A Republican lawmaker ruffled some feathers this week when he attacked the ramps that were put in place at the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool to help Washington D.C.’s beloved ducklings get in and out of the water in areas with a concrete barrier.
Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) griped that the ramps were examples of government waste:
The office of the Architect of the U.S. Capitol released a statement this week saying four “broods” ― or families ― of ducks live in the pool, including their newly hatched ducklings. The two ramps were installed as part of a collaboration with City Wildlife, a local nonprofit. The group’s president, Anne Lewis, told The New York Times that the ducklings could die without the ramps.
“Ducklings get into the water ― often helped there by visitors ― and then can’t get out because of the high curb at the water’s edge,” Lewis told the newspaper. “They will drown from exhaustion or die of starvation unless they have a way to get out of the water.”
It seems to have worked. The ducklings, who have become social media sensations, are already using the ramps:
It’s not clear how much work went into the ramps or what they cost, but Walker’s comments received some 2,500 replies. Here are some of the insults Walker is now ducking as a result of his tweet: