Finally there is some good news coming out of the Senate. As the Hill reports, the resolution submitted by Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) that would allow senators to bring children under the age of one onto the floor is expected to be approved. The measure would be a huge win for women and parents of infants who hold public office.
If you can believe it, Duckworth is the first senator to give birth while in office, so the proposal would allow her to bring her newborn to work. The Illinois Democratic senator and mother of two also wants to come to the Senate votes as needed while on maternity leave, since you can only vote in person in the Senate chamber. Duckworth, who gave birth to her daughter earlier in April, notes, “I can’t be away from a newborn infant in the first three months for that long.” Kaitlin Fahey, Duckworth’s chief of staff, says her boss is “glad to be able to offer this legislation to ensure no senator with an infant is prevented from performing their constitutional responsibilities—and send a message that working parents everywhere deserve family-friendly workplace policies.”
Politico is reporting that things look optimistic for the bada*s mama-slash-public servant, and that the House Rules Committee is expected to push the measure forward. As Fahey notes, Duckworth is “optimistic that this will be resolved quickly.”
