Who are some of the guests at the 2018 State of the Union?
Only the president gets to speak at the State of the Union address, but lawmakers will be sending their own political messages through the guests they're bringing to the speech Tuesday night. The White House, too, will be reinforcing the themes of the address with its own roster of guests.
Traditionally, White House invitees sit in the the first lady's box. This year, invited guests include people who the White House says have benefited from the new tax cuts and policies, as well as parents of children killed by alleged members of MS-13, disaster relief workers and first responders, and law enforcement agents, among others.
There may be quite a bit of black garb in the audience, since several members -- women and men alike -- will be wearing black in solidarity with sexual harassment victims. The treatment of sexual harassment in the workplace reached a watershed in the fall, with reporting that uncovered decades of abuse by some of the most powerful figures in entertainment, journalism and Congress.
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-New Hampshire, is bringing Chessy Prout, the young sexual assault survivor in the St. Paul's sexual assault case. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-California, is bringing Fatima Goss Graves, the president of the National Women's Law Center. Anny Gonzalez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, who was sexually harassed as she cleaned passenger planes, is coming to the address with Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts.
Immigration will also play a big role in the lawmakers' guest list. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, is bringing Cindy Garcia, whose husband, Jorge Garcia, was deported to Mexico in January after having lived in the U.S. for 30 years. Jorge Garcia was brought to the U.S. as a 10-year-old child and had been fighting to stay in the U.S. with his wife and two children, all American citizens. Garcia, a landscaper, paid his taxes and had no criminal record, but he was too old to qualify for DACA relief.
Some 24 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients will also be attending the State of the Union as guests of members, too, as Congress works under a tight deadline on legislation that will create a permanent fix for DACA recipients. Not everyone is going to be welcoming the immigrants into the Chamber, though. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Arizona, tweeted that he contacted the Capitol Police and attorney general to suggest that they consider checking the IDs of those attending the address -- and "arresting any illegal aliens in attendance."
Bill Nye, the Science Guy
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Oklahoma, who has been nominated to head NASA, is bringing Bill Nye, "the Science Guy." Nye is weathering quite a bit of criticism for going as Bridenstine's guest. The Oklahoma Republican has been a climate change skeptic, although he recently acknowledged that humans contribute to global warming. Some in the science community see Nye's attendance as Bridenstine's guest as treachery, an endorsement of climate change skepticism.
Scientific American tweeted that Nye "does not speak for us and he does not speak for science."
Nye, an ardent climate change activist, welcomed Bridenstine's recent evolution on climate change but also stated on Twitter that his attendance "should not be interpreted as an endorsement of this administration, or of Congressman Bridenstine's nomination, or seen as an acceptance of the recent attacks on science and the scientific community."
One of the more unusual guests is Randy Bryce, Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan's guest. Bryce is challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan for his seat in 2018. Bryce plans to "stare at" Ryan during the president's speech. He told Politico that he wants to "be a reminder of the district that he has decided not to represent for the last couple of years."
Who are the president's guests?
The president's guests at a state of the union are sometimes called "Skutniks," which comes from Lenny Skutnik, a federal worker who heroically dove into the frigid waters of the Potomac in 1982 to rescue victims of an airline crash. He attended the State of the Union later that month as President Reagan's guest, beginning the modern tradition of presidents bringing people of note to the address.
Guests of the president sit in the first lady's section of the gallery. This year, President Trump's guests will include:
Corey Adams, a welder from Ohio who says he benefited from the recent tax cuts.
Elizabeth Alvardo, Robert Mickens, Evelyn Rodriguez, and Freddy Vuevas, who are the parents of two children who were killed on Long Island by alleged members of the MS-13 gang.
Matthew Bradford, a Marine corporal who reenlisted in the Corps after losing his sight and both legs in Iraq.
Jon Bridges, who founded a recovery organization that assisted victims of last year's hurricanes in the South.
David Dahlberg, a firefighter who rescued dozens in southern California.
Ryan Holets, an Albuquerque police officer who has been shot twice and adopted the child of opioid addicts.
Ashlee Leppert, a Coast Guard technician who saved dozens of Americans during last year's hurricane season.
Celestino "CJ" Martinez, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent who has helped arrest over 100 suspected members of MS-13.
Justin Peck, a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army who saved the life of Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy during an anti-ISIS operation in Syria last year.
Preston Sharp, who started the "Flag and Flower Challenge" to deliver flowers and American flags to the graves of serve members.
Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger, siblings who started a manufacturing company and say they are benefitting from Mr. Trump's policies.
In addition, first lady Melania Trump and all of Mr. Trump's children – with the exception of his youngest, Barron Trump – will be in attendance.
