President Biden will deliver his third State of the Union address on March 7, which will likely be his last address to Congress before the 2024 presidential election this fall.
Just two days after Super Tuesday, Biden has fallen as he is in the midst of the primary race. And it’s later than usual, given the House speaker race, the legislative calendar and the looming government shutdown deadline.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s tradition.
What is the State of the Union?
The State of the Union address is an annual address given by the president to members of both houses of Congress. The president will report on the current state of the country and outline policy priorities for the coming year.
The speech fulfills the president’s constitutional obligation to update Congress on the state of the country.
When is the State of the Union address?
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) sent an invitation to Biden in early January, saying it was a “solemn duty” to invite him to address a joint session of Congress.
Biden accepted the invitation in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I’m looking forward to it, Chairman.” His post read:
Biden will address both houses of Congress on March 7th at 9pm ET.
The State of the Union address will be broadcast live on The Hill.
Sen. Katie Britt speaks on behalf of the Republican Party
Political parties not in the White House typically speak in response to the annual address.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) is scheduled to deliver the Republican response to Biden’s speech. In a post Thursday, Britt said she was grateful for the opportunity to “speak directly to my fellow Americans” and “have honest conversations about the future of our country.”
There have also been calls for Johnson to cancel Biden’s speech. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania), former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said Republicans should use the president’s speech as an opportunity to increase pressure on Biden as the battle continues in Congress over the southern border. Ta.
Biden is likely to face a disgruntled crowd as House Republicans reject a bipartisan border bill that he supported. He recently urged a group of governors to pressure their state representatives to pass important border security agreements.
Who will be the famous guests?
First lady Jill Biden invited Kate Cox, a Texas woman who fled the state for abortion care, to this year’s State of the Union address.
Cox was carrying a fetus more than 20 weeks pregnant that had been diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality that could lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. She filed a lawsuit for the right to terminate a non-viable pregnancy and left the state to seek abortion care.
Cox’s invitation comes as the Biden campaign focuses on reproductive rights as part of its re-election effort.
Other guests will be announced closer to the performance.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
