On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives witnessed an unusual alliance between Republicans and Democrats. The lawmakers teamed up to support a resolution that would allow new parents—both mothers and fathers—serving in Congress to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks after the birth of their child.
This move, which defied the stance of House Republican leaders, has led to temporary paralysis in the House and raised significant questions about parental rights and the procedural rules of Congress.
The vote, which took place on Tuesday, was meant to block a discharge petition introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida. The petition aimed to push forward a rule allowing proxy voting for new parents.
Luna, who became a mother in 2023 while serving in Congress, has been vocal about her desire to modernize Congress and make it more accessible for parents like herself. The petition had garnered the necessary 218 signatures, meaning it had enough support to force the House to vote on the issue.
However, GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, had strongly opposed the proposal. Johnson argued that allowing proxy voting for new parents could set a dangerous precedent, potentially leading to widespread remote voting, which he believes could undermine the integrity of the legislative process.
“This is a deliberative body. You cannot deliberate with your colleagues if you’re out somewhere else,” Johnson said after the vote. “We have to build consensus on everything, and I wish they’d not taken this course.”
Despite these concerns, a coalition of Republicans and Democrats voted against the GOP leadership, 206 in favor and 222 against. Nine Republicans joined the entire Democratic caucus in voting to advance the petition.
The surprise development has temporarily paralyzed the House, as GOP leaders canceled votes scheduled for the rest of the week. Speaker Johnson lamented the outcome, calling it “very unfortunate” that a small group of Republicans sided with the Democrats.
One of the key figures in this effort, Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat from Colorado, spoke passionately about her own experience as a new mother in Congress. Holding her 9-week-old son in her arms, Pettersen delivered an emotional plea for Congress to modernize and address the needs of lawmakers with young families. “No mom or dad should be in the position that I was in and so many parents have found themselves in,” Pettersen said. “It is anti-woman, it’s anti-family, and we need to come together.”
Pettersen’s remarks highlighted the difficulties faced by parents in Congress who are forced to make impossible decisions between caring for their newborn children and fulfilling their duties as lawmakers. Pettersen, who is only the 13th member of the House to have given birth while serving, described the challenges of returning to work after her premature son was born. She emphasized that having the option for proxy voting would allow parents to participate in votes while also ensuring that their children receive the necessary care.
Rep. Luna, who introduced the petition, expressed her motivation for pushing the measure forward. She said that she wanted to change Congress for the better and create an environment where young parents can have a voice in Washington.
“We worked as a team, and I think today is a pretty historical day for the entire conference,” Luna said, acknowledging the significance of the vote. “It’s showing that the body has decided that parents deserve a voice in Washington, and also to the importance of female members having a hope in Washington, D.C.”
In addition to Luna, several other Republicans, including Reps. Kevin Kiley, Tim Burchett, Jeff Van Drew, Greg Steube, Mike Lawler, Ryan Mackenzie, Nick LaLota, and Max Miller voted in favor of the petition. These Republicans expressed frustration with the GOP leadership’s attempt to block Luna’s petition.
Rep. Lawler, who supported the proposal, said, “Rep. Luna followed the rules and secured the support of a majority of the House to discharge her bill. To change the rules midstream is wrong and undermines the House.”
Rep. Miller, another Republican who opposed the rule blocking the petition, added, “I could not in good conscience vote for an unprecedented rule that would pull the rug out from under Representative Luna’s discharge petition that got the required signatures fair and square.” These statements reflect a broader sense of dissatisfaction within the Republican Party over the tactics used by GOP leadership to thwart the proposal.
Despite the opposition from GOP leaders, the vote has raised important questions about the accessibility of Congress to parents and the evolving nature of the legislative process. Supporters of the petition argue that Congress must modernize and adapt to the needs of lawmakers who are also parents.
“We have a long ways to go to make this place accessible for young families like mine,” Pettersen said, noting that Congress needs to make it easier for lawmakers with young children to fulfill their duties.
The vote on proxy voting for new parents comes at a time of growing tension within the Republican Party. Luna’s decision to resign from the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, which she announced just a day before the vote, reflects the internal divisions that have emerged over this issue. In her resignation letter, Luna expressed frustration with the Freedom Caucus’s operation and criticized the group’s leadership for undermining her efforts.
The vote on Tuesday was a significant moment in the ongoing debate over Congress’s future and the rules governing its operation. The proposal for parental proxy voting has drawn attention to the challenges faced by lawmakers who are parents and has raised important questions about how Congress can better serve its members and the public. While the outcome of this vote may not immediately change the rules, it has sparked a broader conversation about the need for a more inclusive and adaptable Congress.
For now, the future of the parental proxy voting proposal remains uncertain. GOP leaders have canceled all scheduled votes for the week, and it remains unclear how leadership will respond to the challenge posed by the bipartisan coalition. However, the vote on Tuesday has already made history and set the stage for further discussions about how to create a more accessible and family-friendly Congress.
Luna’s resolution may have faced a setback, but the growing support for parental proxy voting indicates that the conversation around this issue is far from over. As the debate continues, lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, will have to decide how best to balance the needs of parents with the demands of legislative work.
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