Pres. Biden’s State Of The Union Address
(WASHINGTON, DC) News: President Joe Biden will give his first speech before a joint session of Congress tonight, though it will look and feel different from past State of the Union addresses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of addressing roughly 1,600 lawmakers and their guests, Biden’s speech will be delivered in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol to just 200 invitees — 80 House members and 60 senators, according to Politico. Some lawmakers will be required to sit in the upstairs visitors gallery, and none are permitted to bring guests.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley will be the sole representatives of the Supreme Court and the military, respectively. And most of Biden’s Cabinet will be absent, all but eliminating the need for a designated survivor — a Cabinet member kept in an undisclosed location in the event of an attack on the government during the speech.
