Rock star Bono, 26, who disarmed in Monterey Park, California, last month, and the family of Tire Nichols will be among the guests seated next to first lady Jill Biden at the State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The guests were invited “because they reflect issues or themes” Biden will address in the speech or embody administration policies that work for the American people, the White House said. President Joe Biden is expected to refer to some of the invitees by name.
Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will sit down with the first lady and invite Ruth Cohen, a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor from the Washington area, as a guest, his office said. Emhoff, who is Jewish, has taken a leading role in the administration’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
– Maurice and Kandice Barron from New York, parents of a 3-year-old boy who has survived a rare pediatric cancer, meant to highlight Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.
– Lynette Bonar of Tuba City, Arizona, a nurse and medical executive involved in bringing the first cancer center to a Native American reservation.
– Bono, Irish lead singer of U2, for his advocacy and philanthropic support of global health and AIDS relief initiatives.
– Deanna Branch Milwaukee, whose son was diagnosed with lead poisoning from unsafe drinking water in their home, as Biden aims to replace all lead drinking water pipes in the coming decade.
– Kristin Christensen and Avarie Kollmar of Seattle, a mother-daughter pair who share their story of caring for a wounded Navy veteran husband and father.
– Ruth Cohen of Rockville, Maryland, a Holocaust survivor and volunteer at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum who has warned against rising antisemitism.
– Mitzi Colin Lopez of West Chester, Pennsylvania, advocate for those brought to the US illegally as children who have received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
– Maurice “Dion” Dykes of Knoxville, Tennessee, who is training to become a teacher after a 25-year career in graphic design as part of a program funded by the 2020 COVID-19 relief act.
– Kate Foley of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, a 10th grade student who wants to use the skills from her high school engineering class to pursue a career as a biomedical engineer.
– Darlene Gaffney of North Charleston, South Carolina, a breast cancer survivor who has promoted the importance of early detection and timely cancer screenings.
– Doug Griffin of Newton, New Hampshire, who lost his daughter, Courtney, in 2014 to a fentanyl overdose, as the Biden administration works to strengthen federal efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
– Saria Gwin-Maye of Cincinnati, an ironworker who will work on the federally funded revitalization of the Brent Spence bridge.
– Jacki Liszak of Fort Myers, Florida, who met with the president and first lady after Hurricane Ian and businesses benefiting from federal climate resilience funding.
– Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the US was a guest last year when Biden spoke a few days after the Russian invasion of her country. She will return to the first lady’s box as Biden seeks to bolster US and allied support for Ukraine.
– Harry Miller of Upper-Arlington, Ohio, mechanical engineering student and former football player for Ohio State University, who left football to prioritize mental health.
– Gina and Heidi Nortonsmith of Northampton, Massachusetts, plaintiffs in Goodridge vs MA Dept of Public Health which cleared the way for the state to legalize same-sex marriage.
– Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who was seriously injured the day before the midterm elections by a man with a hammer who allegedly tried to harm the California legislature.
– Paul Sarzoza of Phoenix, owner of a cleaning and facility services company who has benefited from service companies investing in high-tech manufacturing in his area.
– Brandon Tsay of San Marino, California, who disarmed the gunman responsible for killing 11 people in Monterey Park, California, last month during a Lunar New Year celebration, preventing more deaths.
– RowVaughn and Rodney Wells of Memphis, Tennessee, the mother and stepfather of Tire Nichols who died last month after being beaten by police in Memphis, have sparked new calls for police reform legislation.
– Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Austin, Texas, who found doctors unable to intervene after her water broke prematurely at 18 weeks pregnant because of Texas’ abortion ban. Amanda Zurawski developed sepsis and nearly died due to delays in receiving treatment, as the Biden administration looks to highlight the consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court last year.
– Gina and Heidi Nortonsmith of Northampton, Massachusetts, plaintiffs in Goodridge vs. MA Dept. of Public Health that cleared the way for the state to legalize same-sex marriage.
– Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who was seriously injured the day before the midterm elections by a man with a hammer who allegedly tried to harm the California legislature.
– Paul Sarzoza of Phoenix, owner of a cleaning and facility services company who has benefited from service companies investing in high-tech manufacturing in his area.
– Brandon Tsay of San Marino, California, who disarmed the gunman responsible for killing 11 people in Monterey Park, California, last month during a Lunar New Year celebration, preventing more deaths.
– RowVaughn and Rodney Wells of Memphis, Tennessee, the mother and stepfather of Tire Nichols who died last month after being severely beaten by police in Memphis, sparking renewed calls for police reform.
– Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Austin, Texas, who found doctors unable to intervene after her water broke prematurely at 18 weeks pregnant because of Texas’ abortion ban. Amanda Zurawski developed sepsis and nearly died due to delays in receiving treatment, as the Biden administration looks to highlight the consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court last year.