Republican Congressman Kat Cammack launched a fierce attack
Fox News
reporter Chad Pergram for referring to her pregnancy as a ‘problem’ in a posting concerning the President
Donald Trump
‘S choice to retain Representative Elise Stefanik
Congress
.
My pregnancy is a gift—not ‘an issue,'” Cammack wrote on X Thursday. She added, “@ChadPergram likely did not mean to cause offense, yet this remains an ongoing challenge for expectant mothers nationwide. Regardless of my condition, I remain fully competent to carry out the responsibilities assigned to me by those who voted for me.
Cammack
announced her pregnancy
at the
White House
During their Women’s History Month event on Wednesday, Trump referred to the coverage as “excellent.”
In an elaborate X post on Thursday
, Pergram explained why Cammack’s absence might pose an issue because the House, now controlled by the GOP, does not permit proxy voting. Additionally, the Republicans hold their majority with very slim margins.
‘A single source informed Fox News that Republicans might be concerned about potentially losing yet another.’
GOP
If Cammack cannot vote due to being unavailable because she is about to give birth—as the House tries to pass the “large, magnificent bill”—Pergram noted.
The purpose of the post was to serve as an explanatory guide.
Why did Trump unexpectedly withdraw Stefanik’s nomination?
to serve as an ambassador to the
United Nations
On Thursday, assuring her that she would return to House GOP leadership positions.
In a later posting on the Fox News website
, Pergram did not describe Cammack’s pregnancy as a ‘problem,’ but rather termed it a ‘parliamentary issue.’
Pergram, a longtime
Capitol
The Hill correspondent elucidated the complex calculations for Trump, as the president aims to have Congress approve a major bill encompassing his key objectives, with Republicans holding majority in both chambers.
In the transition phase, Trump selected three Republican Congress members for his team — Stefanik would work at the U.N., Rep. Michael Waltz was chosen as his national security advisor, and Rep. Matt Gaetz was tapped to become his attorney general.
Gaetz rapidly stepped down from Congress and subsequently withdrew from the confirmation process following Trump informing the Florida legislator that they lacked sufficient Senate support.
Gaetz similarly chose not to take his seat in the 119th Congress in January, even though he secured re-election for his position in Florida back in November.
Now the GOP finds itself in a situation where they are concerned about ‘possibly losing one or both of these special elections to fill the seats vacated by Gaetz and Waltz,’ Pergram noted.
Furthermore, if Stefanik were to resign, it would require approximately three months for a special election to be held in upstate New York to replace her. Additionally, due to divisions within the state’s Republican Party, there is worry that the party might lose this seat during the special election,” elaborated the Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent.
“But Fox was informed that the issue wasn’t primarily about potentially losing the special election in upstate New York, but rather concerning the timing of the VACANCY for that seat,” he went on to say.
House Speaker Mike Johnson initially aimed for the House to approve the ‘grand, impressive bill’ before Easter, but it now seems probable that this process will require more time.
‘Frankly, it could take weeks, possibly even a few more months, for that bill to be passed,’ Pergram stated.
“The additional issue is that Representative Kat Cammack revealed this week that she is expecting a baby and will be due in August,” he stated.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is advocating for the GOP to permit expectant and new mothers to cast their votes from remote locations.
When the House Republicans assumed control of the chamber in 2023, they eliminated proxy voting.
Democrats permitted this measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pergram similarly highlighted the narrow margins for Republicans by describing a situation where the Democrats might have changed the control of the House.
If Democratic Representatives Sylvester Turner and Raul Grijalva hadn’t passed away, and if Democrats had secured both Florida House seats while Stefanik was appointed to the UN position, Pergram noted that theDemocratswould have controlled theHouse witha 218-217 majority.
“And importantly, the House has never switched sides midway through a Congress,” Pergram stated.
“This is why Last Johnson appealed last November to Mr. Trump not to recruit additional Republicans from the House,” he pointed out.
Fox News chose not to comment.
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