Two moms brought business on the floor of the House of Representatives to a grinding halt on Tuesday as they pushed for legislation that would allow remote voting for new parents. "We said don't f* with moms," stated Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, alongside her colleague Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. "We worked as a team," Luna added. "Today is a historic day for our entire conference, demonstrating that parents deserve a voice in Washington and that female members must also have the opportunity to vote in Washington, D.C."
Luna and Pettersen have been advocating for a bipartisan bill that would enable new parents to vote by proxy for a period of 12 weeks following the birth of a child. Luna employed various tactics to advance the bill, initially facing resistance from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who refused to bring the bill to the floor. In a strategic move, Luna collaborated with Democrats to circumvent the Speaker’s authority and push for a vote.
When it became evident that they had secured the necessary 218 votes, Johnson attempted to thwart their efforts by enacting an unusual rule designed to prevent the vote. However, nine Republican representatives joined forces with the Democrats to block this obstruction. Pettersen expressed gratitude towards the Republicans who supported the bill, stating that she anticipates further GOP backing when the legislation is eventually brought to a vote.
The GOP lawmakers who voted alongside Luna and the Democrats included Tim Burchett from Tennessee, Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota from New York, Kevin Kiley from California, Max Miller from Ohio, Greg Steube from Florida, Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey, and Ryan Mackenzie from Pennsylvania. Miller, who recently became a father, articulated his reasoning: "I could not in good conscience vote for an unprecedented rule that would undermine Rep. Luna's discharge petition that obtained the required signatures fairly," he said. "I cannot imagine a mother who has spent nine months in hardship being told she can't be with her infant simply because she is one of 435 members."
Following the vote, Speaker Johnson expressed his disappointment. "It's a very disappointing result on the floor," he remarked. "We'll regroup and come back and we'll have to do this again." The defeat of the special rule meant that Luna and Pettersen had temporarily hindered Republican leaders from addressing other business in the House, leading Johnson to cancel votes for the remainder of the week. This decision will delay critical Republican-sponsored bills aimed at restricting courts from issuing national injunctions and requiring proof of citizenship for voting.
Before the vote, Johnson argued that permitting proxy voting would undermine the integrity of the institution. He cautioned that it would "reopen Pandora's box" and stated that allowing proxy voting for certain situations would set a precedent that could eventually necessitate it for all circumstances. "If you allow it for some situations, you're ultimately going to have to allow it for all," Johnson said, emphasizing that this could jeopardize the deliberative nature of Congress.
Luna has publicly criticized her own party leaders for weeks, alleging that they employed a combination of threats and inducements to persuade members against supporting her initiatives, including the use of a discharge petition to force a vote. She even resigned from the House Freedom Caucus, citing a loss of respect for the group due to their tactics. In a letter to her colleagues, she disclosed that a small faction had threatened the Speaker, insisting on rule changes to obstruct her discharge petition.
Pettersen, who is the 13th member of the House to give birth while serving in Congress, praised Luna as a "fierce champion" for the cause. "We're changing the way that Congress operates, ensuring that moms and parents have a voice. I'm so proud to be part of this," she stated, cradling her nine-week-old baby, Sam. "I can't wait to tell him what he’s been a part of."
This legislative push represents a significant step towards inclusivity and representation for parents in Congress, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue about parental rights and accessibility within the legislative process.
