Usha Vance gives birth to fourth child

The birth makes JD Vance the first sitting U.S. vice president since 1870 to welcome a child.

Usha Vance / Video Grab Courtesy:X/@SLOTUS

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance have welcomed their fourth child, becoming the first sitting U.S. vice president in more than 150 years to have a baby while in office.

The couple announced the birth of their son, Alec Neel Vance, in a joint statement on July 20. He was born at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

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"We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother," the statement said.

The announcement, bearing the seal of the vice president of the United States, was signed by both JD and Usha Vance.

The couple also thanked the medical teams at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit for their care.

"The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing. We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family," they said.

Alec is the couple's fourth child and third son. The Vances also have two sons, Ewan, 9, and Vivek, 6, and a daughter, Mirabel, 4. They have generally kept their children out of the public spotlight.

Their youngest child before Alec was born in December 2021, while JD Vance was campaigning for the U.S. Senate from Ohio. The couple announced in January that they were expecting another son.

According to historical records, the birth is a rare event in U.S. political history. The last sitting vice president known to have welcomed a child while in office was Schuyler Colfax, whose son, Schuyler Colfax III, was born in 1870. Before Colfax, Vice President John C. Calhoun welcomed a son, William, in 1829.

JD Vance, 41, became the third-youngest person to be sworn in as U.S. vice president and is serving under President Donald Trump.

Usha Vance had previously spoken publicly about the possibility of expanding their family. Asked during an interview last year whether they planned to have more children, she replied, "Never say never."

Born Usha Bala Chilukuri, the second lady is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was raised in California. Her family traces its roots to Andhra Pradesh, making the birth of Alec Neel Vance notable for many Indian Americans.

Usha and JD Vance met while studying at Yale Law School and married in 2014.

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