Sen. Tammy Duckworth Addressed The Hardest Parts Of Being A Trailblazer & Wishes She Didn't Always Have To Be 'The First'

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth has claimed yet another “first,” but this time she’s pointing out the trouble of being a trendsetter in 2018.

Duckworth has led a life dedicated to serving America both in the military and government. In 2012, she was the first Asian-American woman in Illinois elected to Congress; however, the firsts only start there. She’s also the first Thailand-born member and the only disabled woman ever elected to Congress. Her disability is a result of injury during her 2004 Iraq deployment. After serving in the United States Reserve Forces, Duckworth’s move to Iraq was met with tragedy: the amputation of both her legs and the near loss of her arm.

Before her election, Duckworth served in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and was the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. Her 2012 victory set the path for two future terms in the House of Representatives before running for Senate in 2016 and defeating Mark Kirk, the Republican incumbent.

Now Duckworth has another first to her name: She’s the first woman to give birth while in the Senate. Yet this accomplishment, among her others, brings her attention to the representative issues in Congress.

“I have won historic elections, but it feels like these ‘firsts’ are so overdue,” Duckworth said toElle in a recent interview. “I never set out to be the first in anything, and with a lot of these ‘firsts,’ it really makes me wonder how it’s taken so long. It also underscores how much farther we have to go to have representation in our government.”

Duckworth is one of only ten women to give birth while working in Congress.

Perhaps this is due to the lack of women actually serving in the House and Senate: Women make up just under a fifth of Congress while they occupy half of the population. About a quarter of state legislators are women, but only six of 50 state governor positions belong to them.

And while the arrival of her new baby might be a “first” for Congress, Duckworth noted that parenthood is an issue that affects numerous Americans, not just those who give birth. 

“Parenthood isn't just a women's issue, it's an economic issue and one that affects all parents—men and women alike,” she said in an official statement. “As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I'm hardly alone or unique as a working parent, and my children only make me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere.”