State of the Union: Who is on the guest list?

Biden delivered his first State of the Union address in 2022

On Tuesday evening, US President Joe Biden will take a short drive from the White House to Capitol Hill and deliver his second State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.

All 535 lawmakers — 100 senators and 435 lawmakers — will be invited, and Vice President Kamala Harris will be present in her capacity as Senate President.

The President’s annual address is also attended by cabinet members, senior US military commanders and Supreme Court justices.

Lawmakers, as well as the President and First Lady, may invite guests. A president’s celebrity guests are often used to highlight important political issues raised in the speech.

Last year’s guests included Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and juvenile diabetes advocate Joshua Davis.

Here’s what you should know about some of the notable guests, including rock star Bono, former Afghan Ambassador Roya Rahmani, and Tire Nichols’ family.

Tire Nichols family

Kamala Harris joined Tire Nichols’ family at his funeral last week

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tire Nichols, the 29-year-old man whose death at the hands of the Memphis police force reignited calls for police reform, are among those invited.

They were invited by both Nevada Democratic Representative Steven Horsford, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the White House.

“It’s important that you’re here in the stands this evening to listen to the President,” Horsford told the New York Times.

“I have also requested a meeting with the President and White House officials to discuss how we are requesting that this issue be part of the State of the Union address.”

The Wells spoke to Mr Biden last week after five Memphis officers were charged with murder.

The brother of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020, and family members of Michael Brown, who was shot dead by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2018, will also be in attendance.

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar will house the father of Amir Lock, who was shot dead in Minneapolis last year by officers who were serving a warrant.

Brandon Tsay

Brandon Tsay has been credited with saving lives during a deadly shooting in California

Brandon Tsay, 26, made national headlines in January after disarming a gunman who was involved in a shooting in Monterey Park, California, that killed 11 people.

He was invited to the State of the Union by California representative Judy Chu, who told the BBC’s US affiliate, CBS, that she was not the only one who had reached out to Mr Tsay.

“Just an hour after I spoke to him, President Biden himself asked him to be his guest at the State of the Union. Brandon, how could you refuse me?” Ms. Chu said.

Good

Bono has worked closely with the White House on fighting HIV and AIDS

The Irish singer-songwriter and activist is among 26 people on First Lady Jill Biden’s guest list.

In a statement, the White House said the 62-year-old rock star is a “pioneering activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty.”

Twenty years ago, he played a key role in the “President’s Contingency Plan on AIDS” announced by George W. Bush and championed by then-Senator Joe Biden. The initiative has been credited with saving 25 million lives worldwide since its inception.

The U2 frontman also works with governments around the world to fight poverty and preventable diseases and has raised $700m (£584.2m) to help fight HIV and AIDS in Africa.

“Good Samaritan” Darrell Woodie

Congressman Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, announced his guest will be the “Good Samaritan” Darrell Woodie, who called for help after Mr Steube was seriously injured in an accident in January.

Mr. Steube was injured after falling about 25 feet (7.6 m) from a ladder while cutting tree branches at his home in Sarasota.

Mr Woodie saw the incident and immediately called 911.

The congressman is still recovering from his injuries in Florida, although Mr. Woodie will attend the speech as his official guest.

Former Afghan Ambassador Roya Rahmani

Roya Rahmani served as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Washington DC from 2018 to 2021

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has invited former Afghan Ambassador to the US Roya Rahmani.

In 2018, Ms. Rahmani became Afghanistan’s first ambassador to Washington DC, where she served from December of that year until the Afghan government collapsed in July 2021. Before that she was Ambassador to Indonesia and to the Association of South East Asians Nations.

She now holds a position as a Distinguished Fellow at the Washington DC-based Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and continues to advocate for women living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

“Since the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, which paved the way for the Taliban to take power, the situation for women in the country has become dire. Women there – many of whom only knew the freedoms of the past 20 years – no longer have rights,” McCaul said in a statement.

“I hope that my invitation and the presence of Ambassador Rahmani will send a signal to the women of Afghanistan that they have not been forgotten.”

Paul Pelosi

Paul Pelosi was seriously injured by an intruder at his home in California in late October.

Among the other names on the White House guest list is that of Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In October 2022, Mr. Pelosi was seriously injured by a hammer-wielding intruder who broke into her San Francisco home. Authorities believe the attack was politically motivated.

Other White House guests include Americans from a variety of walks of life, including teachers, medical professionals, students and business leaders.

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