The US Senate witnessed the rarest sight possible when Tammy Duckworth, 50, brought her 10-day-old daughter Maile Pearl Bowlsbey to work. Tammy is the first one to do so. She is also the first sitting US senator to give birth while in office.
It’s a revolutionary move that the Senate has voted unanimously to allow the babies of its members into the chamber.
This big change in the rule which was made on Wednesday. The senators not only will be allowed to bring their newborn babies but also breastfeed them during votes, CNN reported. To accommodate the whole parenthood, babies who are less than one year old are welcome onto the Senate floor.
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The senator and a concerned mother claimed to have a child-friendly environment, since away from the baby would take her focus off of the duty. She also stressed upon the fact that she would be able to care for her newborn daughter while carrying out her constitutional duties if the Senate allows children.
The Senator implied to the importance of leading by example by introducing family-friendly policies.
Duckworth, who became a mother for the second time, praised her fellow lawmakers who she said helped to "bring the Senate into the 21st Century by recognizing that sometimes new parents also have responsibilities at work".
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"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," Illinois Democrat Duckworth said after the vote.
Being a parent was a difficult job, according to Senate rules committee chairman Roy Blunt said and he claimed to have Senate rules that shouldn't make it any harder.
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Duckworth is already one of only 10 women to give birth while holding elected federal office. She gave birth the first time while serving in the US House of Representatives.
Feature Image Credit: work.qz.com
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