Oh, baby!

There’s a new face making the rounds in the United States Senate. She’s less than a month old and has already been on the Senate floor for votes.

Her name is Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, and she is the newborn daughter of U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois.

Duckworth is the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth.

For more than 200 years, Senate rules have prohibited babies on the floor. But this month, that changed. On April 18, Sen. Duckworth took a break from maternity leave and brought her newborn with her to vote on the Senate floor.

Sen. Duckworth is wheelchair-bound due to injuries sustained while serving our country in Iraq. Both Sen. Duckworth’s legs have been amputated, and she has only partial use of one arm. This creates a unique situation while voting.

One could argue that she could vote from doorway of the cloakroom, which is the private room just off the Senate floor where senators can rest, talk or work between votes. Both Republicans and Democrats have separate cloakrooms. However, the cloakrooms are not wheelchair-accessible, even though the Senate floor is wheelchair-accessible.

So, senators changed the rules. I think they made the right decision.

While doing my research for this column, it got me thinking what else is not allowed on the floor of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

But while we’re on the baby train, I’d note that 1-year-old children and older are not allowed on the Senate floor, while children of all ages are allowed on the House floor.

In the House, the dress code is “appropriate attire,” whatever that means. In the Senate, women may wear skirts or dresses, and of course, men may wear pants. No matter your gender, you must wear a jacket or blazer when on the Senate floor.

This prompted Sen. Duckworth to tweet about Maile’s Senate debut attire.

Prior to her vote, Duckworth tweeted a photo of baby clothes with the caption, “I may have to vote today, so Maile’s outfit is prepped. I made sure she has a jacket so she doesn’t violate the Senate floor dress code (which requires blazers). I’m not sure what the policy is on duckling onesies, but I think we’re ready.”

While babies are now allowed in the Senate, there is still only a tiny fraction of the population who are also allowed, including: the president, vice president (also known as the President of the Senate), senators and their staff, members of Congress and Washington’s mayor.

Both chambers do not allow food and drink, with the exception of water. Smoking is also not allowed, obviously.

Cell phones are also not allowed, though I question how much that rule is actually enforced.

In the House, no one is allowed to spit, cough, or hiss during a speech. No rules for these bodily functions in the Senate, though I’m sure it’d be difficult to control coughing. Geez Louise.

Editor’s note: Seymour Klierly writes Washington Whispers for the Journal from inside the Beltway.