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The lawsuit, led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy argued that the use of voting remotely is unconstitutional, saying that Congress has the obligation to meet in person.
The lawsuit suggests that it is “simply impossible to read the Constitution and overlook its repeated and emphatic requirements that members of Congress actually assemble in their respective chambers when they vote.”
"In the 231-year existence of the United States Congress, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has ever permitted a member to vote by proxy from the floor of the chamber," the lawsuit reads.
I just filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn Speaker Pelosi’s unconstitutional proxy voting scheme.— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 26, 2020
It could allow as few as 20 Representatives to control the votes of 220. This is NOT the representative democracy our Founders envisioned or what our Constitution allows.
Pelosi slammed the lawsuit as a "stunt" that is interfering with important work.
"House Republicans' sad stunt shows that their only focus is to delay and obstruct urgently-needed action to meet the needs of American workers and families during the coronavirus crisis," Pelosi said in a statement.
"The House made its will clear two weeks ago when it voted to implement remote voting by proxy a other necessary measures to ensure that Congress can continue to protect lives and livelihoods," Pelosi continued. "The House's position that remote voting by proxy during a pandemic is fully consistent with the Constitution is supported by expert legal analyses. Further, the Supreme Court made clear over a century ago that the Constitution empowers each chamber of Congress to set its own procedural rules."