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Senate Changes Rules To Allow Babies In Chamber After Duckworth Gives Birth

CHICAGO (CBS/AP) -- U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the first woman to give birth while serving in the Senate, will be allowed to bring her baby into the chamber, after the Senate voted to change its rules.

The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to allow toddlers under age one on the floor during votes. The rules had previously banned all children from being on the Senate floor, which would have prevented new parents from voting while caring for their child, as senators must vote in person.

Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, sought the change in Senate rules after giving birth to her second child on April 9, becoming the first sitting senator to give birth. She had her first daughter while still serving in the House in 2014.

"I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, particularly those in leadership and on the Rules Committee, for helping bring the Senate into the 21st Century by recognizing that sometimes new parents also have responsibilities at work," Duckworth said in a statement Wednesday evening. "By ensuring that no Senator will be prevented from performing their constitutional responsibilities simply because they have a young child, the Senate is leading by example and sending the important message that working parents everywhere deserve family-friendly workplace policies. These policies aren't just a women's issue, they are a common-sense economic issue."

The vote to change the rules was unanimous, although some senators had previously expressed reservations, out of concern babies would disrupt "Senate decorum."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said she spent nearly two months privately reassuring Republicans and Democrats that the new rule would not mean diaper-changing or nursing in the Senate chamber.

"Every day moms and dads balance being great parents and successful professionals, and workplaces need to recognize that reality," Klobuchar said. "The United States Senate should be no exception. We are proud to have Senator Tammy Duckworth - working mom to a newborn - among our ranks and I'm glad the Rules Committee was able to swiftly make this historic rule change for her and future senators."

Illinois' senior senator, Dick Durbin, said new moms and dads shouldn't have to choose between caring for their children and performing their duties as senators.

"I think it would do us good, every once in a while, to see a pacifier next to the antique inkwells on our desks, or a diaper bag next to a brass spittoon that hasn't been used in decades. Perhaps the cry of a baby will shock this Senate into speaking up and even crying out on the issues that confront our Nation and world. Maile Pearl, welcome to the world—and welcome to the United States Senate," Durbin said.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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