Sen. Tammy Duckworth welcomed a daughter on Monday, making history as the first senator to give birth while in office.
The Illinois Democrat announced she was pregnant in late January. The baby, who was named Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, is the second child for Duckworth and her husband, Bryan Bowlsbey. The couple are also the parents to three-year-old Abigail.
Duckworth, who turned 50 in early March, is one of the 10 women in history that have given birth while serving in Congress. Her first daughter Abigail was born in November 2014, while the Iraq War veteran was representing a suburban Chicago district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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In a statement provided to Refinery29, Duckworth said: "Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator Akaka was able to bless her name for us — his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us."
(Former Sen. Daniel Akaka, the first native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate, died Friday.)
She continued, "Pearl Bowlsbey Johnson was Bryan’s great Aunt, an Army Officer and a nurse who served during the Second World War. He spent many summer months with her while growing up, we feel her presence still and are grateful for her service to our nation during the most challenging of times. We’re also so grateful for the love and support of our friends and family, as well as our wonderful medical teams for everything they’ve done to help us in our decades-long journey to complete our family."
Welcome, Maile Pearl!
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