to cast their vote remotely using technology if a determination is made that the technology is operable and secure.

Remote voting by proxy would be permitted on the House floor during the public health emergency, and all members voting remotely would be counted toward a quorum. Members would be required to send a letter to the House Clerk to designate a proxy, and proxies could be empowered to vote on any vote before the House whether its procedural, on an amendment, or final passage. Members voting remotely would be given 24-hours notice before any final passage vote to ensure that they can secure a proxy if they haven’t yet designated one.

Proxies would have to receive exact written instruction from the member voting by proxy for each vote and would be required to follow that instruction precisely. Members couldn’t serve as a proxy for more than ten members. For the purpose of transparency, a list of designated proxies would be posted on the House Clerk’s website and a list of members voting remotely would be printed in the Congressional Record following each vote. Additionally, members’ votes will be read aloud during the vote.

Committees would be authorized to hold virtual hearings, markups, and depositions so that members can carry out oversight, fact-finding, and prepare legislation for the floor. Committee chairs could choose to hold entirely virtual hearings with members participating from any location, or they can hold proceedings in a hearing room with some members participating remotely. Members participating remotely would count towards a quorum and be able to vote. Committees would be required to use technology approved by the House Administration Committee for remote participation.

The House Administration Committee would be directed to study the feasibility of using technology to vote remotely in the House and certify that there is an operable and secure technology for remote voting. After the certification, the Rules Committee would be directed to issue regulations on the implementation of remote voting. The House Speaker would then be authorized to notify the House that members could cast votes remotely during the public health emergency.

","official_title":"Authorizing remote voting by proxy in the House of Representatives and providing for official remote committee proceedings during a public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Authorizing remote voting by proxy in the House of Representatives and providing for official remote committee proceedings during a public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus, and for other purposes.","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"This resolution authorizes and otherwise sets forth procedures for remote voting by proxy in the House of Representatives and provides for official remote committee proceedings during a public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus (e.g., the virus that causes COVID-19) for a 45-day period. Based on the status of the public health emergency, the 45-day period may be extended for an additional 45 days or terminated earlier. The chair of the Committee on House Administration shall study th...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Members of the House of Representatives.","argument_for":"The House needs temporary flexibility from its current rules to allow members to vote & committees to conduct their business safely during the coronavirus pandemic. This resolution allows lawmakers to vote remotely by proxy, committees to hold remote hearings, and clears the way for a potential secure technological means for members to vote remotely.","argument_against":"The House of Representatives has already changed its procedures in terms of voting and committee hearings to allow members to socially distance during the pandemic while still accomplishing their work. There’s no reason to allow proxy voting. 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Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":39630,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1310,"following_count":55,"position_count":491,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null},{"name":"Leslie","vote_count":442,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Bmyny8a9/following","followers":"/api/users/Bmyny8a9/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":13,"is_following":null,"influence_score":11170,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":489,"following_count":9012,"position_count":213,"id":"Bmyny8a9","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"1ba6c747-a1f5-4f1c-b837-261bc61aa883","argument_for":"It seems as if the house is taking the coronavirus seriously. They need to set the example for the rest of the US.\nNow if only they would see the need for subsistence checks for everyone every month and stop mislabeling them as stimulus checks.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":2,"upvotes_for_count":2,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/1ba6c747-a1f5-4f1c-b837-261bc61aa883"},"body":"It seems as if the house is taking the coronavirus seriously. They need to set the example for the rest of the US.\nNow if only they would see the need for subsistence checks for everyone every month and stop mislabeling them as stimulus checks.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2020-05-15T15:33:03.255Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/1ba6c747-a1f5-4f1c-b837-261bc61aa883.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hres965-116","user_id":"Om6EQYLZ","endorser_ids":["9odrQBnb","Bmyny8a9"]}}

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Temporarily Changing House Rules to Allow Remote Proxy Voting & Hold Remote Committee Hearings