Florida Rep. In members. Matt Gates, who addressed the convention on Friday, as well as others who were listed as scheduled speakers, such as Reps. Paul Gosser of Arizona, Jim Banco of Indiana, Madison Cav Thorne of North Carolina, Ted Bud of North Carolina, Mark Green of Tennessee, Darrell Isa of California, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Kelnina of North Carolina, Kelvinia of South Carolina.
While aides to 12 of those members did not respond to requests for comment, a spokesman for Isa argued that his boss had done nothing.
ISA spokesman Jonathan Wilcox said in a statement that Congress had followed the rules of all House of Representatives to protest the Democrats’ labeling of Kovid as a relief, but spent more than 0 percent of its total non-Kovid expenditure.
“Leaders show how uncertain the timing is,” Catwarn tweeted last summer. “Democrats are cowards for not showing work.”
On Friday, the top Democrats reacted strongly to the news, first reported by CNN.
“Obviously, hypocrisy has become a tenant of the Republican Party,” said Jim McGowar, chairman of the Democratic House Rules in Massachusetts. “Let me put this straight: these members can’t vote face to face because of this epidemic, but do they manage to participate in the CPAC? They were also maskless at this super spreader event. It’s criminal!”
To vote by proxy, legislators must sign a letter with a House clerk and allow another member to vote in their direction and on their behalf. Letters filed in the House Clerk’s Office Fees state: “I am unable to participate in the proceedings on a physical basis in the House Chamber due to a public health crisis.”
Friday is an important day in the House, where Democrats are pushing through a massive Covid relief plan – although all Republicans in the CPAC are expected to oppose the move. Other votes have been received in the House during the day.
Republicans are not the only ones who have abused this process.
Democrats in the past have signed similar letters, saying they could not attend because of a public health crisis, instead of voting by proxy even though their failure had nothing to do with the epidemic.
Indeed, House Minority Leader Capt. McCarthy last year invited two Florida Democratic congressmen – Charlie Christ and Darren Soto – to participate in the SpaceX launch when he signed a letter saying he would not be able to participate in the vote.
The Republican from California tweeted at the time that another Democrat claimed he could not come to the DC to vote because of the ongoing public health crisis. “But it was okay to take part in the rocket launch.”
The story and title have been updated with additional developments on Friday.
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