Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor today to remember a Minnesota icon, and that would be Prince, whom we lost 2 years ago. Prince was a one-of-a-kind artist, fiercely independent, and uniquely talented. I grew up with his music.

For Minnesotans, Prince was our superstar next door. He made ``Purple Rain'' a household name, First Avenue a landmark, and brought international fame to Minnesota's music scene.

Minnesota loves Prince, and Prince loved Minnesota. He was born in Minneapolis in 1958 and developed an interest in music at an early age. He wrote his first song at just 7 years old and recorded his early demo tapes at Sound 80 Studios in Minneapolis.

With seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, he pioneered that ``Minneapolis sound,'' that mix of funk, rock, and pop that emerged in the late 1970s and 1980s and influenced music for decades to come. From Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to Janet Jackson and Bruno Mars--even Beyonce--so many artists have been influenced by Prince's music and his heart.

Over his career, Prince sold more than 100 million records worldwide, released 39 studio albums, had 5 No. 1 billboard hits, and 40 singles in the top 100 songs.

In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the very first year he was eligible. And 6 years later, he received a Black Entertainment Television Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite all of his success, Prince never stopped calling the State of Minnesota home. He lived in our State, and he never lost the sense that he was a beloved son, neighbor, and Minnesotan.

He wrote songs about Minnesota sports teams, including ``Purple and Gold'' during the Minnesota Viking's run to the 2010 National Football Conference Championship. When the Minnesota Lynx won their third Women's National Basketball Association Championship, Prince held a concert in their honor.

When Prince passed away on April 21, 2016, he left behind millions of fans and a legacy of music that touched hearts, opened minds, and made people all over the world want to dance. I am proud to honor Prince's life and his achievements as a musician, a composer, an innovator, and a cultural icon, and I am proud to call his home, Minnesota, my home as well.

Prince reminded us all that there's a world waiting for us after this life:

A world of never-ending happiness

You can always see the sun, day or night.

I am sure that is where Prince is today. On Saturday, the anniversary, purple will reign again. Allowing Senators' Young Children on the Senate Floor

Mr. President, I also rise today to discuss S. Res. 463, a resolution adopted by the Senate yesterday that will allow Senators to bring their infant children to the Senate floor.

Several of my colleagues will be joining me on the floor shortly to discuss the importance of passing this resolution, and I would like to take a moment to thank some of them because without their hard work and support, this resolution would not have been adopted.

Of course, there is Senator Duckworth herself--the person who did all the work in more than one way. This is her second child. She is 50 years old, and she is a pillar of strength. She paved the way for future women Senators who will have children while in office. She may be the first, but she will not be the last.

I would also like to thank Senator Durbin, her colleague from Illinois, for his work in getting this done. Women may be leading the charge on making workplaces more family friendly, but there are a lot of men, like Senator Durbin, who have our backs.

I would like to thank Senator Murray, who also worked on this with me--a mom in tennis shoes who has long been a true champion for women.

Finally, thanks to Chairman Blunt and Leaders Schumer and McConnell, who helped ensure that this got to the floor and adopted quickly. Chairman Blunt and I lead the Rules Committee, and we have worked together well for a very long time. I welcome him back to the committee.

I came to the floor earlier this week to discuss the importance of this historic resolution. It is historic for a number of reasons. First, it is very rare for the Senate to expand floor privileges to new groups of people. In fact, it has been decades since we did that. We have to go back to the late 1970s. In fact, there has not been any expansion of who is allowed on the floor since 1997, when a service dog was allowed. That was a long time ago.

I have had a lot of interesting questions about this, including: Would Senator Duckworth's daughter have to abide by the Senate dress code? She will not. She will not have to wear pants or a skirt. She will not wear a Senate pin because that would be dangerous. She can wear a cap if she wants.

Another question: Well, what happens if one day we have 10 babies on the floor? I actually think it would be quite delightful if we had 10 babies on the floor. I don't think there is any imminent concern that will happen, but I do think it would be exciting if we had 10 new moms and dads.

The other reason this is historic is that Senator Duckworth, of course, was the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office. More women than ever are running for public office, so it is inevitable in the future that more women Senators will have children while in office, and, of course, this new rule applies to men and women.

I think one of the exciting things about this is that Senator Duckworth was very clear that she didn't want this just to be about her and an exception for her; she thought to the future and saw that we would have more women Senators.

Sticking together means recognizing that we have a lot of work to do outside the Halls of Congress, and the women Senators across party lines have stuck together, but we know this fight doesn't end here. We are just an example for the country, but there are so many bigger things to do.

The truth is, too many American moms are not in positions of power to change the rules, which is why it is so important for those of us who are in positions of power to be champions of change--to be able to look at archaic rules that were in place 100 years ago. By adopting this resolution, we set an example. But if we really want to do something for the rest of America, we have to pass some work- and family-friendly policies, like paid maternity leave and making it easier for workers to get childcare. Those are the kinds of things that will matter to all of America.

But today we set an example for one mom and one baby, and we look forward to meeting her on the floor.

Thank you.

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