Politics of Parenthood Federal

There are only 39 moms of minors in the 119th Congress, making up 7.2% of all Congress members.

Among the 541 members of the 118th U.S. Congress (including non-voting members), just 37 were moms with children under the age of 18. Only 3 of these moms served in the Senate, where they were outnumbered by dads of minors 7 to 1.

From the start of 2022 to early 2023, 6 Republican and 5 Democratic congressmen have welcomed newborns, but not a single congresswoman has given birth or adopted a child. While there are only 6 congresswomen with kids under the age of 6, there are nearly 9 times as many congressmen with kids under 6.

Moms of minor children make up 8.0% of the House and just 4.0% of the Senate–even though women comprise 28.0% of the House and 26.0% of the Senate.

Formal leadership roles are essential for shaping the legislative agenda, coordinating party strategy, and influencing policymaking. Notable positions include Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and committee chairs. These representatives are key decision-makers and have the ability to influence other members of Congress. 

As of March 2025, moms of minor children held zero of the 46 formal leadership positions across both chambers.

Our findings among LGBTQ+ members of Congress remain consistent with those from the 118th Congress: of the 13 LGBTQ+ members, only one is a mom of minor children. There are no openly bisexual or transgender parents, nor openly gay fathers currently serving in Congress.