[VT July 31, 2025 ] The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) has released Episode 4 of its conversation series Spill the Tea at Congress, hosted by CAPAC Chair and New York Congresswoman Grace Meng. Over a cup of tea, Meng engages Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) lawmakers and allies in candid conversations about policies, personal stories, and community issues.
This episode features Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth — an Iraq War veteran, Purple Heart recipient, the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office, and the second Asian American woman to serve in the Senate.
Duckworth shared childhood memories of drinking chrysanthemum tea and enjoying dim sum with her children, and spoke about the challenges of raising young kids while serving in Congress — from bringing her 10-day-old daughter onto the Senate floor to vote, to advocating for safe and clean lactation spaces.
She also mentioned taking her daughters to quarterly dim sum gatherings organized by Bel Leong-Hong (a longtime AANHPI community leader in Washington, D.C., often referred to as the “godmother” of Asian American women in public service), which help connect them with cultural traditions and community networks.
Drawing from her own experiences, Duckworth led efforts to require lactation rooms in airports nationwide and continues to advocate for universal childcare, paid family leave, and protections for women’s health care — including access to IVF and reproductive choice. She stressed that having more lawmakers who are actively balancing work and parenting ensures that policies better reflect the needs of American families.
Rep. Meng praised Duckworth for “bringing the voices of working parents into the Senate,” and said Spill the Tea at Congress will continue to highlight the work and stories of AANHPI representatives on Capitol Hill.
