Vice President JD Vance is returning to work after welcoming his newborn son. Instead of taking paternity leave, he plans to balance White House duties with family life. The decision comes as Vance occupies one of the rarest positions in American politics, becoming only the second sitting vice president in U.S. history to father a child while in office.
JD Vance is not going on paternity leave
JD Vance had already signaled his plans months before his son’s arrival. Speaking with NBC News in May, the 41-year-old said his role as vice president makes it impossible to fully step away from work. “It’s one of these jobs where it’s impossible to completely disconnect from it,” he explained, adding that he intends to blend family time into his schedule instead of taking an extended leave.
The couple announced on social media that Alec Neel Vance was born on July 19, sharing that both mother and baby were healthy. They also thanked the medical teams at Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit, calling their care a “blessing” for the family.
Rather than disappearing from public duties, Vance said he expects to spend more time at home while also bringing his children to the White House more often. “Kids are probably here at the White House more than they have been the last few months, and I’ll probably be at home a little bit more, and we’ll just make it work.”
Meanwhile, he said Usha Vance plans to take a lengthy break from public appearances following the birth. President Donald Trump congratulated the Vance family the following day, posting the first public photo of the newborn alongside his siblings. “A perfect baby boy,” Trump wrote.
Alec’s birth wasn’t just a joyful moment for the Vance family; it also made a bit of history. It’s the first time in more than 150 years that the wife of a sitting U.S. vice president has given birth while serving as second lady. The last known case happened in 1870, when Ellen Wade Colfax, wife of Vice President Schuyler Colfax, welcomed a baby boy during President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration.
