First Lady Jill Biden has graciously extended an invitation to Kate Cox, the mother of two, who gained attention for suing the state of Texas in 2023 for the right to abort her pregnancy.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has sent an invitation to Elizabeth Carr, notable as the first person born through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has extended an invitation to the parents of Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich. Evan was detained in Russia on March 29, facing charges of espionage.
Furthermore, invitations have been sent to the relatives of U.S. citizens who were killed or captured by Hamas following the October 7 attack.
Speaker Johnson has also invited Zunxu Tian and Ben Kurian, the two New York policemen who bravely fought a mob outside a migrant shelter in Times Square.
The State of the Union is a significant event where the U.S. President delivers a keynote to Congress, outlining their vision for the upcoming year. According to the Constitution, the President must “from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
Over the past 200 years, the State of the Union address has evolved, starting with President George Washington’s 1790 speech in New York, then the United States capital. It has now become one of the biggest media events on the U.S. political calendar.
President Biden’s 2024 address, at the age of 81, comes amid growing criticism and concerns about his mental capacity to lead the country. It is expected that he will use the occasion to address voter concerns about his job performance and make an election pitch against Donald Trump.