Nancy Pelosi extends House proxy voting through July 3

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended the period in the House that allows for members to vote via proxy to July 3, the speaker announced in a letter Monday.

The current proxy voting period had been set to expire Wednesday.

The updated guidance comes as the House grapples with how to reopen amid loosening coronavirus restrictions in Washington and around the country.

The attending physician for the House of Representatives, Brian P. Monahan, has eased mask wearing in the Capitol somewhat but instructed that masks must still be worn in the Hall of the House and in committee meetings until all members are vaccinated.

According to a recent CNN survey, 100% of congressional Democrats and 92% of Senate Republicans had been vaccinated against Covid-19, while only 44.8% of House Republicans were.

The House passed a change to its rules in May 2020 in the early months of the pandemic, allowing lawmakers to designate proxies to vote on their behalf by sending letters to the House clerk.