Press Releases

After Republican Leadership denied her ability to vote remotely after giving birth, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) flew to Washington, D.C. with her 4-week-old son, Sam, to represent her constituents and vote against House Republicans’ disastrous budget proposal. Rep. Pettersen denounced the legislation on the House Floor and in House Democrats’ Weekly Democratic Address to the American people, honing in on the economic scheme’s plan to rip health care away from kids, moms, seniors, and the nation’s most vulnerable individuals who rely on Medicaid. 

Watch Rep. Brittany Pettersen’s Weekly Democratic Address HERE. 

You can download the video of the address HERE. 

“This week, we saw Republicans put corporations and billionaires like Elon Musk over hardworking families,” said Pettersen. “My newborn son Sam and I flew across the country to vote against this disastrous proposal because we knew how much was at stake. Democrats will never sit by as Republicans attempt to rip health care away from kids and take food off the plates of those who need it most.”

“This week, Rep. Brittany Pettersen flew across the country with her one-month old son, Sam, to ensure that she was present to push back against a reckless Republican budget that will cut Medicaid, slash nutritional benefits for children and increase the cost of living. Brittany courageously showed up while nursing her son to help us stand up for hardworking American families. House Democrats are thankful for her incredible fortitude and conviction as we push back against far right extremism. We will never surrender,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08). 

“As a dear friend, colleague, and fellow Coloradan, I know Rep. Pettersen to be a staunch advocate for the folks she represents. This week, her dedication to the people of Colorado was on full display as she put their needs first, standing up and showing up for the children, parents, expecting mothers, seniors, and countless others impacted by House Republicans’ budget betrayal,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02). 

Congresswoman Pettersen’s remarks as delivered: 

Hi, my name is Brittany Pettersen, and I represent Colorado's 7th Congressional district. 

This is my baby, Sam. He's just four weeks old, and we're so happy to be back in Colorado after flying across the country to vote “no” on the disastrous Republican budget proposal. It's going to harm people in my district, increase costs for working families, and strip health care and food away from seniors, kids, veterans, and families who need it most.

That's why we wanted to make sure that even though I was not given the ability to vote remotely. That we were there to vote “no” to try to make a difference. 

And I want you to know exactly what's coming up. 

The budget proposal is an overview. It's the first step in the Republicans' attempts to bring Trump's agenda to fruition. That is not prioritizing people like you. It is prioritizing the billionaires and millionaires in this country and large corporations, on the backs of working families. 

So, what their proposals are going to bring, and we've heard a lot about what, what is and what may be coming, but their directive to reduce spending – it is impossible that they are not going to slash Medicaid. Medicaid funds actually 40% of the births across the country to support women and babies with the health care that they need. It's people like my mom who work low-wage jobs, hourly jobs, who are unable to afford health care. 

And unfortunately, this doesn't save us money. What it does is it's going to put a huge strain on hospitals across the country because people, instead of getting the care they need, are going to show up in the emergency rooms.

It is also going to increase the national deficit by trillions of dollars. So, we keep talking. We keep hearing from the Republicans about addressing the national deficit. I can promise you that that is not what this does. It is going to bring trillions of dollars of additional debt – and it is all on the backs of working families to support billionaires with more tax breaks that they don't need, like Elon Musk and large corporations. 

And so, I want you to know that House Democrats are fighting back. 

And I'm so grateful to have this little guy by my side as we are in the fight for working families, for the people of the United States who rely on the critical services that they are going to cut. 

So, we are going to push back.

We need to hold Republicans accountable. And I'm urging you to please show up. Because all we need are three votes to kill their ultimate proposal — and making sure that we can come together in a bipartisan way that's strategic about addressing the national debt, prioritizing the people across the United States who need the support, investing back in the United States and not billionaires like Elon Musk. 

So, thanks for watching. We have a lot happening in the next month. I hope that you'll tune in.