Brittany Pettersen: “I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this rule which restricts moms and…”

“I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this rule which restricts moms and dads from doing their jobs after welcoming a new child. Like so many of our colleagues, it is one of my greatest honors to be a mom. I have two little boys, a son named Davis who is 5, and my little guy here, Sam, who is now 9 weeks old. It is also one of my greatest honors to have been elected by my constituents to represent them in Congress. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, after being a mom here and being only the 13th voting Member to have ever given birth while serving in Congress, I can tell you we have a long ways to go to make this place accessible for young families like mine. {time} 1245 When I was pregnant, I couldn't fly toward the end of my due date because it was unsafe for Sam, and I was unable to board a plane. I was unable to actually have my vote represented here and my constituents represented. After giving birth, I was faced with an impossible decision. Sam was 4 weeks old. For all the parents here, we know that when we have newborns, that is when they are the most vulnerable in their lives. It is when they need 24/7 care, when taking them even to a grocery store is scary because you are worried about exposure to germs and them getting sick, let alone taking them to an airport, on a plane, and coming across the country to make sure that you are able to vote and represent your constituents.…”