Sen Tammy Duckworth recently made history by becoming the first senator to give birth while in office, and now she is making history once again. Only ten days after giving birth to her second child, Duckworth brought her newborn baby, Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, onto the Senate floor for a vote, a first in the Senate’s history, NBC News reports.
“It feels great,” Duckworth told reporters as she entered the Capitol. “It is about time, huh?”
Previous to the senator bringing her newborn onto the Senate floor, only certain people were allowed on the chamber floor. Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, submitted a resolution to allows senators to bring their children under the age of one onto the Senate floor, The Huffington Post reports.
Duckworth told Politico that she couldn’t technically take maternity leave since senators are required to be on the Senate floor for votes.
“If I have to vote, and I’m breastfeeding my child, especially during my maternity leave period, what do I do? Leave her sitting outside?” Duckworth asked in the interview with Politico.
On Wednesday, however, the Senate voted unanimously voted to change Senate rules to allow senators to bring their children under the age of one onto the Senate floor during a vote, HuffPost reports.
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt said in a statement that he was “glad [the Senate was] able to get this done,” adding that “[b]eing a parent is a difficult job, and the Senate rules shouldn’t make it any harder,” HuffPost reports.
Early on Thursday, Duckworth posted to social media, writing that she might need to report to the Senate floor for an important vote on the confirmation of Jim Bridenstine as the new NASA administrator, CNN reports.
“May have to vote today. Maile’s outfit is prepped. Made sure she has a jacket so she doesn’t violate the Senate floor dress code requiring blazers. Not sure what the policy is on duckling onesies but I think we’re ready,” Duckworth wrote.
I may have to vote today, so Maile’s outfit is prepped. I made sure she has a jacket so she doesn’t violate the Senate floor dress code (which requires blazers). I’m not sure what the policy is on duckling onesies, but I think we’re ready pic.twitter.com/SsNHEuSVnY
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) April 19, 2018
During the Senate floor vote on Thursday, a group of senators including Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Claire McCaskill, Maria Cantwell and Jeff Flake came to congratulate Duckworth and meet her new baby.
After the Senate floor vote adjourned, Duckworth told reporters, “It meant so much to be able to cast the vote as a mom and be able to do my job and take care of my baby at the same time.”
Duckworth also thanked her colleagues for this historic rule change, according to CNN.
“I would like to thank my colleagues … for helping bring the Senate into the 21st Century by recognizing that sometimes new parents also have responsibilities at work,” Duckworth said in a statement.
“By ensuring that no Senator will be prevented from performing their constitutional responsibilities simply because they have a young child, the Senate is leading by example and sending the important message that working parents everywhere deserve family-friendly workplace policies. These policies aren’t just a women’s issue, they are a common-sense economic issue.”