Palmer Criticizes Democrat Effort for House Rules Change

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Elizabeth Hance (202) 225-4921

Palmer Criticizes Democrat Effort for House Rules Change

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives voted on the Democrat plan to change House rules to invent proxy voting and remote committee work. Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06) released the following statement:

"Imposing proxy voting through a partisan rules change is a usurpation of the rights and responsibilities of the members of Congress," Palmer said. "Voting is the core responsibility that every member of Congress was elected to do. Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin referred to this resolution several times as ‘our rule,' but there is not one Republican in support of this resolution. Every alternative offered by Republicans was rejected. This is not ‘our rule,' but the Democrat majority rule. They made it up, they passed it, and the consequences will be entirely theirs. Throughout the floor debate, I heard multiple citations of history. Here is one I would like to cite.

"Caesar Rodney was one of the three delegates from Delaware to the Continental Congress in 1774. Despite suffering from facial cancer and asthma, Rodney rode 80 miles through a severe storm on the night before the Congress voted for the American colonies to separate from Great Britain. He did not ask one of his Delaware colleagues to be his proxy. Despite his condition, he rode all night to cast his vote for independence. It is interesting to note that because his face was so disfigured by his cancer, Rodney also wore a mask that night.

Palmer concluded, "I can only hope that one day, the Congress of the United States will once again have a majority of men and women who will show the same fidelity to their office as did Caesar Rodney. I am sorry to say that day was not today."

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