Rep. Golden taking a break from Washington to await birth of first child

May 12—Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, and his wife, Isobel, are expecting the birth of their first child, so he will remain in Maine this week rather than work in Washington, D.C.

"After a couple of weeks of "any day now," it appears arrival day is indeed imminent, his staff announced in a news release Tuesday night.

"We are expecting the birth of our first child and therefore I will be remaining in Maine this week to be with my wife as our family grows," said the 38-year-old Golden, who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Golden went on to explain that he won't be casting votes remotely, "since I don't believe my family responsibilities are an allowable use of a proxy voting system specifically intended to protect high-risk members from COVID-19."

Golden did not specify how long his paternity leave would last, saying only that he would return to the job "as soon as my responsibilities to my family allow."

In November, Golden announced on Twitter that he and his wife were expecting a baby in 2021.