Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) will stay in Alaska this week instead of returning to Washington, D.C., for House votes in order to prepare fish ahead of winter.

Peltola released a statement Monday that she will not be in attendance for votes, but will make statements available on how she would have voted if present. 

“This week, Representative Peltola will be in the state putting up fish with family to fill freezers for the winter. Mary’s family — as well as her late husband’s family — relies in part on her for subsistence duties,” her office said in a statement.

The statement said Peltola has been filling freezers with fish in preparation for winter every year for decades and that this timing was not an anomaly. 

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“There’s nothing quite like being out on the water. Part of the reason I’m so adamant about pro-fish policies is because I know how integral being able to count on Alaska fisheries has been and continues to be for all Alaskans,” she posted on X.

Peltola has been serving as Alaska’s at-large representative since 2022.