Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) is delivering a Dr. Seuss-inspired birthday message to his son, straight from the Senate floor.
The Ohio Republican took to the floor on Monday as the upper chamber continued its consideration of a $95.3 billion national security supplemental that would provide foreign aid for Israel and Ukraine.
After speaking at length about his criticism of further aid to Ukraine, Vance said, “Now, I want to move on to another argument. But before I do, I am mindful of something that’s very close to my heart personally.”
Naming his three kids with his wife, Usha, including 6-year-old Ewan and 2-year-old Mirabel, Vance turned his attention to his middle child.
“I have a little guy named Vivek,” Vance said, “who was 3 years old yesterday but turned 4 today.”
“And I’m sorry that they could I can’t be with you for your birthday dinner,” the 39-year-old lawmaker and “Hillbilly Elegy” author said to his son.
“But I want you to know that Daddy loves you very much. And I’m going to read this into the record because maybe you can watch it at home,” Vance continued, before reciting the 1990 Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
The entire Senate storytime took about six minutes, with Vance injecting his son’s name into the last verse.
“So be your name Buxbaum, or Bixby or Bray,
Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, or Vivek,
You’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!”
It’s not the first time that a GOP senator has made use of Seuss’s rhymes. In 2013, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) read “Green Eggs and Ham” to his daughters as part of his 21-hour filibuster during which he called on the Senate to defund ObamaCare.