House Speaker Kevin McCarthy finally won his battle against letting members vote remotely. It could cost him critical GOP votes when he needs it most.

• As COVID-19 raged, the House of Representatives voted in 2020 to allow members to vote by proxy.
• Hundreds of lawmakers — both Democrats and Republicans — took advantage of the change.
• New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has now ended it. But with a narrow majority, it may cost him key votes.

With the latest House rules package instituted at the beginning of January, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has finally won his battle against proxy voting. The result could haunt him at the worst possible time.

In 2020, the Democratic-controlled House voted on party lines to allow representatives to vote on behalf of their colleagues as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis.