Bruce Westerman: “Why is it not too big of a health concern to call us back from all across the country to vote on a useless messaging…”

“Why is it not too big of a health concern to call us back from all across the country to vote on a useless messaging bill that will wither on the vine outside this Chamber, but it is too much to ask us to come back and hold committee hearings? Proxy voting shouldn't happen; not now, not ever. If Members of Congress are unwilling to do their job, they should step down and let someone else do it. If politicizing a process weren't enough, the Speaker is now weakening the core foundations of Congress. Already, House Democrats have demonstrated their expertise at crafting partisan bills behind closed doors. And on the Natural Resources Committee, they have been holding partisan virtual hearings disguised as roundtables with no Republican input. I will concede to my colleagues across the aisle that proxy voting will keep the process moving: the wrong process, the wrong direction, and for all the wrong reasons. I am not only concerned about how we will be voting; I am also concerned about what we will be voting on. Is the plan now for a handful of Members to come back to D.C. every other week to vote on yet another messaging bill from the Speaker? This is wrong and none of us should stand for it. Republicans are ready to get back to real work. I ask Speaker Pelosi to please quit playing games with the rules and let us do our jobs. Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”