A federal judge in Texas ruled the $1.7 trillion government funding bill passed in 2022 through proxy voting unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix granted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to block provisions aimed at enhancing legal protections for pregnant workers.
Hendrix, appointed by former President Donald Trump, specified that his ruling did not invalidate the entire spending law, but only targeted two provisions challenged by Texas.
The judge’s injunction prevents the enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act against the state, citing the bill’s improper passage. This law mandates employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers.
However, the ruling’s scope is limited to state government employees and does not extend to other workers in Texas.
The proxy voting rule, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed lawmakers to vote remotely. Hendrix deemed this rule unconstitutional, emphasizing the historical requirement of physical presence for quorum in Congress.
He argued that the Quorum Clause of the Constitution necessitates a majority of members to be physically present to pass legislation.
Ken Paxton, in his lawsuit, criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi for exploiting proxy voting to advance legislation. He applauded the court’s decision, accusing Pelosi of violating the Constitution under the pretext of COVID-19 concerns.
While the ruling favored Texas, the judge dismissed the state’s challenge against a $20 million allocation in the bill for immigrant case management. Despite Hendrix’s stance, the state lacked standing to contest this provision.
