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Updated April 4, 2019
Foreign Leaders Addressing Congress
Foreign leaders are periodically invited to address
a foreign leader was held on August 16, 1967, with Kurt
Congress. The first address by a foreign dignitary occurred
George Kiesinger, Chancellor of West Germany.
on December 10, 1824, when Revolutionary War hero the
Marquis de Lafayette addressed the House. The most recent
Joint Meeting of Congress
address took place on April 3, 2019, when His Excellency
A joint meeting of Congress is generally held when a
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic
prominent individual, often a foreign leader, is invited to
Treaty Organization (NATO), addressed a joint meeting of
address the House and Senate simultaneously. Because
Congress.
addressing a joint meeting of Congress is available by
invitation only, agreement on whom to invite, and when
Invitation Process
they will speak, is generally reached between the House and
When a foreign leader formally visits the United States he
the Senate. Table 1 lists the number of foreign leaders who
or she is sometimes invited to address Congress. The
have addressed a joint meeting of Congress since the 94th
decision to invite a foreign leader to address Congress has
Congress (1975-1976).
historically been made by the congressional leadership,
often in consultation and conjunction with the executive
Table 1. Number of Foreign Leaders Addressing a
branch. No formal procedure, however, on when or how to
Joint Meeting of Congress, 1975-April 3, 2019
issue invitations is codified in law or in House or Senate
rules. Additionally, not all foreign leaders who visit the
Congress
Number
Congress
Number
United States are invited to address Congress.
94
7
106
1
When a foreign leader is invited to address Congress, the
95
1
107
2
invitation is formally extended by the Speaker of the House
96
0
108
4
on behalf of the House and Senate leadership.
97
1
109
7
98
4
110
3
“It is my honor as Speaker, and on behalf of the
bipartisan leadership of the U.S. House of
99
7
111
3
Representatives and the U.S. Senate, to extend to you
100
3
112
3
as head of state of the Holy See an open invitation to
appear before and address a Joint Meeting of the two
101
7
113
2
houses of Congress assembled in the Chamber of the
102
5
114
5
U.S. House of Representatives.”
- Invitation to His Holiness, Pope Francis
103
3
115
1
104
5
116
1
Types of Meetings Addressed
105
3
Total
78
A foreign leader (or other non-Member of Congress) has
historically addressed either a House or Senate reception,
Source: Historian of the House of Representatives, “Joint Meeting &
where only one chamber is present, or a joint meeting,
Joint Session Addresses Before Congress by Foreign Leaders &
where the House and Senate are both present.
Dignitaries,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/Foreign-Leaders/
Joint-Sessions/.
House and Senate Receptions
On several occasions, a foreign leader has been invited to
The first time a foreign leader addressed a joint meeting of
address the House or Senate individually. These meetings
Congress occurred in 1874, when King Kalakaua of Hawaii
are formally called House or Senate receptions. The first
(then a kingdom) visited Washington. Since then, there
House reception was held on December 10, 1824, when the
have been 120 instances where foreign leaders have
Marquis de Lafayette addressed the chamber. The most
addressed a joint meeting of Congress.
recent House reception for a foreign leader was held on
February 17, 1977, for the President of Mexico, José Lopez
Table 2 lists the foreign leaders to address a joint meeting
Portillo.
of Congress during the last six Congresses (110th Congress
[2007-2008] to the 116th Congress [2019-2020], through
The first Senate reception was held on January 5, 1852,
April 3, 2019).
when Louis Kossuth, the exiled Governor of Hungary,
addressed the Senate. The most recent Senate reception for
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Foreign Leaders Addressing Congress
Table 2. Addresses by Foreign Leaders
Date
Foreign Leader
110th to 116th Congresses, Through April 3, 2019
6/8/2016
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Date
Foreign Leader
Republic of India
3/7/2007
King Abdul ah II Bin Al Hussein
4/25/2018
President Emmanuel Macron
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
France
11/7/2007
President Nicolas Sarkozy
4/3/2019
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
French Republic
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
4/30/2008
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern
Source: Historian of the House of Representatives, “Joint Meeting &
Ireland
Joint Session Addresses Before Congress by Foreign Leaders &
Dignitaries,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/Foreign-Leaders/
3/4/2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Joint-Sessions/.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland
Since 1809, most joint meetings of Congress to hear
11/3/2009
Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel
addresses by foreign leaders have been held in the Hall of
Federal Republic of Germany
the House. For example, Figure 1 shows Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani
5/20/2010
President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
addressing a joint meeting of Congress on March 25, 2015.
Mexico
3/9/2011
Prime Minister Julia Gil ard
Figure 1. President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Islamic
Australia
Republic of Afghanistan Addressing a Joint Meeting of
Congress
3/24/2011
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
March 25, 2015
Israel
10/13/2011
President Lee Myung-bak
Republic of Korea
5/8/2013
President Park Geun Hye
Republic of Korea
9/18/2014
President Petro Poroshenko,
Ukraine
3/3/2015
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu,
Israel
3/25/2015
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani,
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Source: C-SPAN, “Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Address to Joint
Meeting of Congress,” March 25, 2015, at http://www.c-span.org/
4/29/2015
Prime Minister Shinzō Abe,
video/?324977-2/afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-address-joint-meeting-
Japan
congress.
9/24/2015
His Holiness Pope Francis
Holy See of Rome
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress
IF10211
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Foreign Leaders Addressing Congress
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