U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) took an unusual approach to overturning the Senate’s longstanding ban on babies appearing on the floor of the U.S. Senate in the Capitol.
To convince a group of older male colleagues, the senator recited a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss, she told a standing-room-only crowd at TheWrap’s Power Women Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. It went like this:
“She’s not going to change the diaper on the floor
She won’t be breastfeeding by the door
She’s not going to change the baby’s clothes in the house;
And she’ll be as quiet as a mouse,
She wont burp the baby at work;
Stop being such a jerk.”
The poem elicited wide laughter from the assembled audience at the breakfast on Wednesday.
“So that did it and we passed it,” said Klobuchar, noting that Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D – Ill.) in April became the first sitting senator to bring her baby to the floor after the rules change.
Klobuchar added that she was still optimistic about working with Republicans in a body which has increasingly become known for partisan contentiousness and dysfunction.
Also Read: Male Movie Critics Outnumber Women Nearly 4 to 1, New Study Says
TheWrap’s Power Women Breakfast series is connecting and inspiring the leading influential women of entertainment, media, technology and brands in the key cities where those women work, create, gather, network and connect. All ticket proceeds go directly to benefit women’s leadership programs and gender equity initiatives via WrapWomen Foundation.
Watch video of Sen. Klobuchar’s remarks above.
The Scene at TheWrap's Power Women Breakfast Washington DC (Photos)
-
-
TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman interviews author-activist Masih Alinejad and foreign policy expert Michelle Flournoy at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) addresses the Power Women Breakfast DC
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Political consultant Hilary Rosen, actress-activist Amber Tamblyn and TimesUp Legal Defense Fund executive director Sharyn Tejani attend the Power Women Breakfast DC
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Foreign policy expert Michele Flournoy, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), National Geographic editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg and National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney Monroe gather at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
National Geographic photographers and filmmakers attend the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Kim Gillies and Cristina Killingsworth at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Sharon Waxman, Masih Alinejad, and Michèle Flournoy, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) attends the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Megan Swiatowski and Chanda Daniels at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
The scene at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) opens the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Sara Keller and Kim Kahnhauser Freeman at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Guests at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Guests at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney Monroe addresses the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
National Geographic filmmakers and photographers Asha Stuart, Beverly Joubert, Erika Larsen, Hannah Reyes Morales, Jess Cramp, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Filmmaker Asha Stuart
-
Conservationist Jess Cramp makes a point
-
National Geographic editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg and filmmaker Asha Stuart
-
Asha Stuart, Beverly Joubert, Erika Larsen, Hannah Reyes Morales and Jess Cramp, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Susan Goldberg and Asha Stuart
-
Hannah Reyes Morales and Jess Cramp
-
Photographer Erika Larsen takes the mic
-
Asha Stuart, Beverly Joubert, Erika Larsen, Hannah Reyes Morales and Jess Cramp, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Jess Cramp makes a point at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Asha Stuart and conservationist-filmmaker Beverly Joubert
-
Another view of the National Geographic panel
-
Elisa Lees Munoz at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Guests at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Sara Keller and Kim Kahnhauser Freeman at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Carletta Hunt at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Janet Donovan at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman interviews author-activist Masih Alinejad and foreign policy expert Michèle Flournoy at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman interviews author-activist Masih Alinejad
-
Author-activist Masih Alinejad and foreign policy expert Michèle Flournoy at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman interviews author-activist Masih Alinejad and foreign policy expert Michèle Flournoy at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Sharon Waxman and Masih Alinejad, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad makes her point at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Kendrah Polk at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Nicole Strong and Kendrah Polk at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Erin Griffin at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Michal Carr and Courteney Monroe at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Alice Weiss and Barbara Katron at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
"American Fire" author Monica Hesse addresses Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Actress Amber Tamblyn, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Monica Hesse with TimesUp Legal Defense Fund executive director Sharyn Tejani, actress-activist Amber Tamblyn and political consultant Hilary Rosen at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
TimesUp Legal Defense Fund executive director Sharyn Tejani and actress-activist Amber Tamblyn
-
TimesUp Legal Defense Fund executive director Sharyn Tejani
-
Amber Tamblyn and Hilary Rosen, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Author Monica Hesse and TimesUp Legal Defense Fund executive director Sharyn Tejani
-
The scene at the TimesUp panel at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad and Sharon Waxman
-
National Geographic's Susan Goldberg and Rep. Debbie Dingell at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad and Michèle Flournoy, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Liana Bright, Murphy Shrub, Aviva Kempner and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Ashlee Lawson at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Sharon Waxman and a guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Penni Berbert and Tami Wahl at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad and Rebecca Bustamonte at the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Rosemary Reed, Jane Barbara and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Sharon Waxman and Kim Bassett at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Selfie moment
-
Sharon Waxman, Masih Alinejad, and Michèle Flournoy, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Michele Flournoy and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Rep. Debbie Dingell Susan Goldberg and Jill Cress at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Liana Bright and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad and Sharon Waxman
-
Michele Flournoy, Alice Keating and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Tami Wahl and Alice Keating at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Michele Flournoy and Gues at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Masih Alinejad and Michele Flournoy at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
National Geographic editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Photographers and filmmakers from National Geographic attend the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Rebecca Bustamonte at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Leah Wojda and Kendrah Polk of NatGeo Partners, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Michèle Flournoy, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Author-activist Masih Alinejad attends Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Jane Barbara, Penni Berbert and Guest at Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
TheWrap founder Sharon Waxman attends the Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Debbie Dingell, Masih Alinejad, and Michèle Flournoy, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
-
Penni Berbert and Tami Wahl at Power Women Breakfast D.C
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Courteney Monroe, Power Women Breakfast D.C.
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
-
Photographers and fimmakers from National Geographic
Photographed by E. Brady Robinson for TheWrap
Power Women Breakfast DC: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Amber Tamblyn and other industry leaders gather at the W Hotel on June 13