Several Republicans tell House that they are unable to attend the polls due to a ‘public health emergency’. They are scheduled to be at CPAC.

Several Republicans tell House that they are unable to attend the polls due to a ‘public health emergency’. They are scheduled to be at CPAC.

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Members include Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, who spoke at the conference on Friday, as well as others who were listed as scheduled speakers – such as representatives Paul Gosar of Arizona, Jim Banks of Indiana, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Ted North Carolina Budd, Mark Green of Tennessee, Darrell Issa of California, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Devin Nunes of California and Greg Steube of Florida.

Freshman MP Lauren Boebert, from Colorado, also signed a letter saying she could not attend the polls and was listed as a CPAC speaker, although CNN saw her on Capitol Hill earlier on Friday and it is unclear whether she planned to skip the night’s polls even in Covid’s $ 1.9 trillion aid package.

Advisers to the 13 Republicans have yet to respond to requests for comment.

The move is especially surprising, given that Republicans were furious critics of the proxy voting system during the coronavirus pandemic, even prosecuting and ridiculing Democrats for staying at home and demanding that they return to Washington.

“Leaders show up, no matter how uncertain times are,” Cawthorn tweeted last summer. “Democrats are cowards for not showing up for work.”

Top Democrats reacted strongly on Friday to the news, first reported by CNN.

“Apparently, hypocrisy has become a tenant of the Republican Party,” said House Rules President Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat. “Let me see if I understand: these members are not allowed to vote in person because of the pandemic, but are they able to attend CPAC? They were even without a mask at this super-disclosure event. It is outrageous!”

To vote by proxy, lawmakers must sign a letter with the Chamber clerk and allow another member to vote on their behalf and on their behalf. The letters, which are filed with the City Council, say: “I cannot physically attend the proceedings in the City Council due to the ongoing public health emergency.”

Friday is a critical day in the House, where Democrats are promoting a major Covid relief plan – although all Republicans in the CPAC must oppose the move. There were other votes in the House throughout the day.

Republicans are not the only ones who misused this process.

In the past, Democrats signed similar letters, saying they were unable to attend because of the public health emergency, voting by proxy, although the fact that they did not attend had nothing to do with the pandemic.

In fact, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy last year beat two Florida Democratic congressmen – Charlie Crist and Darren Soto – for attending a SpaceX launch while signing the letter saying they were unable to attend the polls.

“Another Democrat caught claiming he couldn’t go to DC to vote ‘due to the ongoing public health emergency’,” the California Republican at the time tweeted. “But he was fine to watch a rocket launch.”

This story and headline were updated with additional developments Friday.

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