Rep. Don Young only pretended to be in Congress to oppose COVID bailout bill
The statement that Rep. Don Young’s staff wrote for the 87-year-old Congressman about the latest COVID bailout bill makes it appear that Young was present in the House chamber to vote against the $1.9 trillion measure.
“Last night, a one-sided partisan relief package written exclusively by House Democrats came to the House Floor and ultimately, I could not support it,” Young’s staff wrote for him on Facebook.
“I will continue standing up to ensure that any COVID relief legislation is properly targeted, afforded necessary oversight, and efficiently used to empower our communities – in Alaska and across the country,” Young’s staff wrote.
Young’s staff and Young need to be honest with Alaskans.
He wasn’t in the House chamber to vote on the bill at all.
Instead, Young had New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis represent Alaska.
“As the member designated by Mr. Don Young of Alaska, pursuant to House Resolution No. 8, I inform the House that Mr. Young will vote nay on House Resolution 166,” Malliotakis said.
Young had filed a letter with the House clerk saying, “I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency” and he had given Malliotakis the authority to vote for him.
The text repeats the form letter that House members are asked to sign if they desire to have someone else vote for them. Dozens of Democrats and Republicans are making use of this practice when they don’t want to have to show up in person or are unable to show up.
Thirteen Republicans who said they were physically unable to be present were speaking at the right-wing CPAC gabfest in Florida.
According to what Young claims in press releases and in court, what Malliotakis did, at Young’s request, was an unconstitutional sham.
Young and all other Republicans voted against the COVID bill, which includes a $1,400 payment for individuals, an increase in unemployment benefits and an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
In the statement from Young’s staff opposing the bill, Young mentioned none of those specifics but complained about wasteful spending, inflation, etc. Almost a year ago, Young was complaining about the “beer virus” and how the response to it was media hysteria.
At that time, he tried to excuse his absence from a key vote in Washington, D.C. by claiming he didn’t want to “be back there with that bunch of monkeys.”
A few months later, Don Young promised that Don Young would never allow anyone to vote for him by proxy.
“By joining as a plaintiff in the case, Congressman Young has committed to refraining from voting via proxy for another Member, or designating a proxy for his own votes,” Young’s staff wrote in a statement for him June 1, 2020.
“Speaker Pelosi's proxy voting sham is not a way forward for our country,” Young claimed last year.
“The text of the Constitution; the uninterrupted tradition of constitutional practice by Congress; and the decisions of the United States Supreme Court unambiguously demonstrate that Members of Congress must be present in person in their respective chambers if they wish to be counted as part of a quorum necessary to do business and cast a recorded vote,” the lawsuit Young joined says.
Young used the “proxy voting sham” to oppose the impeachment of former President Trump and to oppose the use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.
In each case, Young and his staff deceived Alaskans by making it appear that Young was present when he was really missing in action.
New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis substitutes for Rep. Don Young during the vote on the COVID bailout bill Friday. Young claims the practice is unconstitutional and promised he would never allow someone else to vote for him this way.