Rep. Anna Paulina Luna leaves House Freedom Caucus over effort to block remote voting for new moms in Congress

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida withdrew her membership from the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Monday amid a divide over whether the lower chamber should allow new parents in Congress to vote remotely around the birth of their child. 

"Wirh a heavy heart, I am resigning from the Freedom Caucus," she wrote to her colleagues in a letter obtained by CBS News.

Luna's discharge petition — a maneuver that allows members to circumvent House leadership — won enough support earlier this month to force a vote on a measure that would allow new parents to designate a colleague to vote for them for 12 weeks after they or their spouse gives birth. The bill would also allow that period to begin earlier if the lawmaker has a serious medical condition or isn't able to travel safely. 

But House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, opposes proxy voting, calling it unconstitutional. He confirmed last week discussions were taking place about how to block the measure.