Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), a rising star in the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, has dramatically resigned from the House Freedom Caucus, accusing her former allies of betrayal, blackmail, and abandoning “pro-family” values.
Luna’s departure stems from her fierce advocacy for a bipartisan measure that would allow new mothers and fathers in the House to vote remotely for 12 weeks following the birth of their child, a measure she described as “modest” and “family-centered.”
The proposal, co-sponsored with Democratic Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), gained traction through a rare discharge petition, securing discharge signatures from over 200 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
A discharge petition is a procedural tool that enables lawmakers to bypass leadership and bring a bill to the House floor—if it secures signatures from a majority of members.
Speaker Johnson, a vocal critic of proxy voting, labeled Luna’s proposal “unconstitutional.” Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas), Luna’s former colleague in the Freedom Caucus, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the potential for misuse and advocating for lawmakers to be physically present for votes.
On March 27th, Luna accused her own party of backroom deals and sabotaged her own bill.
“Rep. Tim. Burchett’s bill on defunding the Taliban was just threatened if he voted in favor of my discharge petition to allow new parents in Congress to vote after birth. Why would anyone in leadership think it’s a good idea to keep a bill that stops taxpayer funded terrorism off the floor? I have also been asked multiple times want in exchange for killing this. Let me be clear: MY VOTE IS NOT FOR SALE. This institutional change is bigger than just me and will help the country in the long run.”
.@RepTimBurchett’s bill on defunding the Taliban was just threatened if he voted in favor of my discharge petition to allow new parents in Congress to vote after birth. Why would anyone in leadership think it’s a good idea to keep a bill that stops taxpayer funded terrorism off…
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) March 27, 2025
On March 28th, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna warned that she would resign from the Freedom Caucus after it was reported that the House GOP leadership is expected to include language in this week’s rule that would eliminate Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s discharge petition.
“I’ve approached this entire process with honesty and integrity, doing things the right way. Unfortunately, some members of the House Freedom Caucus have threatened to shut down the floor if the Speaker allows my proxy vote discharge petition to be considered. As a result, it’s likely I will no longer be a member of the Freedom Caucus.
I will not compromise on something as important as ensuring new moms can vote while recovering. I believe this change will improve the institution in the long term.
The conduct explained in the tweet below is not what we agreed to as a conference, and I will continue to be transparent with the American people about what’s really happening behind the scenes.”
I’ve approached this entire process with honesty and integrity, doing things the right way. Unfortunately, some members of the House Freedom Caucus have threatened to shut down the floor if the Speaker allows my proxy vote discharge petition to be considered. As a result, it’s… https://t.co/j70Au5Gi6w
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) March 28, 2025
In her heartfelt letter of resignation, Luna expressed deep disillusionment:
“For several years, I have stood shoulder to shoulder with you, from the speaker’s fight — where I was one of only 20 — to numerous efforts aimed at bringing the institutional change Washington so desperately needs.
My goal has always been to work alongside like-minded individuals committed to fighting for the American people and delivering on the promises President Trump campaigned on. I have consistently supported each of you, even in moments of disagreement, honoring the mutual respect that has guided our caucus.
That respect, however, was shattered last week. Acting within the House conference rules — rules we all agreed to — I sought to bring a vote to the floor on a measure that would allow new mothers in Congress (fewer than 14 in our nation’s history) and fathers, if they choose, to vote by proxy. This was a modest, family-centered proposal.
Yet, a small group among us threatened the Speaker, vowing to halt floor proceedings indefinitely — regardless of the legislation at stake, including President Trump’s agenda — unless he altered the rules to block my discharge petition.
When compromise proved impossible, our own Freedom Caucus members on the House Rules Committee and a small faction of our group advocated to change our rules of governance by tying my petition to a rule that would kill it and attaching it to the SAVE Act.
The intent was clear: to misrepresent me and the members supporting this pro-life, pro-family initiative — one of the most significant in congressional history — as obstructing the President and opposing election integrity.
This tactic was not just a betrayal of trust; it was a descent into the very behavior we have long condemned — a practice that we, as a group, have repeatedly criticized leadership for allowing.
To those involved, I ask: Why? Why abandon the principles we’ve championed and resort to such conduct? The irony in all of this is that I have never voted by proxy, yet one of our own on the Rules Committee that is so adamantly opposed has done so over 30 times.
Chairman Harris, I appreciate your willingness to discuss this with me. This letter is not directed at you but is intended to clarify for our colleagues what transpired. Your gentlemanly approach throughout this process has been a model of integrity, and I thank you for it. With a heavy heart, I am resigning from the Freedom Caucus.
I cannot remain part of a caucus where a select few operate outside its guidelines, misuse its name, broker backroom deals that undermine its core values and where the lines of compromise and transaction are blurred, disparage me to the press, and encourage misrepresentation of me to the American people. To those in this group who have remained my friends and treated me with respect, I am grateful. You know who you are.
In closing, I offer this: Filing a discharge petition will not dismantle our system — whether it’s for this measure, term limits, election integrity, or anything else. Members will continue to use this tool, as I have, to represent their constituents or, in this case, make changes to encourage a younger voice in Washington, D.C. more representative of the American people.
What does threaten our institution, however, is succumbing to the very corruption we pledged to uproot. Sadly, that is what some among us have become.
The Constitution entrusts us with a sacred duty to serve, not to manipulate rules for power or to silence dissent. When we abandon that duty, we erode the very foundation we claim to defend.”
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