A bipartisan effort to allow new mothers to vote by proxy after giving birth is putting a spotlight on the unique challenges congresswomen face as they weigh motherhood against the archaic rules of the House of Representatives.
After experiencing significant complications with the birth of her son in August, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) became frustrated by the lack of any mechanism to vote on behalf of her constituents. She joined Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-California).submit a two-part proposal to fix that: the resolution would change the house rules to allow members to vote by proxy for six weeks after giving birth.
The proposal is much more limited than most Democrats would have liked — and specifically excludes fathers and parents who adopt — but because Republicans have such a slim majority in the House of Representatives, Luna wanted to make it difficult for either party to oppose it to resist.
“Because I think both parties should support it,” Luna said in a recent interview.
“When you hear opposition to it, I think it's hypocritical from both parties,” she continued, “especially because you have the Republican body advocating for family values and motherhood, and then you really have Democrats advocating for women. in the labor market and in women's rights, and so this is something that, I think, for members of Congress, embodies both.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, proxy voting never existed in the House of Representatives, but it became a useful tool in preventing a broader outbreak in the Capitol. Over time, some became critical of the practice of proxy voting, especially when members were spotted at the airport trying to skip town early, or campaigning while the House was still voting.
When Republicans won back the House of Representatives, they removed proxy voting entirely from their rules package, but there has been some discussion among smaller groups in both parties about bringing it back somehow.
“The pandemic has shown us how we have to adapt and that some of these adjustments are possible in a way that I think a lot of people didn't believe before,” Jacobs said in an interview with The Hill. “And you know, while there were people who abused proxy voting, I think there were many more who used it as it was intended: to protect their health and the health of all of us.”
Because newly elected members of Congress “tend to be younger and have different backgrounds than Congress has historically had,” Jacobs said, “there is a desire to have some of these outdated rules updated for how modern families and workplaces look like.'
When Luna approached Jacobs about a possible proxy vote, Jacobs said it was a “no brainer” to support her proposal. The Democrat has spoken openly about her decision to freeze her eggs for when she is ready to conceive. She said, “even with all the hormone pills and injections and doctor visits and recovery from the procedure, that was all still easier to do than having a baby.”
In recent weeks, Luna has redoubled its efforts to get this resolution to the House of Representatives. She told The Hill that she spoke with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) about the proposal a few weeks ago and hoped to hear from him soon.
Only 13 congresswomen have ever given birth while in office, including two in the past year: Luna had her son in August 2023, and Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R), the non-voting member from Puerto Rico, gave birth to twins in February 2024. .
Both Republican congresswomen faced difficult recovery processes.
Luna had preeclampsia, which she said can sometimes be a “silent killer of pregnant women.” And during labor, she said, her high blood pressure could have led to cardiac arrest. She also developed an infection and was bedridden for a month.
“There's so much that our bodies go through after childbirth, and I don't think the Founding Fathers expected women to hold office, so we need to make the necessary changes,” she said.
'I never want my constituents to think that I can't do work because I'm pregnant. But I also think that the House of Representatives, if we want to be representative of what the American people are – which is of young families, of working parents – that these necessary changes need to happen,” Luna said.
“So we have to move with the times. It is simply unacceptable that this has not been done before.”
At age 47, González-Colón's pregnancy was considered high risk. She had to induce labor at 35 weeks due to high blood pressure, and the twins were in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 16 days, she said. The congresswoman said her high blood pressure still prevents her from flying.
González-Colón and Luna both said these reflect lived experiences that many of their constituents face after childbirth, which the congresswomen say helps them better represent their voices.
“The reality is that only thirteen women in the history of Congress have given birth while in the House of Representatives. That sends the message that this is not allowed, that the House and Senate are not allowed to allow women to actually run or support their families.” said González-Colón.
“And I believe we need to represent our families in Congress, we need to represent the voices of women who are pregnant, who are having children, because we can actually more represent our communities, our districts and the issues that are going on there.”
González-Colón may vote under specific circumstances, including in committees. She is also the sole representative for all of Puerto Rico, which, as an island with 3.2 million inhabitants, is the largest district in Congress. She said she is still participating in Zoom calls and remote meetings and working from her district office in Puerto Rico.
González-Colón's biggest frustration with the lack of proxy voting is about representation. He says it “takes away that voice for the people that we do represent, and that we proudly represent.”
“We should not be in a position to choose between family and our people, between family and our vote to represent our constituents. Because those two things have to be compatible,” she said.
By not embracing proxy voting for new mothers, she says Congress risks preventing women from running for office, forcing them “to choose between being a wife, being a mother or going into politics.” .
Looking ahead to the coming months, the fate of proxy voting largely depends on which party wins a majority in the House of Representatives in the November elections. That party would adopt a set of rules in January 2025, almost certainly on a party-line vote, specifying whether – and under what circumstances – proxy voting would or would not be allowed.
Democrats, many of whom are optimistic they will flip the House in November, have broader ambitions for proxy voting rights.
Jacobs is a co-sponsor ofan amendmentthat would allow proxy voting in circumstances “due to a serious medical condition, including a pregnancy-related condition, or if they are the primary caregiver of a spouse or dependent with a serious medical condition if a doctor has recommended they not travel .”
“So I know there is an appetite, and those conversations are ongoing,” Jacobs continued. “I'm not sure, given the current makeup of the leadership of Congress right now, that it will necessarily be this term.”
However, Luna is determined to push for a change in the rules under the leadership of the Republican Party, noting that Congress has consistently had a slim majority in recent years — even under the leadership of Democrats.
Luna recalled that at one point, about three weeks after giving birth, she received a call from a fellow Republican asking for her help — while she was still under doctor's orders not to fly.
“I felt like I had to be here again,” Luna said.
“Some members had left and they were within one vote of not being able to pass some legislation, so they actually called me to see if I could fly up,” Luna said. “And so I put my pump in my luggage, and I was literally on my way to the airport, and then they found a member who had shown up.”
Luna noted that the challenges of motherhood for those serving in Congress are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
“Some younger members of Congress have told me they are trying to have children right now,” she said. “So I know I won't be the only one, so if I can make this case, it's just sad that more members, especially female ones, aren't speaking out even if they support it because they're afraid of the backlash.”
