Since Brittany told you about her fight to allow new mothers and fathers in Congress to vote by proxy, we’ve seen an outpouring of support.

We’ve heard from so many who agree: If we want Congress to be truly representative of our country, then we need to make it more welcoming to young parents. Brittany’s resolution would do exactly that.

Unfortunately, some people in Congress don’t believe in making Washington more accessible to women and young parents. In fact, Speaker Mike Johnson spoke out against Brittany’s resolution, saying “I have great sympathy, empathy, for all of our young women legislators who are of birthing age. It’s a real quandary.”

But it’s not a “quandary” – there is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that Speaker Johnson refuses to bring up.

If you believe new mothers and fathers should be able to represent their constituents and raise their newborns at the same time, will you add your name to Brittany’s petition? Becoming a citizen cosponsor of Brittany’s resolution is an important action you can take to make Congress look like the rest of the nation.

Thank you so much for your support. We’ve forwarded Brittany’s original email below so you can read more about her efforts to make sure Congress can better fight for working families.

------------ Begin Forwarded Email ------------

Historically, women serving in Congress are pretty rare. Pregnant women serving in Congress are even *more* rare.

Only 13 members of Congress have given birth while in office – I’ll be just the 14th, and the first from Colorado. That’s because this job wasn’t created with young families, and especially young women in mind.

Being a regular person who isn’t retired and wealthy makes it difficult to get to Congress to begin with, but there are also significant barriers to continuing to serve if you do make it. One of those barriers is having to choose between representing your constituents or taking care of your newborn baby.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why I’m working to change it. I introduced the bipartisan Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution to allow new mothers and fathers in Congress to vote remotely while they care for their baby during a crucial time.

I think this is a commonsense measure to improve the way Congress functions. If you agree, will you add your name as a citizen cosponsor, and help show House leadership that this is a measure that has strong public support?

Already, this proposal is gaining national attention. Recently, I shared my story with The New York Times because I believe no parent should have to choose between fulfilling their responsibilities at work and caring for their newborn child.

Many times, people have asked me “How are you juggling working in Congress and raising a family?” The honest truth is that it isn’t easy, which is exactly why so many young women are deterred from running for Congress.

If we want Congress to prioritize the issues that matter most to American families, we need people there who understand their struggles and will fight for them.

The current Congress is the third-oldest in American history. That means, more than ever before, it’s our responsibility to make Congress more welcoming to women and young parents — and I believe this is an important step in making sure Congress reflects the people we serve.

If you agree, will you stand with me by adding your name in support of my resolution? I’d be so grateful for your support in this work.

Sincerely,

Brittany Pettersen

P.S. To read the full New York Times feature on this important bipartisan resolution, click HERE.