After becoming the first Thai American woman in the Senate, Illinois Democratic representative Tammy Duckworth has checked off another U.S. Senator “first.” Duckworth will be the first U.S. Senator to give birth during her term in the Senate.
Duckworth is one of only ten lawmakers who have given birth while in Congress, PBS reported.
Already mother to three-year-old Abigail, Duckworth has had her fair share of challenges in regard to her work-life balance. She ran for Senate while on maternity leave with her first-born, Abigail, explained The Chicago Sun Times. In addition, having a second child was a journey that encompassed a miscarriage during her 2016 Senate campaign. Nevertheless, Duckworth explained to PBS, “As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I’m hardly alone or unique as a working parent.”
A Senator and a mother, Duckworth also identifies as an Asian American. Her mother is of Chinese Descent and her father, like Duckworth, is an American veteran, BBC explained.
Born in Thailand, Duckworth expressed her desire for her children to speak Thai, the The Chicago Sun Times reported. Duckworth speaks to Abigail in Thai and also has Abigail practice with her au pair who was a certified teacher in Thailand.
When asked how it will feel to be the first woman to give birth while serving in the U.S. Senate during her interview with The Chicago Sun Times, Duckworth expressed, “Well, it’s about damn time. I can’t believe it took until 2018. It says something about the inequality of representation that exists in our country.”
“Men have been having children while they’ve been in office,” she elaborated. “I hope if anything comes out of the Women’s March, it’s that we get more and more women running for office. It would be good to have some company here.”
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