Speaker Johnson agrees to vote pairing deal with Rep. Luna, avoiding full remote voting rights

After days of gridlock, House Speaker Mike Johnson has struck a deal with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to sidestep a proxy voting rebellion by new parents in Congress, resolving a legislative standoff that froze House proceedings for nearly a week.

The agreement, confirmed Sunday, will not permit full remote voting for new parents. Instead, it reinstates a seldom-used system known as “vote pairing”—a historical method allowing an absent lawmaker, such as a new parent, to align with a present member from the opposite side of a vote. Their votes effectively cancel each other out, though the absent member’s position is not formally recorded in the tally.

Johnson outlined the mechanics of the deal in a GOP conference call, sources told ABC News. The compromise comes in response to Rep. Luna’s push for allowing new mothers and fathers to vote remotely for up to 12 weeks after childbirth. She had gathered 218 signatures for a bipartisan discharge petition that could have forced a House vote on the matter, bypassing leadership.

That threat is now off the table—at least for now.

“Speaker Johnson and I have reached an agreement and are formalising a procedure called ‘live/dead pairing’—dating back to the 1800s—for the entire conference to use when unable to physically be present to vote: new parents, bereaved, emergencies,” Luna announced in a statement posted to X.

The Florida Republican also praised President Donald Trump for backing new mothers in Congress, adding: “If we truly want a pro-family Congress, these are the changes that need to happen.”

While the deal allows Johnson to avoid a direct concession on remote proxy voting—a practice he has firmly opposed—it still marks a tactical retreat. The speaker has insisted that lawmakers must be physically present to fulfil their constitutional duties. But the outcry from Luna and a growing bloc of bipartisan supporters appears to have forced his hand.

Vote pairing remains a controversial and imperfect substitute. The arrangement ensures numerical balance during absences but does not officially count the missing member’s vote. That distinction has drawn criticism from members who argue that it denies parental lawmakers full representation.

Historically rare, vote pairing was last prominently used during the 2018 Senate vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, absent for his daughter’s wedding, paired with GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Critics warn that without formalising remote participation, vote pairing risks being inconsistently applied and difficult to enforce. Details about how the new system will be tracked or documented remain sparse.

Luna’s petition gained momentum among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, signalling growing support for modernising parental accommodations on Capitol Hill. While the current compromise may temper immediate tensions, Democrats could still attempt to revive Luna’s original proposal in the future—though it’s unlikely to succeed if GOP members hold the line.

In a potential gesture of goodwill, Johnson is also reportedly considering additional parental support measures, including adding a nursing room near the House floor.

The deal ends a week of stalemate, during which the House was unable to move forward on legislation due to the leadership standoff. For now, the chamber resumes business under a delicate truce—one that reflects the evolving dynamics of a younger, more family-oriented Congress clashing with older procedural norms.