Tag: Tammy Duckworth

As the second year of the Trump administration comes to a close, here are five moments from this year's political news that everyone can find something to smile about, no matter your political leaning. Michelle Obama and George W. Bush's friendship Since President Barack Obama took office, protocol has placed these two next to each other during official events. Tammy Duckworth's baby on the Senate floor In April, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth gave birth to a baby girl, making her the first U.S. senator ever to give birth while in office. Weeks later, after Davidson shared a troubling Instagram post indicating he may have been feeling suicidal, Crenshaw reached out. "I told him everyone had a purpose in this world," Crenshaw said. On Elizabeth Warren's 38th wedding anniversary, her husband Bruce brought home a golden retriever named Bailey. "A few weeks ago, Bruce said, 'We're getting a dog,'" the senator wrote on Instagram. Bush enlisted the help of a new family member in his final months -- a yellow Labrador retriever service dog named Sully. Sully was set to go back into service to help other veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to a post on Instagram by former President George W. Bush. High Election Day turnout Voters turned out in record numbers this year, with an estimated 118 million people casting their ballots in the 2018 midterms.

Her father's work with refugees after his army service had taken them around the world, but the family had not lived in the U.S. before they moved to Hawaii. The one-term senator said she can't imagine how her father could've chosen between accepting food stamps to feed her and her brother or bringing his wife and the mother of his children to America. What it means to be a public charge The "public charge" term is used by U.S. The "public charge" standard was first codified into U.S. immigration law in 1882 and again in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which stipulated that those who were deemed a "public charge" would be subject to deportation or barred from entering the country. "This is such a confusing regulation, and we're in such a time of fear and uncertainty for immigrant families — and families of color in this country and families living in poverty right now — that this is really jeopardizing the health of millions of children, well beyond those that would definitely be impacted by it," Linton told CBS News. Linton said the immigrant mother told her she believed she could be deported if she enrolled in the program, even if her child was a U.S. citizen. Although the proposal does not include Medicaid and CHIP assistance in its "public charge" considerations, researchers at the Health Policy Center believe immigrant parents, particularly in Latino and Asian American communities, will drop these benefits due to concerns surrounding their immigration status and ability to remain in the U.S. legally with their children. "So, there are military men and women who are green card holders who also receive food stamps — and their families do." "And one way to subsidize those farmers is with food stamps. That is why people come to America."

As Democrats calibrate their political messaging in advance of the November midterm elections, Senator Tammy Duckworth cautioned her party not to become too starry-eyed about the success in New York of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who won an upset primary victory this week. Trump taunts Democrats over calls to abolish Ice: 'They'll never win another election' Read more While Ocasio-Cortez’s platform of Medicare for all and free college tuition might work in New York’s 14th congressional district, said Duckworth, the junior senator from Illinois, her brand of Democratic socialism would not work in the Midwest. “I think that you can’t win the White House without the Midwest,” Duckworth told CNN’s State of the Union. And I believe that what we’re really seeing is just a movement for healthcare, housing and education in the United States.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) A major point of my campaign: in the safest blue seats in America, we should have leaders swinging for the most ambitious ideas possible for working-class Americans. She won a decisive Senate election victory in 2016 against a Republican incumbent who had swooped on a seat vacated by Barack Obama in 2008. Trump anti-abortion supreme court pick 'not acceptable', says Collins Read more Duckworth said Ocasio-Cortez’s appeal was likely limited to her district, which bridges the Bronx and Queens. “I think that we, as legislators, need to listen to our constituency and get out there. She pounded the pavement, and she was out there talking to every one of her constituents. “She turned out her voters and reflected the needs of her district.” Duckworth said the same of Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Democratic senators in states that voted for Trump who are thought likely to support his forthcoming supreme court pick. The three red-state Democrats “vote in whatever they need to do to take care of the people of their state”, Duckworth said.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth expressed concern about the way the executive branch is handling the immigration crisis, but stopped short of joining her liberal colleagues in the Senate calling to abolish US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I think there's a…

Today in 5 Lines The Senate confirmed Jim Bridenstine, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, to serve as the new NASA administrator. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, the first sitting senator to give birth while in office, brought her newborn baby to the floor to cast her “no” vote. The Justice Department’s inspector general reportedly referred its findings on former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to the U.S. attorney’s office for possible criminal charges. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s official portrait will cost taxpayers $85,000, which is more than his three predecessors combined. Today on The Atlantic The Buck Doesn’t Stop There: Dumping President Trump won’t actually get rid of the GOP’s problems. (Conor Friedersdorf) Why Do Trump’s Defenders Assume He’s Guilty? : Allies of the president have made some peculiar comments over the past few days. (David A. Graham) A Shared Problem: The focus on James Comey, Michael Cohen, and Stormy Daniels might pose a serious threat to Republicans in the midterms, but Trump’s personal dramas could hurt Democrats, too. (Ronald Brownstein) Snapshot What We’re Reading ‘The Fatalist Conceit’: The frustration many liberals feel about President Trump is a byproduct of the left’s unreasonable expectations: They think they can change the country through politics. (Mary Jordan, The Washington Post) -Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)

Today in 5 Lines The FBI raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and seized records related to several topics, including payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Federal investigators also reportedly searched his home and hotel room. Trump condemned the suspected chemical attack in Syria as a “barbaric act” and said he will make a decision on the U.S. response within the next 24 to 48 hours. Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that he will run for U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth became the first senator to give birth while in office. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met privately with several lawmakers on Capitol Hill ahead of his planned testimony before a joint session of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees on Tuesday, followed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Today on The Atlantic ‘They’re Desperate to Keep This Email Hush-Hush’: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt denied knowing about salary increases given to two of his top aides. But an email exchange suggests otherwise. (Elaina Plott) A Bit of Self-Criticism: Conor Friedersdorf argues that The Atlantic’s firing of conservative writer Kevin Williamson represents a failure of tolerance. (Franklin Foer) Snapshot What We’re Reading Expect an Expensive Race: Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that he’s launching a bid to unseat Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.

Maile Pearl is Duckworth’s second child—she has another daughter named Abigail—and the first-ever child to be birthed by a serving senator. That’s a striking statistic. But only 51 of those senators have been women; no wonder the Senate hasn’t historically been a place for new moms. (Ten women have given birth while serving as House representatives, including Duckworth herself.) By itself, this says plenty about the kinds of barriers that women face when attempting to build a political career. Perhaps even more illuminating is the bind that Duckworth now finds herself in. There’s more: The Senate currently bars children from its floor, which means Duckworth won’t be allowed to breastfeed while sitting in session—an act that politicians elsewhere the world have been doing for a while now. (When it comes to women’s share of representation in parliament, the US ranks 104 out of over 190 countries.) As a new mother in the Senate, Duckworth’s experience is exposing a harsh truth: In 2018, the US political system is still designed without women in mind. And the consequences she may face if she takes time off to spend with her newborn perfectly exemplify the problems that millions of women in the US face because their jobs do not offer fair parental leave policies.