Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Wednesday vowed to work to change the Senate’s “dumb rules” that prevent Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who is pregnant with her second child, from taking maternity leave.
Duckworth, who is due to become the first sitting senator to give birth, told Politico on Wednesday that Senate rules preclude her from sponsoring legislation or voting while on maternity leave.
The senator also noted that people aren’t allowed to bring children on the floor of the Senate.
{mosads}“If I have to vote, and I’m breastfeeding my child, especially during my maternity leave period, what do I do? Leave her sitting outside?” Duckworth said.
Duckworth, a military veteran who lost both of her legs when her helicopter was shot down over Iraq in 2004, has been a frequent critic of President Trump, specifically of his rhetoric about the military.
She has labeled him “cadet bone spurs,” a reference to Trump’s multiple draft deferments during the Vietnam War.