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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is stepping down from the House Freedom Caucus due to resistance against her proposal to permit proxy voting for new parents of chamber members.
Luna informed the caucus members of her decision in a Monday letter.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter obtained by Axios, Luna wrote: “With a heavy heart, I resign as a member of the Freedom Caucus.”
Luna claimed that the “mutual trust” that guided her caucus had “broken” and that the Freedom Caucus was trying to stop her rule changes by proxy voting.
Luna wrote: “A few of us allegedly threatened to stop the floor proceedings for good if he didn’t change the rules to block my discharge petition. “
She went on to explain her decision.
She wrote, in USA Today: “I cannot remain a part of a caucus with a few members that operate outside its guidelines, who misrepresent the name of the group, who make deals behind closed door to undermine the core principles of the group, blur the line between compromise and transaction and disparage me in front of the press, and who encourage misrepresentation of the American public. “
Luna has been the Freedom Caucus’s fourth member to leave in the past two years.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, was expelled in 2023 because she supported House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, was booted out of the group in July last year after he endorsed a challenge to then-Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Virginia.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) resigned in protest of Davidson’s removal.
Luna’s efforts to change her proxy vote were against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. He fought COVID voting proxy during the Democratic House’s control.
Luna began a petition to discharge her from the House this month and collected 218 signatures, forcing it to be voted on. The bipartisan resolution allows House members who have given birth or had a spouse give birth in the last 12 weeks to vote by proxy.
A legislator can vote by proxy, designating a member who will act in their place.
The House Freedom Caucus reportedly asked the leadership to put an end to this effort. They suggested raising the support threshold required for filing a petition to discharge.
Luna said last week on X, “Johnson is a kind and good-hearted man, but he is mistaken about proxy voting.”
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