Duckworth, who turned 50 on March 12, is one of only 10 women in the history of the nation to give birth while in Congress.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Monday gave birth to a daughter, Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, becoming the first sitting senator to have a baby while in office.
Duckworth, who turned 50 on March 12, is one of only 10 women in the history of the nation to give birth while in Congress, with the other babies born to members serving in the House.
This is the second child for Duckworth and her husband, Bryan Bowlsbey. Daughter Abigail was born Nov. 18,2014, when Duckworth was 47 and in the House, representing a suburban Chicago congressional district.
Maile was born in a hospital in suburban Washington.
Members of the Senate threw a baby shower for Duckworth on March 20 in the Capitol — men and women, Democrats and Republicans attended.
Duckworth said in a statement: “Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator Akaka was able to bless her name for us — his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us.
“Pearl Bowlsbey Johnson was Bryan’s great Aunt, an Army Officer and a nurse who served during the Second World War. He spent many summer months with her while growing up, we feel her presence still and are grateful for her service to our nation during the most challenging of times.”
“We’re also so grateful for the love and support of our friends and family, as well as our wonderful medical teams for everything they’ve done to help us in our decades-long journey to complete our family.”
Duckworth spent part of her youth in Hawaii; former Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Ha., the first native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate, died last week.
I interviewed Duckworth in January about her pregnancy and she told me getting pregnant a second time was “a struggle.” Her fertility specialist for both pregnancies is Dr. Edmond Confino at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
There are now a record 23 women in the Senate, with the newest member, Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, to be sworn-in on Monday afternoon by Vice President Michael Pence.
Among the mothers now serving in the Senate, the mothers had their kids before entering Congress, with the exceptions of Duckworth and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who had one of her two sons while in the House.
Becoming a mother — one who commutes between Washington and Hoffman Estates — has influenced Duckworth’s legislative agenda.
On Monday, Duckworth said in her statement: “Parenthood isn’t just a women’s issue, it’s an economic issue and one that affects all parents—men and women alike,” the senator continued. “As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I’m hardly alone or unique as a working parent, and my children only make me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere.”
As I wrote in January, since Abigail was born, Duckworth has authored measures to make sure major airports offer places for breastfeeding mothers to pump milk; the military creates a uniform policy for giving personnel time to bond with their newborn and adopted babies; and to make sure student parents have on-campus child care.
She also is a sponsor or co-sponsor of bills dealing with affordable child care, paid parental leave and other infant and maternal health issues.
