It’s not something you see every day at congressional hearing on the economy and interest rates.
As members of Congress grilled Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday — one lawmaker asked questions with her tousled-haired 5-month-old baby squirming in her lap.
Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen brought her son Sam to the hearing and somehow was able to keep him quiet while she questioned Powell about monetary policy.
Pettersen, who has not shied away from including her son as part of her official Capitol Hill duties, asked Powell about the national debt as Sam — dressed in a yellow onesie — appeared less than interested.
At one point, Powell asked Pettersen to repeat one of her questions.
“I’m going to do this the best I can with Sam here,” the Colorado Democrat responded with a laugh.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen holds her son Sam while questioning Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell during a hearing of the House Committee on Financial Services on Capitol Hill, June 24, 2025, in Washington.
House Committee on Financial Services
At the end of Pettersen’s allotted time for questions, Powell thanked her — and acknowledged her tiny tagalong, with, “and thank you, Sam.”
While it was not Sam’s first House hearing — that was in April — babies and young children are hardly commonplace in the Capitol.
“Rep. Pettersen is on the waitlist for child care like most Americans. And like all moms, she finds a way to make it work,” Pettersen’s Communications Director Meg MacLaren said of Sam’s appearance at the hearing Tuesday.
Earlier this year, Pettersen held then-9-week-old Sam during a passionate speech on the House floor. She returned early from time off to speak in support of a bipartisan effort to allow proxy voting for lawmakers who, like her, are new parents.
“I think that we can accommodate for the new workplace challenges here in Congress to make sure more women and young families can be represented here now,” she said as Sam cooed and squealed in her arms.
The measure failed in the House in April, but Pettersen has continued to push for parental privileges for members of Congress — saying “Congress was not made for women” in a post on X in April.
Pettersen is only the 13th House member to give birth while in Congress.
“That’s not because moms don’t belong — this place wasn’t built for us,” she wrote in a post on X.
