# Plain Language Summary: Congressional Voting Accountability Act

This resolution changes how members of Congress vote on bills and other matters. Right now, Congress has several voting methods available—members can vote remotely (from home or their offices), vote by proxy (having someone else cast their vote for them), or vote by voice (where the Speaker just asks "all in favor say aye" and judges the response). This resolution eliminates all of those options and requires that every single vote in the House of Representatives be recorded by name, with each member voting either "yes" or "no" in person. The only exception would be during quorum calls, where members can still vote "present."

The practical effect is that members of Congress would have to be physically present in the chamber to vote on any legislation, and their votes would always be publicly recorded. This means no more remote voting, which became common during the COVID-19 pandemic as a safety measure. It also means members can't have colleagues vote on their behalf, and they can't abstain or vote "present" on regular votes—they have to take a clear position. Additionally, the Speaker of the House would no longer be able to use voice votes (the quick "ayes and nays" method) to pass bills; everything would require a formal recorded vote.

For everyday citizens, this mainly affects how transparent Congress is and how accountable members are for their votes. Every vote would be permanently recorded and publicly available, making it easier to track exactly how your representatives voted on specific issues. However, it could also slow down the legislative process since recorded votes take longer than voice votes, potentially making Congress less efficient. The requirement for in-person voting could also make it harder for members dealing with illness or family emergencies to participate in votes.

Congressional Voting Accountability Act

Greene, Marjorie Taylor

Congressional Voting Accountability Act This resolution amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to eliminate proxy voting and remote committee activity, to require a recorded vote for any question put before the House, and to require affirmative or negative votes for record votes in the House. The resolution also requires the Chair to entertain a point of order that a quorum is not present during general debate.