Legless, Pregnant Rep. Denied Proxy Vote by Democrats

[Fartsniffage]

I assumed she was just pissed, so keeping her vote away seemed like a good idea...

And there's already a thread about the moral dilemma that is drinking while pregnant and a Democrat.

....really?

[Greed and Death]

Not cool DNC

[Ifreann]

And there's already a thread about the moral dilemma that is drinking while pregnant and a Democrat.

....really?

Well, mostly.

[AiliailiA]

So basically, a Democratic Representative, who had lost both her legs while serving in Iraq, and has been warned by her doctor to not travel to Washington at this stage of her pregnancy, asked her party if she could vote by proxy. Now, this is not a bill/potential law, nor is it a Constitutional Amendment, but rather who will be the new majority leader in the Congress. Her own party's answer? "No."

Think about this for a minute: A Representative, who lost her legs in battle, is asking if she can just ask somebody to deliver her vote for her. Essentially she's asking for maternity leave. And her own party, not those "evil, woman-hating, racist Republicans" but the Democrats, deny her that. What the heck are they thinking? Last time I checked, the Left was all about women's equality, women's services (including maternity leave), and all sorts of women's issues. So, this just seems a little backwards to me. If anybody here feels that they can explain it, please feel free to do so. Please.

Your article spells it out quite clearly. They don't allow proxy voting. They considered it, but felt if they allowed Duckworth to proxy vote they'd have to allow others, and if everyone was allowed to have a proxy vote, they wouldn't be able to have a secret ballot. Nothing to do with her being a woman, pregnant, disabled, or a veteran.

And since you brought up the Republicans and are clearly so strongly in favour of it, can you tell us if the Republican caucus allows proxy voting?

No, it doesn't. Rule 4 (a)

[Avenio]

So really, this thread should be called "Shameless partisan goes fishing for something to bash Democrats with, fails to read anything about it other than the headline and ends up shoving foot into mouth".

[Ifreann]

Your article spells it out quite clearly. They don't allow proxy voting. They considered it, but felt if they allowed Duckworth to proxy vote they'd have to allow others, and if everyone was allowed to have a proxy vote, they wouldn't be able to have a secret ballot. Nothing to do with her being a woman, pregnant, disabled, or a veteran.

And since you brought up the Republicans and are clearly so strongly in favour of it, can you tell us if the Republican caucus allows proxy voting?

No, it doesn't. Rule 4 (a)

I, for one, await the OP's scathing criticism of '"evil, woman-hating, racist Republicans"' with baited breath.

ETA: Alas, the OP is busy telling me by telegram to go fuck myself. Which I suppose I'll have to, because fucked if I can ever remember where the GHR button is.

[Greed and Death]

Your article spells it out quite clearly. They don't allow proxy voting. They considered it, but felt if they allowed Duckworth to proxy vote they'd have to allow others, and if everyone was allowed to have a proxy vote, they wouldn't be able to have a secret ballot. Nothing to do with her being a woman, pregnant, disabled, or a veteran.

And since you brought up the Republicans and are clearly so strongly in favour of it, can you tell us if the Republican caucus allows proxy voting?

No, it doesn't. Rule 4 (a)

Though a fair comparison would be if the GOP allowed or denied an exception for an equally meritorious claim.

[Threlizdun]

Last time I checked, the Left was all about women's equality, women's services (including maternity leave), and all sorts of women's issues.

You're correct. I don't see what the left has to do with this though. These are Democrats we are taking about after all.

[Myrensis]

Though a fair comparison would be if the GOP allowed or denied an exception for an equally meritorious claim.

The GOP breaking a rule to accommodate a pregnant woman? Unlikely, she shouldn't be worrying her pretty little head about anything but the baby anyway.

[The Black Forrest]

Hmmm. Glad to see the Republicans are looking out for disabled female veterans. After all they wouldn't use social programs right?

I wonder if they would have made such noise if the rep had been male?

But I guess this will help their failed outreach efforts to get the woman vote......

[Greed and Death]

Though a fair comparison would be if the GOP allowed or denied an exception for an equally meritorious claim.

The GOP breaking a rule to accommodate a pregnant woman? Unlikely, she shouldn't be worrying her pretty little head about anything but the baby anyway.

So what your saying is no comparable incident of the GOP denying a vote exist and you will now resort to generalizations ?

[United Marxist Nations]

Tammy Duckworth is a representative, not a senator. Proxy voting is against the caucus rules. If they gave a proxy vote to her, why wouldn't they then have to give proxy votes to anyone else?

Pretty sure the Americans with Disabilities Act would require them to allow her to vote on account of medical reasons.

[Greed and Death]

Tammy Duckworth is a representative, not a senator. Proxy voting is against the caucus rules. If they gave a proxy vote to her, why wouldn't they then have to give proxy votes to anyone else?

Pretty sure the Americans with Disabilities Act would require them to allow her to vote on account of medical reasons.

A caucus or congress for that matter is not a Covered entity for the purposes of the ADA.

[The Nihilistic view]

Is proxy voting allowed in congress?

[Greed and Death]

Is proxy voting allowed in congress?

A caucus, so it is internal to each political party.

The caucuses have rules against it but these rules are not laws just internal parliamentary rules, all it takes to get an exception is a successful motion.

[Myrensis]

So what your saying is no comparable incident of the GOP denying a vote exist and you will now resort to generalizations ?

Are you aware of any similar incidents where they did allow a proxy vote? If not, all we have to go on is the clearly stated GOP caucus rules that say proxy votes are forbidden...just like the Democrats.

[The Nihilistic view]

Is proxy voting allowed in congress?

A caucus, so it is internal to each political party.

The caucuses have rules against it but these rules are not laws just internal parliamentary rules, all it takes to get an exception is a successful motion.

So have they allowed special cases to do it in the past? If not I can't see the problem. That would be applying the rules equally.

[Myrensis]

So have they allowed special cases to do it in the past? If not I can't see the problem. That would be applying the rules equally.

If she had just been a 'regular' pregnant Congresswoman this would never have been picked up. It's only getting traction because, "Oh noes! Poor disabled veteran!" makes for great clickbait/appeal to emotion.

[Greed and Death]

So what your saying is no comparable incident of the GOP denying a vote exist and you will now resort to generalizations ?

Are you aware of any similar incidents where they did allow a proxy vote? If not, all we have to go on is the clearly stated GOP caucus rules that say proxy votes are forbidden...just like the Democrats.

But the democrats are being judged negatively for failure to grant an exception in an extreme case, not for having an otherwise prudent rule on their books.

If the republicans have not faced an equally extreme case then they can not be judged negatively for failure to grant an exception.

[Myrensis]

If the republicans have not faced an equally extreme case then they can not be judged negatively for failure to grant an exception.

I don't think 'pregnancy' qualifies as an 'extreme case'. And that is really the only relevant bit, her doctor doesn't want her travelling because she's in the last part of her pregnancy, not because of her war wounds or any other 'extreme' issue.

[Greed and Death]

A caucus, so it is internal to each political party.

The caucuses have rules against it but these rules are not laws just internal parliamentary rules, all it takes to get an exception is a successful motion.

So have they allowed special cases to do it in the past? If not I can't see the problem. That would be applying the rules equally.

In 40 years there has not been an exception, given the nature of the extreme request medical condition for a condition that congressperson are rarely afflicted with pregnancy (largely because most are men and most female congress persons tend to be past childbearing years).

No rule should be without exception because no rule can encompass every possible and exterme situation.

[Ainin]

Sensationalist media making a mountain out of a molehill.

News at 11.

[Greed and Death]

If the republicans have not faced an equally extreme case then they can not be judged negatively for failure to grant an exception.

I don't think 'pregnancy' qualifies as an 'extreme case'. And that is really the only relevant bit, her doctor doesn't want her travelling because she's in the last part of her pregnancy, not because of her war wounds or any other 'extreme' issue.

Most women can work into their last month of pregnancy, so there are likely some complications in her pregnancy in particular, war related or not.

And while most women face pregnancy, few women face the last days or weeks of their pregnancy during a vote for leadership positions at the federal level. The rarity of congress persons becoming too sick to travel while congress is deciding leadership positions makes this an extreme situation.

[Myrensis]

And while most women face pregnancy, few women face the last days or weeks of their pregnancy during a vote for leadership positions at the federal level. The rarity of congress persons becoming too sick to travel while congress is deciding leadership positions makes this an extreme situation.

How often do you suppose Rep. Moore has to attend a funeral just as leadership elections are coming up? Should she get a proxy vote?

How often does any particular situation come up just as leadership elections are being held within the parties? Shit happens, both parties still seem to feel a no proxy rule is best, not a "Well please just try really hard not to have to cast a proxy vote" rule.

[Pope Joan]

Maybe they knew who she was going to cote for and didn't like it?