Deal effectively ends bipartisan push to allow new parent lawmakers to vote remotely

WASHINGTON (KRDO) – On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson successfully stopped a bipartisan effort to allow new parents in Congress to vote remotely – an effort largely spearheaded by a Colorado Congresswoman.

It comes after Johnson and fellow Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, one of the lawmakers who had been leading the bipartisan push to allow proxy voting, reached a tentative deal, effectively ending a weeklong GOP standoff that had brought legislative activity to a standstill.

Rather than allow proxy voting, the agreement would bring back a centuries-old tradition in Congress known as "vote pairing." It allows an absent lawmaker to pair with another who is physically present in the House, who then withholds their vote to effectively cancel out the absence.

The option would be available to those unable to vote in person, including new parents and lawmakers facing medical and family emergencies.

However, the deal falls short of what Luna and House Democrats, including Colorado Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen, were initially seeking – a way for new parents of Congress to actually cast their own votes remotely.

The issue drew national attention back in February after Pettersen – who represents many local counties including Teller, Fremont, and Chaffee – brought her newborn baby to the Capitol to vote on a house spending bill.

In an interview with KRDO13 in February, Pettersen said bringing her newborn was a difficult decision, but one that highlighted the need for proxy voting. She said she believes giving members of congress the opportunity to vote remotely would help them more accurately represent the average American citizen.

"If we want to change what we’re seeing at the federal level, we have to change the voices that are there, and part of that is addressing the system of barriers [so] that the people who are so underrepresented in Washington have a greater opportunity to actually get there and stay there," she said.

READ MORE: Colorado Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen explains viral moment voting with newborn baby

Last month, Pettersen and Luna rallied bipartisan support on their original proxy voting proposal, collecting the 218 signatures they need to send the issue to the House floor for a vote.

The deal was struck only a week after President Donald Trump endorsed the proposal, but ultimately said it was Johnson's call.

"I like the idea," President Trump said in an interview Thursday. "If you're having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote."

Johnson has long voiced strong opposition to proxy voting, which was in place for around two years during COVID-19 lockdowns.

“It was quickly abused. Republicans put an end to it then, and we cannot allow it again,” Johnson wrote in a social media post.