Providing for Congressional Disapproval of A Rule Submitted By Bureau

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, this is a very focused topic and I will just be a few minutes.

I rise today to discuss S. Res. 463, which is a resolution that Senator Blunt and I just discharged from the Rules Committee that will help new parents--specifically, Senator parents--to bring their infant children onto the Senate floor. It hasn't been brought to the Senate floor yet, but I thought I would give an update and explain the importance and really the historic nature of this resolution.

As my colleagues know, this month Senator Duckworth made history when she gave birth to her beautiful daughter Maile Pearl. Senator Duckworth has made history in many ways but, among other things, she is the first sitting U.S. Senator to give birth while in office.

Some have pointed out that it is remarkable that it took so long to have a Senator who gave birth while in office, and I think it does speak to the fact that while we are a growing number of women in Congress, there are still not that many, and it is changing.

We currently now have 23 women Senators, which is an all-time record--more than at any time in history. We are seeing record levels of women run for office. It is inevitable that in the future more women will have kids during their time in the Senate. So in this way, we are simply anticipating what we see as the future, and it is on us to make this a better workplace before they get here. I think workplaces across America are making, and have made, those same kinds of adjustments and decisions.

As the ranking member of the Rules Committee, I recognize that this means that some of our outdated rules--and Senator Blunt as the chair realizes this as well--that were developed without considering the changing needs in the workplace must be changed. Senator Duckworth has taken the lead, and her resolution is an important part of that change.

As she prepared to give birth, Senator Duckworth did what many moms do. She started to come up with a plan for how to juggle her family and her work. Like too many other moms in the United States, she came to realize that there were problems in her workplace for accommodating new moms.

Senators have important constitutional obligations related to their service, the most fundamental among them being voting on legislation. The Senate rules require Senators to vote in person. We have no intention of changing that. They must vote on the Senate floor, and no one can do it for them.

Right now, unlike in the House, children are not allowed on the Senate floor. That means that in order to fulfill her Senate obligation, Senator Duckworth would have to leave her baby for extended periods in order to come in and vote. Sometimes that would be just fine. She would have childcare. Her husband would be there. But as we all know, there are times when we vote late into the night, when we vote at unpredictable times, and it doesn't work for a mom with a newborn.

So what did Senator Duckworth do? She called for legislation to change the rules so that Senators can bring their infants on the floor during votes, and we worked to come up with a workable proposal.

I am proud to say that this week, the Senate Rules Committee swiftly discharged the legislation so that it can be passed by the full Senate, because that is what working moms do. They stick together and they get the job done.

Sticking together means recognizing that we have a lot of work to do inside the Halls of Congress. The truth is too many American moms aren't in positions of power to change the rules, which is why it is so important for those of us who are in positions of power to be champions of change, not just here in the Senate but in workplaces across the country. It is wrong that America is the only industrialized country without a law that requires paid maternity leave, and it is wrong that only 10 percent of American employers offer workers full pay during parental leave.

The lack of parental leave, coupled with the cost of childcare, has a profound impact on our economy and on our society, and it is one of the reasons, I believe, why there are not enough women in power. We must do better.

Adopting Senator Duckworth's resolution represents a small step forward. In fact, it is one baby forward. In answer to some of the questions that I got in the hallway, no, there will not be wardrobe requirements of the baby, and, no, we do not believe the baby will be required to wear a Senate pin.

Somehow, I think we will be able to adjust to this simple notion to allow a child--an infant--on the floor for the first year of life. That is why I am hopeful that this will inspire further change both inside and outside of Congress.

In addition to the support of all of the women Senators, I would like to thank Chairman Blunt, Leaders McConnell and Schumer, and Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth's colleague, who all played an instrumental role in getting this resolution to the floor. Women may be leading the charge, but there are a lot of good men who have had our backs, and that is a good thing, because we need to work together as we continue to fight for more family-friendly workplaces.

Finally, I would like to thank the one who did all the work, Senator Duckworth, who continues to serve our country with courage and strength, for paving the way. Maile Pearl is very lucky to have Senator Duckworth as a mom, and I look forward to meeting her here on the Senate floor during a future round of votes.

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