A spending report from Rep. Eric Swalwell’s first nine months of 2022 is raising questions about the California Democrat.
Rob Pyers, research director for California Target Book, a nonpartisan group that provides information on congressional and state legislative election campaigns in the Golden State, recently posted a list showing Swalwell used proxy voting the second most out of all House Members while also spending more than $250,000 on travel expenses.
#CA14 Dem Eric Swalwell, who has submitted the 2nd-highest number of "I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency" proxy letters, spent $250K+ on travel & car service in the 1st 9 months of the year. https://t.co/5RQzJrxN1b pic.twitter.com/BrJLYj2Lhp
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) October 16, 2022
Congress allowed proxy voting during the pandemic, which required that absent lawmakers file an official letter stating they are "unable to physically attend proceedings in the House chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency" and designate a colleague to cast a ballot on their behalf.
As Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has repeatedly pointed out, while it may have been justified in the beginning of the pandemic, it’s now being “abused by members who are campaigning for other offices or raising money.”
“Proxy voting” in Congress was supposedly created for those who had COVID or feared contracting COVID and therefore couldn’t come to work. Now it’s being abused by members who are campaigning for other offices or raising money. Number of times I’ve voted by proxy? ZERO. https://t.co/Oe6rUxcZPj
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 18, 2022
Social media users also noticed another questionable payments on the form.
Did he put himself to watch his own kids?!? pic.twitter.com/lFkMF2PzkM
— Not Apologizing (@steenkyhooha) October 16, 2022