Sen. Tammy Duckworth announces pregnancy, becomes first sitting US senator to give birth

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.

• Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois announced she was pregnant with her second child.
• Duckworth will be the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth has announced that she's pregnant with her second child. She will be the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office.

The 49-year-old Democrat, a veteran who lost her legs in the Iraq War, announced her pregnancy in a news release Tuesday.

Duckworth gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 2014. The senator will be one of only 10 lawmakers who have given birth while in Congress.

Duckworth says, "As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I'm hardly alone or unique as a working parent."

She adds that her first daughter, Abigail, "has only made me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere."

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois released a statement congratulating her on Tuesday:

"From the moment she came into my office 13 years ago, I knew that Tammy Duckworth was one of the most extraordinary people I would ever meet," Durbin's statement said. "I am proud to have her as my Illinois colleague and prouder still that she will make history by being the first U.S. Senator to have a baby while in office. I couldn't be happier for her."