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TEN-DAY-OLD BABY MAILE got an extremely early introduction to US politics today when her Senator mam Tammy Duckworth made her the first baby ever to visit the floor while the Senate was in session.
Duckworth, a Democrat, drew applause and a chorus of “awwws” from her colleagues when she made her much anticipated entrance, with her sleeping child on her lap and wearing a pink knit cap, to cast her vote against President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The decorated Asian-American US Army veteran, who lost both legs in 2004 when her helicopter was shot down over Iraq, used her wheelchair to roll over to the Senate clerk to vote, and was then surrounded by well-wishing colleagues.
“It was quite lovely,” a beaming Duckworth told reporters afterwards, stressing how lawmakers including the Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were “very cordial and welcoming”.
Earlier this month Duckworth, 50, became the first sitting US Senator to give birth while in office.
Today she broke another barrier, one day after the Senate took a major step into the 21st century by voting to change the rules to allow senator parents to bring their infant children on to the floor.
Senate Democrat Amy Klobuchar pushed for the rules change, successfully arguing that the Senate should be a more family-friendly workplace.
US law prevents congressional employees, who are paid by US taxpayers, from conducting the personal business of lawmakers, so the rule change accommodates parents of a newborn in the event they need to vote and care for their child at the same time.
A service dog was allowed on the floor in 1997, “but since then we have not expanded any access to the floor until this little Maile,” Klobuchar said.
“Now it’s a standard rule, because we believe that there will be other moms and dads that may want to bring their infants on the floor.”
Members of the House of Representatives are allowed to bring their children onto the floor of that chamber.
But the Senate’s rules are stricter, and it still bars child minors over age one from being brought onto the floor.
Duckworth’s vote was her first appearance in the Senate since giving birth.
Asked how she was doing and whether she has been getting much sleep, Duckworth jokingly shot back: “I’ve got a 10-day old, I’m not getting no sleep!”
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FaIr play to her , this woman has achieved a lot of firsts , lost both her legs in combat .
@Nek nedyah: Duckworth was the first Asian Americanwoman elected to Congress in Illinois, the first disabled woman to be elected to Congress, the first female double amputee in the Senate, the first Senator to give birth while in office, and the first member of Congress born in Thailand .
@Nek nedyah: she seems to like being first ..
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: Who knows , maybe she’ll add first female president to that list .
@Nek nedyah: She wasn’t born in the US
@Matt F: I think being a citizen at birth would qualify her .
@Nek nedyah: In combat with who?
@Nek nedyah: unfortunately no, under current laws , she needs to be US born. Unless she was born on a us base in Thailand. Which opens up a whole other can of worms like. Why the fu*k would the US need a base there
@Tom Jennings:
Was Ted Cruz not born in Canada? Calgary if memory serves me.
@P.J. Nolan: Naturalization Act 1790;Children of US citizens born abroad are considered natural-born in the US.John McCain was born in Panama.So long as you are US citizen at birth you can be President.
@Anthony newey: spot on. Which is another humorous side note to the northern movement
@Dave O Keeffe: *birther movement
Woman brings baby into workplace. Wow, what a scoop.
@Dj: nice one
@Dj: It’s a good news story for Alt-Right racists who can faux praise it because she’s not a Muslim or African-American, virtue-signalling in the process with the sub-heading ‘See!? I’m not a White Supremacist all of the time!’. It looks like one of them has already made a speech above.
@Dj: Ah don’t be mean. See Nek’s comment above. Sounds like quite a lady.
@CaighdeanBAC: Oh shut up. Knob.
@CaighdeanBAC: How do you know she’s not a muslim .
Oh , I get it , in your head only brown people are Muslim .
Silly me .
@A Piece of Chalk: I agree but I just don’t see what the big deal is with the whole baby thing. What next?? notifications for every nappy change?
@Dj/Piece of Chalk: Talking to yourself online now?
@Brendan O’Brien: I’ve only eyes for you Brendan my love.
@Dj: I’ve a fetish for middle aged loser librarians.
@Brendan O’Brien: Em.. no. I’m not Dj, I’m me.
@Dj: It’s just a cutesy little good news kind of story. Don’t read too much into it.
@Dj: LOL! Love your jokes man :)
@Dj: And I’ve a fetish for looser librarians!!
@CaighdeanBAC: see someone, dude. That bitterness will destroy you
We have TDs who haven’t been back to work 5 years after their kids were born…and that is just the dads!!
Barely a week old an already being used as a prop by a politician.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: what was the goal of this stunt in your eyes? Do you know what 10 day old babies do? Sleep and feed, that’s it, when they’re not doing one of those they’re crying. That’s why baby and mother were together. The point you’ve missed here as well is that this is the first time in 250ish years that it’s been an issue. That says far more than your snide little comment
I think it is just weird to do this. I don’t know other jobs that allow you bring your infant with you to work. It shows a privilege for a high powered position and also seems unreasonable. What about all the other working parents who can’t do this?
@Kal Ipers: The thing is though she is a public representative and as an elected official her duty is to represent those that voted for her. Her vote therefore is important and could have far reaching implications in terms of what gets passed and what doesn’t. This isn’t privilege. This is her taking the time out of her maternity leave to come in and make sure her vote counts . She can do this by being able to bring her baby with her so she can feed or whatever at the same time. Father’s too will be able to bring their kids with them if necessary. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the work there should be no problem.
Republicans have said they’re afraid she will weaponize her baby! Wow! This coming from a party who listen to a fairy god about giving women body autonomy! Couldn’t make it up! Fair play to her.
@Deborah Behan: It was actually a conservative pundit for some online website. I actually wouldn’t discount any politician in the US from weaponizing a baby though. We have all seen the candidates “cuddling and kissing” babies on the campaign trail. And the importance of the family connection for voters.
My own point of view on this is I think it is absolute nonsense to have babies in the work place. Build more creches or something.
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: I’m a ‘something’ guy myself, ha! LOL!
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: Baby is 10 days old and needs to be breastfed on demand. You can’t stick it in a crèche. Fair play to this elected official for coming in even though her baby is so very young and still representing those that elected her.
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: I wonder why the issue hadn’t come up in the previous 250 years? Also #BringBackWetNurses
Have the Democrats given up on DACA?
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: no Trump has.
@Deborah Behan: Trump put a decent deal on the table. However, the Democrats allowed some nonsense principles (like No Wall, no changes to chain migration) get in the way of actually helping living, breathing people in the US right now. Walls can always be torn down. Laws can always be changed. However, nearly 2 million people are suffering now in the US because the Democrats couldn’t accept any type of compromise that would see Trump benefit somewhat. The Democrats remind me of the Tea Party from a few years ago.
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: The Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House yet somehow it is the fault of the Democratic Party?
@Larry Doyle: Correct on it being the fault of Democrats.
As I’m sure you are well aware that in relation to legislation in the Senate, 60 votes are needed to invoke cloture and end a filibuster. The idea that 51 votes gives a party control of the Senate in the US is lazy commentary I’d associate with Twitter.
The House stated it would pass legislation on DACA that Trump would agree on. Trump, with his veto power, said he would only pass DACA with certain conditions on other areas of immigration. Trump actually compromised in the talks by stating he would increase the number of people to be protected by DACA from 700,000 to 1.8 million along with providing a defined path to citizenship.. In return, he wanted certain changes to the US immigration system. (Trump and the Democrats had almost agreed on 700,000 for the Wall prior to Trump’s new offer) The Democrats refused and crashed the hopes of 1.8 million Dreamers…
@Jimmy Ryan Rises: Dems over a fully funded wall in exchange for DACA. There was a bipartisan deal, which trump said he would sign before realising it might actually happen. He then renamed in that. Now he just blabs on about every foreigner being a symptom of DACA because he has either no idea what he’s talking about or he believes his supporters have no clue what DACA is. Probably the second one.
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