Dads Caucus

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Dads Caucus, led by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), officially endorsed a bipartisan resolution introduced by Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), and Mike Lawler (NY-17) to allow proxy voting for Members of Congress who are new parents under the Rules of the House for the 119th Congress.

This resolution would allow both mothers and fathers to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks after the birth of a child and ensure pregnant Members can proxy vote if a medical condition prevents travel. These changes are a necessary step toward modernizing Congress and making it more accessible for young parents.

“I support this bipartisan effort to stop forcing parents to choose between caring for their children and representing their constituents,” said Dads Caucus Chairman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). “This resolution is a simple, commonsense step toward making Congress more accessible and family-friendly and would help increase the representation of parents with young children, which is a voice that is needed in the halls of Congress more than ever. I will continue to push for proxy voting that allows parents to care for their families because it’s shown to improve child health and promote parent engagement, and it would lead to a Congress that is more representative of our country.”

“Our government works best when Congress reflects the life experiences of the people we serve, but unfortunately, there are many barriers that new parents face when pursuing careers in public service,” said Rep. Pettersen, a member of the Dads Caucus. “Allowing new moms and dads to vote remotely after welcoming a new child is just one small step in breaking down those barriers and making Congress more accommodating to young parents. I’m proud to have the Dads Caucus with me as we fight to modernize Congress and create policies that support hardworking families.”

The resolution is originally co-sponsored by Reps. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Young Kim (CA-40), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02).

Specifically, the resolution would:

• Allow Members who are new moms and dads to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks, excluding proxy votes from establishing a quorum.
• Permit pregnant Members to proxy vote if a pregnancy-related medical condition prevents travel, with any pre-birth proxy voting counting toward the 12-week parental leave limit.

The Congressional Dads Caucus provides a forum for members of Congress to push legislation that supports working families. Founded soon after the Speaker vote in the 118th Congress, the Dads Caucus is fighting for policy solutions that help working families thrive and make America more affordable—including creating a national paid leave program, increasing access to affordable child care, and expanding the Child Tax Credit to ensure working parents have the resources they need to provide for their families. Learn more about the Dads Caucus here and read the Dads Caucus 118th Congress report here.

For more updates from Congressman Gomez, follow @RepJimmyGomez on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and X.

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