Virginia Democrats are planning to make a show of force during President Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress tonight. As Michael Pope reports, both Virginia senators are bringing politically charged guests.
Back in the 1980's, President Reagan started the trend of presidents bringing guests to the State of the Union. It was a made-for-TV moment, one that allowed Reagan — and every other president since -- to point up to the gallery and have the cameras focus on the guests of honor. Now both Virginia senators are trying to get into the act. Mark Warner is inviting the pastor of a church that was victim of a raid by federal immigration officials. And Tim Kaine is bringing a woman who benefits from the Affordable Care Act. Frank Shafroth at George Mason University says he’s not sure it will work.
“It always works for the president because the camera and the commentators will always, when the president points to that person in the gallery have them stand up. But the senator or the congressman really doesn’t have that option.”
Members of Congress have always brought guests to these joint sessions of Congress. But in the past it’s been campaign workers or political supporters. Quentin Kidd at Christopher Newport University says Warner and Kaine are trying something new.
“The objective here is to in some ways ride on the coattails of the president’s statement by having a counter statement in the form of a guest.”
Regardless of what Trump outlines in his first speech to Congress, Warner will be focused on the president’s immigration policy. And Kaine will be trying to defend the Affordable Care Act.