Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a second-term Colorado Democrat, did not plan to have a second baby at age 43.
“As if our lives weren’t difficult sufficient!” she mentioned with fun as she sat on a sofa in her Capitol Hill workplace earlier this week, gazing her pregnant stomach simply weeks away from her due date. She blamed the “mistake” on confusion about working in two time zones. “This could make issues troublesome with constant contraception,” she mentioned. “This was not a part of the plan.”
Congress has been round for 236 years, however in some way Ms. Pettersen is about to turn into solely the thirteenth voting member to provide start throughout her time period, and the primary from her house state. As Pettersen makes an attempt to plan the subsequent part of her life, the fact units in: This job wasn’t created with somebody like her in thoughts.
There isn’t any maternity depart for members of Congress. Though they’ll take time away from their places of work with out sacrificing their pay, they can’t vote if they don’t seem to be current on the Capitol. So Ms. Pettersen performed a number one position in a brand new initiative led by a bipartisan group of younger lawmakers and new dad and mom in Congress to vary the foundations to permit them to vote remotely whereas they take till 12 weeks of parental depart.
“This work will not be made for younger girls, for working households, and it’s actually not made for extraordinary individuals,” Ms. Pettersen mentioned. “Traditionally, it’s rich people who aren’t of childbearing age who do that work. »
Earlier than boarding her aircraft Thursday to return to Lakewood, Colo., the place she deliberate to remain till after her supply, Ms. Pettersen launched the “Proxy voting for new parents’ resolution.” It could change Home guidelines to permit new congressional fathers and moms to keep away from Washington instantly after the start of a kid and designate a colleague to vote on their behalf.
“I really feel actually torn,” Ms. Pettersen mentioned, “as a result of I am going to decide on to remain house to verify my new child is taken care of, however I feel it is unfair that I can not characterize my constituents. at the moment.”
The decision, she mentioned, “is widespread sense. It’s about modernizing Congress.
The thought has been floating across the Capitol for a while, however it has turn into all of the extra urgent for the brand new Congress, its supporters say, as a result of the Home is now intently divided, with Republicans holding the bulk by only one vote.
Republicans attacked former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for breaking with centuries of history and House rules by instituting proxy voting during the coronavirus pandemic. Former Consultant Kevin McCarthy, as minority chief, filed a complaint arguing that permitting a member of Congress to deputize for a colleague to vote on his behalf when he was not current was unconstitutional.
Home Republicans additionally argued that permitting proxy voting would have a detrimental impact on the “collegiality” of members. Ms. Luna’s decision was by no means put to a vote.
Now, the bipartisan group is making an attempt once more. Ms. Pettersen’s decision was one of many first launched within the opening days of the 119th Congress. It’s barely broader than Ms. Luna’s unique proposal, written to incorporate proxy voting for brand spanking new fathers.
“I’m not in favor of proxy voting; I feel it ought to be very uncommon,” mentioned Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who welcomed his second baby eight days earlier than the election. “However I don’t suppose a member ought to be prevented from doing the job they had been elected to do simply because they turn into a dad or mum.”
Mr. Lawler, the chief of the brand new effort whose child is 2 months outdated, can not afford to stroll away from the Capitol when his celebration holds a one-seat majority.
“I perceive the influence while you’re given the selection between staying house or coming to do your job,” he mentioned. “This isn’t a sensible choice.”
Mr. Lawler dismissed Home leaders’ considerations about setting a nasty precedent, saying present protocols not match Congress within the fashionable period.
“Younger persons are being elected to public workplace at a a lot increased price than when these guidelines had been established,” he mentioned. “If we’re speaking about being pro-family, you’ll want to at the least acknowledge that giving start to a toddler or turning into a dad or mum shouldn’t be a barrier to doing all your job.”
Ms. Pettersen mentioned she thought-about having her child in Washington so she may proceed to vote, however in the end determined in opposition to it.
“It is unfair to my household and unfair to my new child if we’re not at house the place all of our assist is, my physician and my assist system is,” she mentioned.
Ms. Pettersen continues to be comparatively new to Washington and as a mom — her son continues to be in kindergarten — however the disconnect between her state of affairs and the work of an elected official has been painfully apparent to her since she grew to become pregnant along with her first baby and ‘she serves. within the Colorado Legislature.
On the time, she was the primary member of this group to take maternity depart. The one technique to receives a commission whereas on depart was to categorise your state of affairs as “power sickness.”
Upon her return, Ms. Petterson efficiently lobbied to vary the legislation to make sure that future state legislators could be up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Even earlier than strolling the halls of Congress as a uncommon pregnant member, Ms. Pettersen mentioned she felt like a wierd match for the Capitol.
When she was 6, her mom was prescribed opioids after she injured her again and have become hooked on heroin after which fentanyl. She overdosed greater than 20 occasions. Rising up, Ms. Pettersen mentioned, nobody even knew whether or not or not she got here house at evening.
“I noticed phish exhibits once I was 12 in Kansas and different locations,” she mentioned. “However I nonetheless received straight A’s.”
(His mom lately celebrated her seventieth birthday and 7 years of restoration.)
As a result of her dad and mom had been behind on taxes, she didn’t qualify for pupil loans, so Ms. Pettersen paid for her schooling in money, ready tables, cleansing the home and doing varied odd jobs. She was the primary particular person in her household to graduate from highschool or faculty.
Defying the percentages made Pettersen much more decided to attempt to change her present office to make it accessible to extra individuals like her.
“Being pregnant and a member of Congress, individuals ask, ‘How are you and your loved ones?’ – all these questions, I do know my male colleagues don’t perceive them,” she mentioned. “It’s actually a double commonplace.”
