WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2020) The US House of Representatives has adopted a measure to allow members of Congress to vote remotely amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The House approved the resolution on Friday by a simple majority.
House Republicans rejected the move, claiming it lacks transparency and runs counter to the constitution.
House Republicans wanted the measure to require an approval from two-thirds of the chamber instead of a simple majority in order to ensure bipartisanship. Republicans also wanted to prevent proxy voting for suspension bills unrelated to the pandemic.
The new rules come immediately before voting is set to begin on a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief package that was crafted by House Democrats.
The relief package, the design of which was led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would fund state and local governments and boost stimulus payments for people in need amid the pandemic.
Earlier in the day, Republicans in both chambers clearly signaled opposition to the relief package, which House Democrats have named the Heroes Act, with some alleging it amounts to a "liberal wish list."
On Thursday,� President Donald Trump told reporters that Pelosi's coronavirus bill was "dead on arrival."
Trump and Republicans oppose the bill because it grants stimulus payments to undocumented immigrants in the United States, bans sharing of information about lower-cost health insurance choices, and eliminates voter identification requirements.
The US has earmarked about $3 trillion in COVID-19 relief in previous packages, including more than $2.1 trillion in the initial CARES Act.
