Washington D.C. (Paul Kirby) – Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District voted against a House resolution last week that would allow members of the U.S. Congress to vote from places other than the House floor in Washington. It would also give Congress members the right to vote by proxying their vote when the time comes. Wilson, a Republican, is from Springdale and represents Lexington County and several others in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The resolution was set to be a temporary measure while the nation deals with the pandemic. It would allow members of the House to cast their votes remotely or by proxy. By proxy means that instead of being on the floor of the House in person, members could choose another member of Congress to cast their vote for them. Fears were that this would not be temporary but eventually go on forever. If it were to continue, members of Congress could stay in their districts or any place they chose instead of being in Washington at the time of a vote. If that were possible and some took advantage of it, it could be like a common man receiving full pay, without ever going to work again.
In a statement released after the resolution passed largely along partisan lines, Congressman Wilson said, “The vote to allow remote voting in Congress is simply irresponsible. Although we are currently in a crisis, this pandemic is no excuse to forget our Constitution. If Congress was able to vote on the House floor today, surely members can conduct official business in a safe manner that follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control going forward.”
