Op-ed: Rep. Duckworth: Let's Refocus Efforts on Needs of Working Families
In 1958, Minnesota Congresswoman Coya Knutson lost her re-election bid after her husband publicly withdrew his "approval" of her candidacy and wrote a letter commanding her to come home.
I'm glad that today's America no longer expects a woman to seek her husband's approval to join, or remain, in the workforce. But more than 50 years after Rep. Knutson served, just 20 percent of Congress is female -- far below the more than 50 percent of the population women comprise.
We graduate from college at higher rates than men and contribute to dual-breadwinner households in greater numbers than ever before -- but we remain woefully underrepresented in our nation's government. That's unacceptable.
America seeks to lead the world in freedom and equality, but it's clear we still have a lot of work to do as we reach toward full equality for women and all working families.
Last year, I celebrated my first Mother's Day with my beautiful baby Abigail O'kalani, which means "gift from the heavens." She truly is a gift to me and Bryan, my husband, in no small part because, after losing my legs in Iraq, I didn't think I'd ever be able to be a mother.
Like so many women, especially military women, I waited to have children. I didn't want to get pregnant while commanding an assault helicopter company and, before I knew it, I was deployed and missed out on many of my childbearing years. On top of that, my injuries and exposure to radiation from my time in the Armed Forces made it even harder to conceive.
In Congress, my struggle to have Abigail wasn't something I kept secret; it helped bring me closer to many of the women I serve with on both sides of the aisle. Each and every time I went in for IVF treatments, I knew there was a bipartisan group of Congresswomen praying for me, and I was honored that the same group was there at my baby shower.
Like many moms in this country, I work to provide my child the best life she can have. It's tough. It's hard to take care of a sick baby all night, wake up tired and have to go to work when all I want to do is spend time holding her. But like millions of other parents, if there's something I can do to make her life better, I'm going to do it.
Just like so many other working parents, I've had to find ways to work around the demands of my job to make sure I'm there for my child whenever she needs me. During last year's Select Committee on Benghazi hearing with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- which lasted 11 hours -- it was difficult even in the hallowed halls of Congress to find a private space to express breast milk for Abigail. And finding a clean space that isn't a toilet stall to pump milk at the airports I spend hours in each week awaiting flights to and from Washington and my district? Good luck!
Though there are still instances of subtle sexism or occasions when my colleagues -- even friends -- unintentionally betray their lack of understanding for working parents and the difficulties that come along with that, I've seen the culture in Congress begin to shift following the election of the first female Speaker of the House and with women commanding many other leadership and committee posts.
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Then again, I'm sure my husband truly cherishes the purse given to all Congressional spouses during an orientation session for newly elected Members. And perhaps we're not aiming high enough when "Women in the House get a restroom" was a Washington Post headline as recently as 2011.
For all the stresses of being a working mom in Congress, I love every single sleepless minute of it. Abigail has made me a better public servant, and I hope that publicly discussing the challenges I've experienced helps make my colleagues better -- more thoughtful -- policymakers, because too many parents aren't as lucky as I've been.
My mother can help with caring for and watching Abigail, but too many working families don't have access to affordable child care. I was able to take maternity leave when I gave birth, but too many families can't take paid leave to care for their newborn. Not only do many employers fail to provide paid family leave, but women in this country can still be fired simply for trying to have a baby through in vitro fertilization -- or, in some cases, for using contraceptives to not have a child -- if their employer doesn't approve of those choices. And as a Veteran who could not have conceived without the help of IVF, I am disappointed that Congress has so far refused to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide other Veteran families with this critical service.
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We must refocus our efforts on the needs of working families. That's why I wrote the bipartisan FAM Act, which would provide traveling parents with clean and convenient lactation rooms for their newborns. It's why I'm trying to improve paid family leave and other benefits for military parents. And it's why I'm working to expand child care services for student parents.
Yes, it can be difficult to find a happy work-life balance as a new mother in Congress -- but it's even harder for everyday American parents who are struggling to get by. I am dedicated to doing my part to make their lives easier.
Rep. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War Veteran, represents the 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Illinois' Cook, DuPage and Kane counties. She is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack on Benghazi. She is also a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, serving as the Ranking Member of the Transportation Subcommittee.
