Colorado Democrat and expectant mother Brittany Pettersen recently missed a House vote due to her pregnancy, sparking a push for proxy or remote voting for new parents. Pettersen, along with a bipartisan group of young parents in Congress, introduced a resolution to allow remote voting for 12 weeks after the birth of a child. The resolution was supported by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to adopt the proposal due to constitutional concerns about proxy voting.
Pettersen, who is only the 14th member of Congress to give birth while in office, criticized the House rules for not accommodating young families. She argued that enabling new parents to vote remotely would modernize Congress and address the barriers faced by young parents in serving their constituents. Other lawmakers, such as Republican Anna Paulina Luna and Democrat Sara Jacobs, also expressed support for the resolution, emphasizing the importance of allowing new parents to care for their children while fulfilling their legislative duties.
Despite opposition from House Republicans and Johnson, Pettersen remains determined to push for the resolution to be passed. She highlighted that the courts have dismissed previous constitutional challenges to proxy voting and emphasized the need for updated policies to accommodate new parents in Congress. With an impending decrease in the GOP’s majority in the House, the debate over proxy voting for new parents could have significant implications for future legislative decision-making. Pettersen’s advocacy for this issue reflects a broader effort to promote a more inclusive and family-friendly environment in Congress.
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