Brittany Pettersen, the Representative for Colorado's third Congressional District, demonstrated dedication to her role by flying to Washington, D.C. with her 4-week-old baby to vote on a crucial budget bill. Despite the lack of accommodations for new parents in Congress, she is advocating for reinstating proxy voting to ensure that parents can have a voice while recovering. This effort aims to gain bipartisan support, allowing new mothers to vote remotely for six weeks postpartum. Her commitment reflects the challenges that parents face in political roles amid personal life changes.
Congress makes no accommodations for new parents, so while I'm recovering and taking care of my newborn at this critical time, it's incredibly unfair that my constituents will not have a voice in Congress.
Unfortunately, I wasn't given the opportunity to vote remotely after giving birth. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from being here to represent my constituents.
Proxy voting was helpful not only for new parents but also for Congressional leaders who were caring for aging parents, recovering from cancer or even simply experiencing a flight delay.
I'm pushing for Congress to reinstate proxy voting for new parents.
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