Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is expecting her first child in late August, which would make her only the 12th member of Congress ever to give birth while in office, Time reported on Monday.
She told the magazine "we are very excited to welcome our son later this summer. Children are a blessing and we could not have asked for a greater gift."
There have been more than 12,500 legislators who have been either a senator or a representative since the U.S. Congress first convened 234 years ago.
Of course, the overwhelming number of those serving in Congress throughout history have been male, although the current 118th Congress is 28% female, the highest proportion in history, according to the Pew Research Center.
One-fourth of congressional pregnancies, including Luna's, have taken place over the last five years, including two years ago when Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and the House Conference Chair, gave birth, according to Time.
In 2018, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., gave birth to a child, making her the first U.S. senator to do so while in office.
Luna, who is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and is on the powerful House Oversight Committee after starting her first term in Congress earlier this year, is currently with a delegation of House members visiting South Korea. The group is scheduled to return on Tuesday.
The annual congressional summer recess begins at the end of July, which by chance, coincides with her due date.
"Over the summer, we're actually in session a lot," Luna told Time. "Then obviously in August, I'll be trying not to have a panic attack."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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