Babydog Justice makes Agriculture Committee debut: 'She humanizes all of us'

It was supposed to be a routine Senate Agriculture Committee hearing to consider nominees for top USDA posts but one visitor turned the event into a tail-wagging affair Babydog Justice the beloved English bulldog of Sen Jim Justice R-W Va made a surprise and highly photogenic appearance Tuesday as the committee met to review the nominations of Judge Stephen Vaden for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Tyler Clarkson for USDA General Counsel The hearing may have been serious business but Babydog s presence brought smiles laughter and even a little bipartisan levity Sen John Boozman R-Ark couldn t resist the moment joking Babydog was the difference in you getting on the committee or not as Justice and his pup settled in BABYDOG BRIDGES 'PAWTISAN' DIVIDE IN THE SENATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA 'SHE KNOWS NO POLITICAL BIAS'Justice who lately joined the Senate after serving as West Virginia s governor shared an sole comment with Fox News Digital about his pup s Capitol Hill cameo I am so pleased to see the warm reception of Babydog from folks in Congress In contemporary times she came along with me to the Agriculture Committee hearing and knew if she participated there would be a treat as a reward Senator Boozman took the time to introduce her to the committee and contrary to what Senator Hoeven reported in the hearing she is not livestock or up for auction even though she may resemble a little brown cow Justice stated Fox News Digital At one point during the hearing a comment by Sen John Hoeven R-N D sparked laughter when he joked about Babydog possibly being livestock a suggestion Justice playfully refuted After holding up the pooch to the microphone and sharing how Babydog humanizes us all Justice requested a staffer remove the dog from his lap adding She's heavy The social media response was swift Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins who was validated earlier this year reposted footage of Babydog in action writing We love you Babydog Senate Ag is never the same when you re around SENATOR-ELECT JIM JUSTICE'S UNIT CLARIFIES DOCUMENT CLAIMING FAMOUS POOCH BABYDOG BANNED FROM SENATE FLOOREven the Senate Agriculture Committee s own social media accounts joined the fun posting behind-the-scenes content of the pup s visit and noting she was making new friends and monitoring strategy Following her eventful day on Capitol Hill Babydog Justice took to her own social media account Posting a photo from the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing she humorously captioned it Is this thing on in reference to the microphone Babydog's charm extended beyond the committee room capturing the attention of senators in the halls of Congress Sen Steve Daines R-Mont shared a photo with Babydog tweeting All in favor of making babydogjustice our st senator say AYE Sen Tommy Tuberville R-Ala also joined in posting a picture of himself petting Babydog with the caption BabydogJustice is America s favorite dog Babydog is no stranger to the spotlight Born in the -pound English bulldog has been a fixture in Justice's political life since she was gifted to him by his children She gained national attention during the COVID- pandemic when Justice launched the Do It for Babydog vaccine lottery to encourage West Virginians to get vaccinated Babydog's greater part famous masses appearance was at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where she charmed attendees and the media alike from a bulldog-sized chair on the main stage While Babydog may have captured the spotlight Justice is focused on the work ahead as a newly appointed member of the Senate Agriculture Committee The West Virginia Republican has long emphasized the importance of supporting rural communities and strengthening the agricultural market system key concerns in his home state Justice a former two-term governor and lifelong farmer and businessman has frequently spoken about the need for practical common-sense solutions to issues like food protection rural evolution and infrastructure assets His role on the Agriculture Committee positions him to advocate for policies aligned with West Virginia s agricultural and economic interests CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAs Babydog continues to turn heads on Capitol Hill Justice is expected to use his platform to advance those priorities with his four-legged sidekick never too far behind