President Donald Trump said he has given his new mother a proxy vote in Congress and supports a conflict with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“You’re having a baby, I think you should be able to call and vote,” Trump told reporters in Air Force 1 on Thursday. “I support that.”
“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” he added.
He said he spoke to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, one of the lead GOP voices behind the plan.
Anna Paulina Luna Force Force House Leadership’s Handg
President Trump said he supports the proxy vote for Congress’s new mother. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Luna and D-Colo. Rep. Brittany Pettersen is pushing for a proposal that allows the child to vote on behalf of a 12-week period while caring for a newborn. With 218 lawmakers supporting the move, there is ample support to force the vote.
However, Johnson has historically opposed the proxy vote, previously calling it unconstitutional, warning that it was misused under then-Nancy Pelosi during Covid. However, after Trump’s support, Luna reveals that Johnson has reached out to her.
R-Fla. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is seeking a proxy vote for new parents in Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, Getty Images)
“@speakerjohnson called me after Potus’ statement. We discussed restricting votes to new moms who can’t physically travel in emergencies. This is clever,” Luna tweeted. “Remember: only 13 people in American history.”
Anna Paulina Luna resigns from the Freedom Caucus of the House, saying “mutual respect” has been “shattered”
Johnson tried to kill the effort earlier this week, but nine Republicans joined all Democrats to block him, voting 206-222. After the loss, Johnson cancelled the remaining week of votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is opposed to the proxy vote. (Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
Despite the set-up, Luna made it clear that the issue was not about moving forward with the president’s laws, but rather told Johnson that he personally told him.
It is unclear whether issues will be brought back for a vote on the House floor before the April break.
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The offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Anana Paulina Luna representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jasmine is a writer for Fox News Digital and is a New Orleans-based military spouse. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
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