‘Don’t f— with moms’: Proxy voting for young parents kept alive in Congress

Apr 1

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Ray Bogan Political Correspondent

By Ray Bogan (Political Correspondent), Snorre Wik (Photographer/Editor)

Young moms in Congress kept their proxy voting resolution alive Tuesday afternoon when they successfully stopped House Speaker Mike Johnson from burying the measure. The controversial resolution would let parents in Congress vote remotely while caring for a newborn.
On Tuesday afternoon, nine Republicans joined every Democrat to oppose the legislative rule Johnson was hoping would end the effort once and for all.
Johnson said proxy voting is unconstitutional. He says the founders intended for the House of Representatives to be a deliberative body that meets in person.

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Young moms in Congress kept their proxy voting resolution alive Tuesday afternoon, April 1, when they successfully stopped House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from burying the measure.

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“We said don’t f— with moms,” Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., said when asked what message they sent to leadership.

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How did Congress get here?

The lawmakers introduced a resolution more than a year ago to allow young parents to vote remotely while they are home taking care of their newborn. Speaker Johnson opposed the measure and would not bring it up for a vote.

So the resolution’s sponsors, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Pettersen started a petition. It would allow them to overrule Johnson and bring it forward despite his objections. That’s when Johnson, his leadership team, and others started playing hardball.

“Remember, leadership’s been threatening, they’ve been whipping against it,” Luna told reporters. “But their arguments fall flat when you realize that they themselves have voted by proxy.”

How was Johnson overruled?

Tuesday afternoon, nine Republicans joined every Democrat to oppose the legislative rule Johnson was hoping would end the effort once and for all.

For the House of Representatives to pass legislation, it must first approve a rule that governs the debate and amendment process which precedes the final vote. If the rule fails, the final vote cannot happen.

In this case, Johnson attached a measure to sink the petition to the rule for another bill. He failed, and now the petition will move forward, and his bill has to wait.

“Let me just make this clear, that rule being brought down means that we can’t have further action on the floor this week,” Johnson said. “That means we will not be voting on the SAVE Act for election integrity, we will not be voting on the rogue judges who are attacking President Trump’s agenda, we will not be taking down these terrible Biden policies with the CRA votes. All that was just wiped off the table. It’s very unfortunate.”

.@SpeakerJohnson on failed Rule vote: " Well, it's very disappointing results on the floor there. A handful of Republicans joined with all the Democrats to take down a rule. That's rarely done…we can't have any further action on the floor this week." pic.twitter.com/lz2imuPQRQ
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 1, 2025

While votes on bills crucial to President Trump’s agenda are now canceled, a vote on the proxy voting resolution is expected on Thursday, April 3.

Proxy voting’s history and constitutionality

Congress allowed proxy voting for the first and only time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Absent members could authorize another lawmaker to place their vote on their behalf. However, allowing it in perpetuity for young parents was controversial.

“Congress would look a lot different if we had more moms here in Congress, and we’re working to address the barriers that we face to serving,” Pettersen said. “This is an important step forward, but we still have a long ways to go.”

Johnson said proxy voting is unconstitutional. He says the founders intended for the House of Representatives to be a deliberative body that meets in person. Others who oppose say lawmakers would start asking to extend the exception to those sick, injured or caring for a loved one.

“Being a member of Congress is a privilege. You’re serving your district,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said. “There’s lots of seasons of life. I’m a mother. I’ve raised three children. And when my children were babies and were young I prioritized them in that season of life. Now I serve in Congress because I’m not raising children.”

“Yes, we signed up to serve in Congress,” Pettersen said, “but their denial and their inability to adjust to changing times and make sure that they’re addressing the needs of the workforce today makes it so someone like me, when I was pregnant, I was unable to fly on a plane to get here.”

The House rules will not change unless the resolution receives a majority vote on Thursday. More than enough already signed the discharge petition to express their support.

Tags: Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Proxy voting, U.S. Congress

What’s your message to the speaker today?

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-CO: We said don’t fuck with moms.

Young moms in Congress kept their proxy voting resolution alive Tuesday afternoon, when they successfully stopped House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from burying the measure.

The lawmakers introduced a resolution more than a year ago to allow young parents to vote remotely while they are home taking care of their newborn. House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the measure and would not bring it up for a vote.

So the resolution’s sponsors, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., started a petition that would allow them to overrule Johnson and bring it forward despite his objections. That’s when Johnson, his leadership team and others started playing hardball.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “Remember, leadership’s been threatening. They’ve been whipping against it, but their arguments fall flat when you realize that they themselves have voted by proxy.”

Tuesday afternoon, nine Republicans joined every Democrat to oppose the legislative rule Johnson was hoping would end the effort once and for all.

In this case Johnson attached a measure to sink the petition to the rule for another bill. He failed and now the petition will move forward and his bill has to wait.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.: “Let me just make this clear, that rule being brought down means that we can’t have further action on the floor this week. That means we will not be voting on the SAVE Act for election integrity, we will not be voting on the rogue judges who are attacking President Trump’s agenda, we will not be taking down these terrible Biden policies with the CRA votes. All that was just wiped off the table. It’s very unfortunate.”

While votes on bills that are crucial to President Trump’s agenda are now cancelled, a vote on the proxy voting resolution is expected Thursday.

Proxy voting was allowed for the first and only time in Congress during the Coronavirus pandemic. Absent members could authorize another lawmaker to place their vote on their behalf. Allowing it in perpetuity for young parents was controversial.

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-CO: “Congress would look a lot different if we had more moms here in Congress, and we’re working to address the barriers that we face to serving. This is a important step forward, but we still have a long ways to go.”

Johnson said proxy voting is unconstitutional because the founders intended for the House of Representatives to be a deliberative body that meets in person. Others who oppose say if young parents can vote remotely, then lawmakers would start asking for the exception to be extended to those who are sick, injured or caring for a loved one.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga: “Being a member of Congress, Congress is a privilege. You’re serving your district. There’s lots of seasons of life. I’m a mother. I’ve raised three children. And when my children were babies and were young I prioritized them in that season of life. Now I serve in Congress because I’m not raising children.”

Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-CO: “Yes, we signed up to serve in Congress, but their denial and their inability to adjust to changing times and make sure that they’re addressing the needs of the workforce today makes it so someone like me, when I was pregnant, I was unable to fly on a plane to get here.”