Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has resigned from the House Freedom Caucus after a heated battle over proxy voting for new parents shattered what she calls “mutual respect” within the group. The Florida Republican’s bold exit comes after a successful bipartisan effort to introduce remote voting for new mothers, a move that hard-line conservatives within the caucus vehemently opposed and tried to block using procedural tactics.
Family Values vs. Constitutional Concerns
Luna championed proxy voting to support family values by allowing new mothers to vote while recovering from childbirth. She gathered 218 signatures on a discharge petition to force a vote on her resolution. Her proposal would limit proxy voting to new parents for just 12 weeks following the birth of a child, addressing concerns about potential abuse of remote voting privileges.
Anna Paulina Luna resigns from House Freedom Caucus, says 'mutual respect' was 'shattered' https://t.co/8TIMEjUebY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 31, 2025
Opposition from the House Freedom Caucus intensified when members reportedly attempted to raise the threshold for discharge petition support specifically to block Luna’s effort. Some caucus members and House Speaker Mike Johnson argue that any form of proxy voting violates constitutional requirements for in-person legislative proceedings.
Internal Conflict Drives Resignation
Luna didn’t mince words in her statement explaining why she could no longer remain associated with the group she once proudly joined. She criticized “a select few” who operate outside the caucus guidelines, broker backroom deals, and undermine core values that originally defined the organization.
Anna Paulina Luna resigns from House Freedom Caucus, says ‘mutual respect’ was ‘shattered’ https://t.co/lbdAK2rdjh pic.twitter.com/VznYyUU7GW
— New York Post (@nypost) April 1, 2025
Despite praising House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris in her resignation, Luna clarified that fundamental principles had been compromised beyond repair. Her departure marks the first member to leave the influential conservative group during the 119th Congress, potentially signaling deeper fractures within Republican ranks.
Conservative Values at Stake
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Luna’s proxy voting proposal, suggesting it would inevitably expand beyond its intended purpose. Roy argued that legislators have a constitutional duty to physically show up for work, tweeting that the rule would ultimately “NOT be limited to moms” but would extend to other groups and potentially be abused.
“I cannot remain part of a caucus where a select few operate outside its guidelines, misuse its name, broker backroom deals that undermine its core values and where the lines of compromise and transaction are blurred, disparage me to the press, and encourage misrepresentation of me to the American people.”
Luna’s bipartisan collaboration with Democrats to advance the proxy voting measure particularly angered some conservative purists within the caucus. Her successful discharge petition, which cannot be amended once filed, effectively circumvented traditional leadership channels and procedural obstacles that House Freedom Caucus members have historically used to advance their priorities.
The proxy voting dispute highlights deeper tensions within the Republican Party between strict constitutional interpretations and policies supporting working parents. Luna, who has emerged as a rising conservative voice known for her tough questioning in House hearings, appears unwilling to compromise on what she views as a common-sense accommodation for new mothers serving in Congress.
