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Democrats are quickly proving that Republicans were right all along in sounding the alarm over their outrageous rule change allowing proxy voting.
No sooner had the House of Representatives passed the historic measure, along party lines of course, than the true nature of the Democrat scheme became apparent. Two Florida congressmen assigned colleagues to vote in their place on Wednesday, citing the “the ongoing health emergency” for their inability to personally be in the chamber.
But the coronavirus pandemic that supposedly affected their ability to report to work did not prevent the lawmakers from other pursuits.
Rep. Darren Soto informed the House clerk that he was authorizing Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, another Florida Democrat, to vote on his behalf, claiming he was “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing health emergency.”
But, as it turned out, Soto was actually at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday in anticipation of the SpaceX launch, as GOP Communications Director Mark Bednar pointed out on Twitter, sharing Soto’s own post.
And here’s Democrat @RepDarrenSoto‘s request for a proxy to vote for him.
He says “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing health emergency”
Looks like he’s having fun at the space launch while someone else votes for him! https://t.co/0nN8M4tJ5y pic.twitter.com/FB4vricPCL
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) May 28, 2020
The congressman even tweeted again to note that the mission was scrubbed but he would “try again Saturday.”
“Safety first!” Soto tweeted, prompting some angry Twitter responses.
Go back to work
— AD (@triumphtimes) May 28, 2020
You should have been somewhere else, ya think…I believe there was a vote going on?
— dragonfly (@dragonflysoul) May 28, 2020
Meanwhile, Florida Congressman Charlie Crist, a Democrat who was once a Republican and the governor of the Sunshine State, seemed to be experiencing the same “health emergency” as Soto.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy revealed that Crist informed the Clerk of the House that he was “unavailable” to be present in Congress where a vote on the FISA renewal was scheduled because of “the ongoing health emergency.” Crist was, like Soto, on-site in Central Florida’s Merritt Island.
Democrat Charlie Crist said he couldn’t show up for work in Washington today “due to the ongoing public health emergency.”
Then he gave his vote away to someone else so he could attend a rocket launch instead. https://t.co/krXgg3QWm2 pic.twitter.com/0BJXIquK5Z
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 28, 2020
Adding to Crist’s stunning lack of self-awareness, he celebrated his absence from Congress in a tweet declaring he was “looking forward” to the launch.
Looking forward to attending today’s historic manned @SpaceX launch to @Space_Station – the first from American soil since 2011 and first ever on a commercial spacecraft. Huge step for space exploration and Florida! pic.twitter.com/EHhF5U8F5M
— Rep. Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) May 27, 2020
Crist was also deservedly slammed on Twitter.
A nice paid vacation to the cape on taxpayers’ back. Go to work or quit taking pay.
— Open Mouth (@Insert_Foot) May 28, 2020
Had to use that proxy vote today though, huh?
— Shane (@baldman_5) May 28, 2020
You could go to the Space launch but not to your job in Washington. It’s almost as if something else is going on.
— Ranolph Junuh (@Rano1776) May 28, 2020
The blatant power grab by Democrats as they pushed the proxy voting measure through, breaking a more-than 230-year tradition in the House, was being slammed by Republicans for expected abuses.
In a statement earlier this month, McCarthy and Reps. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Rodney Davis of Illinois called the proposal the “biggest power grab in the history of Congress.” Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana declared it was unconstitutional.
Republicans attempted to block the unprecedented rule change by filing a lawsuit this week, setting off House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who ironically condemned them for their “dangerous obstruction.”
Pelosi’s spitting fire at defiant House Republicans over halt to her ‘lawless’ proxy voting scheme https://t.co/wGW5oItNnh
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) May 27, 2020
“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 released Tuesday.
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