Usha Vance gives birth to fourth child

Washington: US Vice-President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance announced the birth of their fourth child, making him the first sitting US vice-president in more than 150 years to welcome a baby while in office.

The couple named their son Alec Neel Vance. He was born on Sunday morning at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

“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 couple said in a joint statement.

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 that cared for Usha and the newborn.

“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 their third son. The Vances already have two sons, Ewan, 9, and Vivek, 6, and a daughter, Mirabel, 4. They have largely kept their children away from public view.

Their previous child was born in December 2021, when JD Vance was campaigning for a US Senate seat from Ohio. The couple announced in January that they were expecting another son.

The birth also marked a rare event in American political history. The last vice-president known to have had a child while serving in office was Schuyler Colfax. His 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 US vice-president. The Republican leader has emerged as one of the most prominent figures in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Usha Vance had earlier spoken publicly about whether the couple might expand their family. Asked about the possibility during an interview last year, she said: “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, giving the arrival of Alec Neel Vance particular resonance among Indian Americans.

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

IANS