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Senator makes history bringing infant onto floor for vote

History was made Thursday on the U.S. Senate floor.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) arrives at the U.S. Capitol with her newborn baby daughter Maile Pearl Bowlsbey for a vote on the Senate floor April 19, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth is known as a trailblazer. She was the first disabled woman to be elected to Congress, a military veteran who lost both of her legs after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq.

This month, she became the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office. Thursday, she became the first U.S. Senator to bring her newborn on the Senate floor during a vote.

This week, her colleagues unanimously passed a resolution to allow lawmakers the ability to bring their children onto the floor during votes, up until the age of one.

“It just goes to show you it matters to have women in these positions of power,” said former Washington state Representative Jessyn Farrell, who flashes back to her own experience as a new mom in public office.

Farrell, a mother of three, said she tried to bring her infant onto the floor for a swearing-in ceremony in 2015 but initially met resistance.

“I was really proud of my baby and wanted to show him off to my colleagues, so I brought him down to Olympia on the first day of session,” Farrell recalled.

“We were all lined up in the marble halls; the big doors were closed about to get thrown open, and just as that was about to happen, the House attorney came running over to me saying ‘our House rules prohibit babies on the House floor,’” she continued.

But Farrell didn't take no for an answer that day and said House Democratic and Republican leadership convened a meeting on the spot to negotiate a rules change. Farrell said that year she brought her infant son onto the floor with her for some votes and even floor speeches if he was sleeping.

“It was really crucial that I was able to have him close, even with childcare arranged,” said Farrell.

“If we’re on the floor until 2 in the morning, you have to be able to be near a young infant.”

“What I found and my colleagues found is this rule wasn’t just good for me as the woman with an infant, a breastfeeding infant, it was everyone who had caretaking responsibilities,” she said. “There was a Republican who had a grandchild that session. He was able to bring his infant grandchild and watch her. It was really good for everyone.”

According to Washington legislature House rules, only house members, pages, sergeants at arms, and clerks are permitted on the floor while the house is in session. However, House Counsel says members have the power to waive the rules in special circumstances.

The Washington Senate has more flexible rules, allowing for “persons specifically requested by a senator to the President in writing or only as long as accompanied by a senator.”

Back in Washington D.C, the U.S. House does allow children on the floor without restriction. In fact, Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers brought her son Cole to the Capitol when the House passed legislation to help people with disabilities.

Proud to have my son Cole with me at the @uscapitol as the House passed the bipartisan #ABLEAct. What a victory for millions of Americans with disabilities.

A post shared by Cathy McMorris Rodgers (@cathymcmorris) on

McMorris Rodgers made history for giving birth three times while in office. Her first child Cole, born with Down Syndrome, has inspired her to champion research and support for those with disabilities.

Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler was the ninth lawmaker in history to have a baby while serving in Congress, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, the Senate's significant change this week marks a sizable step forward in an institution that's long had the reputation of “an old boys club.”

“It's 2018,” said Jessyn Farrell. “The hour is late for these kinds of conversations to happen. It really shows us how retrograde and far back our legislatures and Congress is on these rules.”

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