Former two-time congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was the first elected Thai-American Senator. Now, she'll be the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth. Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters.

Duckworth to be first sitting U.S. senator to give birth

Politics

WASHINGTON — Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth has announced that she's pregnant with her second child. She will be the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office.

The 49-year-old Democrat, a veteran who lost her legs in the Iraq War, announced her pregnancy in a news release Tuesday.

Duckworth gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 2014. The senator will be one of only 10 lawmakers who have given birth while in Congress.

Duckworth says, "As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I'm hardly alone or unique as a working parent."

She adds that her first daughter, Abigail, "has only made me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere."

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Duckworth to be first sitting U.S. senator to give birth first appeared on the PBS News website.

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