Sen. Tammy Duckworth casts historic vote with her newborn daughter

She's the first baby to be on the senate floor for a vote
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Sen. Tammy Duckworth casts historic vote with her newborn daughter
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who continues to make historic firsts Credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES

Just hours after the U.S. Senate made history by voting to allow sitting senators to bring babies on the senate floor, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) officially cast a vote while holding her days-old daughter, Maile.

The vote was to confirm Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) as the Trump administration's new head of NASA. Duckworth and Maile arrived and officially cast their vote (they vote "no," for the record) before soaking up some love from Duckworth's peers.

The vote to allow children under one on the floor, including for breastfeeding, was unanimously passed on Wednesday after Duckworth introduced the resolution earlier this week. Duckworth is the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth while in office.

Earlier Thursday, Duckworth pondered whether Maile's outfits would meet senate floor rules but here's guessing no one was going to crack down too hard on a two-week old baby.

Duckworth and daughter gathered plenty of crowds and well-wishers as the senator made the trip to the hill just 10 days (!!!) after Maile's birth on April 9.

Duckworth's senate counterpart, Dick Durbin (D-IL) had some kind words to say in support of the resolution ahead of Duckworth's appearance.

In case you needed a reminder, Duckworth is a certifiable badass. While serving in Iraq in 2004, she was co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter when it was struck by insurgent fire, mangling both her legs (resulting in double amputation) and severely injuring her right arm. She would later be awarded a Purple Heart.

In November 2012, Duckworth was elected to Congress representing Illinois' 8th district, the first woman with a disability to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Thailand-born person elected to Congress, and the first Asian-American from Illinois elected to Congress. She won re-election in 2014 before running for -- and winning -- her current senate seat in 2016.

And, so, Duckworth continues to set firsts and inspire, overcoming odds and outdated norms.

Topics Politics

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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