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Sen. Duckworth says senator giving birth shouldn't be ... - NY Daily News
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1 day ago - Sen. Tammy Duckworth called it “ridiculous” that she'll be the first U.S. senator in history to give birth while in office — and said the pregnancy has shown her how “behind the times” the Senate really is. Duckworth, 49, an Illinois Democrat and double amputee Iraq War vet, is expecting a baby girl in April, ...
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth says it’s ‘ridiculous’ that she will be the first sitting senator to give birth
Sen. Tammy Duckworth is expecting her second child in April.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Duckworth, 49, an Illinois Democrat and double amputee Iraq War vet, is expecting a baby girl in April, her second child.
“The whole being the first sitting Senator to give birth I think is ridiculous. It's 2018, we need more female senators, there are only 22 of us. But I've been a little overwhelmed by how landmark it is when it shouldn't be. It's the 21st century,” she said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Since getting pregnant, Duckworth has discovered some of the Senate’s more outdated rules — like a prohibition on children on the Senate floor, she said. The body also lacks a parental leave policy for members.
Duckworth to become first sitting senator to give birth in office
“The Senate is behind the times. So we're going to work on that,” she said.
Duckworth said she does plan to take some time off after giving birth, but will come in for important votes. She had her first daughter while serving in the House of Representatives.
“I was the tenth one in the House, so there was a policy in the House, but I'm the first in the Senate. So I have to figure that out,” she said.
Under current rules, the infant might not be welcome on the floor.
“I'm going to take the time that I need with my daughter, but in the middle of that, there might be days when I have to, you know, we have a lot of close votes right now, that I need to come in and not let the people of Illinois down,” Duckworth said. “But then what do I do with my baby?”
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