WASHINGTON D.C. — The work of two mothers advocating for accommodations for young parents in Congress led to House Speaker Mike Johnson halting all business for much of the week.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado are pushing a proposal for new parents in Congress to be able to vote by proxy rather than in person as they care for newborns. On Tuesday, Speaker Johnson refused to allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote, calling proxy voting unconstitutional and a slippery slope.
Pettersen, with a diaper over her shoulder and 4-month-old son Sam in her arms, stood on the House floor and pleaded with colleagues to turn back the GOP leadership's effort to stop their resolution.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule which restricts moms and dads from doing their jobs after welcoming a new child,” Pettersen said. “It is unfathomable that in 2025 we have not modernized Congress to address these very unique challenges members face.”
Petersen is a mother of two boys and represents Colorado’s 7th Congressional District.
- Watch her speech in the video player below
The bill would allow new mothers and fathers in Congress to vote remotely up to 12 weeks around the birth of their child.
“We need a federal government that works, that addresses the challenges and the issues that families are facing today, and that means making sure that different voices are represented in the US Capitol,” Pettersen told Denver7 Thursday after returning to her district.
Pettersen and Luna's passionate speeches gained traction.
In a remarkable show of bipartisanship Tuesday, nine Republicans joined Democrats in signing a demand, securing enough support to force the issue to the floor for action. Johnson responded by canceling all votes for the rest of the week.
“I was stunned, honestly, that the work of the House completely came to a halt because of this. I don't understand why the speaker is so dug in on making sure that this doesn't happen,” Petersen said. “He's tried to pull out every trick in the book to stop us from voting on this.”
Petersen is only the 13th member of the House to give birth while serving in Congress. The job requires weekly trips to Washington D.C.
President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday he supports proxy voting.
“I'm going to let the speaker make the decision, but I like the idea of being able to, if you're having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. I'm in favor of that," Trump said.
Pettersen believes the battle with Speaker Johnson will continue when House members return to Washington next week.
“We don't know exactly what he's going to try, but I can tell Speaker Johnson that this issue is not going away,” Pettersen said.
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