Lehighton boy, 6, has day in Congress

While many 6-year-olds were counting the days until the holiday school break, a Lehighton Area Elementary Center first grader was busy rubbing elbows earlier this month with government leaders in Washington.

Joshua Slaby spent Dec. 6 on the floor of Congress as the invited guest of Rep. Susan Wild, a Democrat who represents all of Lehigh and Northampton counties, and part of Monroe County.

“I had a great time meeting everyone and I even got to press the button for yea or nay on three votes while I was there,” he said after his visit.

Slaby’s father, John, attends the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Emmaus, where Wild had come to give a talk. After the talk, John asked her if she could arrange a tour of the Capitol building for his son. Wild, however, said she would do better and take Joshua out on the floor with her.

“She gave my son the opportunity of a lifetime,” Joshua’s mother, Marianne, said. “It’s not every day that anyone besides official members of Congress can experience such things. When he learns of government in school he will have firsthand experience to draw on when talking about how laws are made.”

Wild, meanwhile, took to him immediately, telling his family he reminded her of her son when he was Joshua’s age.

“It was as if your aunt took you to work for the day,” Marianne said of the interaction between her son and the congresswoman.

Though Joshua said going out on the floor was his favorite part, he also described touring the underground tunnels and receiving numerous gifts such as candy, buttons, sock puppets, trinkets and more from lawmakers and their staffs. His Washington experience also included hugs from Nancy Pelosi and magic tricks with Civil Rights activist John Lewis, now a representative from Georgia.

“As I watched him on the floor, I actually sat there in tears thinking about how amazing this was,” Marianne said.

“There is so much political divide in the country right now, but none of that really mattered here. This was about democracy and the process. Whether you like a particular person or not, it was refreshing to see this incredibly engaging process.”

As the Slaby family had CNN on the television a few days after their visit, Joshua heard Pelosi talking, looked at the television and said, “That’s the lady who gave me hugs.”

Watching government in action is already having an impact on him.

Asked what law he would make if he had the chance, Joshua was quick with a top priority.

“For every tree you cut down, you have to plant a new one,” he said. “Trees are nature and I love nature.”