Colorado Representative hopes to make proxy voting possible for new parents in Congress
WASHINGTON (KRDO) - U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen says she and other house representatives are making a push to allow proxy voting for members of Congress who have just had a baby.
According to Rep. Pettersen's office, she is unable to vote beginning this week. Pettersen is expecting a child soon and says she can not fly due to medical and travel restrictions.
“I can’t physically be in D.C. to vote because I’m unable to fly this close to my due date,” said Pettersen in a release. “It’s unreasonable that the House refuses to make any accommodations for people who are pregnant or welcoming a new child. We will continue to fight to bring our resolution to the floor for a vote and will work on measures like this to make Congress more accessible to young families.”
Rep. Pettersen is joined by other representatives-- both Democrat and Republican-- who are pushing for a resolution to allow for remote voting.
The resolution would allow members who have given birth, or whose spouse has given birth, to designate another member as a proxy to cast a vote in their absence. The measure would begin at the date of birth and would run until 12 weeks after birth.
The resolution would also allow members of Congress to instead make a designation prior to their baby being born if their healthcare provider says the pregnancy prevents them from traveling safely.
You can read the full resolution in the House of Representatives here.
According to Pettersen's office, she is the first woman to represent Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, which includes Jefferson, Broomfield, Lake, Park, Teller, Chaffee, Fremont, and Custer counties.
