GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and her husband Matt Manda welcomed their newborn son on Friday, according to an announcement the couple made Monday.
“We are over the moon to announce the arrival of our healthy baby boy Samuel (“Sam”) Albritton Manda at 8:21 AM on Friday, August 27th, 2021,” the couple said in a statement.
“Sam was born at Saratoga Hospital weighing a healthy 9 lbs 3 ozs and measuring 22 inches long. Sam impressed all the doctors, nurses, and staff with his head of dark hair, chubby cheeks, and charm!”
The couple expressed their gratitude to the “dedicated team of doctors, midwives, nurses, and staff” at the hospital for their care, as well as their family, friends, and community for “the outpouring of love and support.”
“Our hearts are bursting with joy and our lives have never been fuller. We are truly blessed by our most precious gift, Baby Sam,” Stefanik and Manda wrote.
In June, Stefanik (R-NY) announced she was pregnant with her first child, saying she was “overjoyed.”
Earlier this month, the congresswoman found herself defending her pregnancy, blasting a local Vermont television station for “outrageously sexist” remarks after the outlet aired a segment discussing her pregnancy.
“Wow. It’s 2021. This is a real TV clip aired in #NY21 this evening,” the GOP conference chair tweeted, linking to the segment.
“A local news station thinks it’s appropriate for two male ‘journalists/analysts’ to question whether a pregnant woman or new mother can effectively legislate in elected office,” she added.
The segment, which aired on WCAX, featured reporter Darren Perron asking, “In terms of leadership, will her absence though — physical absence — on Capitol Hill hurt her role in the Republican Party?”
During the conversation, Stefanik was called “someone who wants to be scarce after having a child,” and “not up to full-time engagement on the floor of the House.”
In May, Stefanik was approved to the No. 3 leadership position in the Republican party, after Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) was ousted from the position.