History, Evolution, and Practices of the
President’s State of the Union Address:
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated January 24, 2023
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R44770

History, Evolution, and Practices of the President’s State of the Union Address: FAQs

Summary
The State of the Union address is a communication from the President to Congress in which the
chief executive reports on the current condition of the United States and provides policy
proposals for the upcoming legislative year. The address originates in the Constitution (Article II,
Section 3, clause 1), which requires that the President “shall from time to time give to the
Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such
Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
Over time, the State of the Union address has evolved considerably. The President’s State of the
Union address was known as the President’s Annual Message to Congress until well into the 20th
century. Presidents George Washington and John Adams delivered their messages to Congress in
person, but President Thomas Jefferson abandoned the practice as “monarchical” and time
consuming, sending written messages instead. This precedent was followed until President
Woodrow Wilson personally appeared before Congress in 1913. President Franklin Roosevelt
adopted Wilson’s practice of personal delivery, and it has since become a contemporary tradition.
With the advent of radio (1923), television (1947), and live webcast (2002) coverage of the
address, it has gained greater importance by providing a nationwide platform for the President.
In recent presidencies, the annual State of the Union address is typically delivered by the
President at a joint session of Congress on an evening in late January or early February. Some
Presidents, however, have chosen not to deliver a State of the Union address in the January of
their departure from office, or the year they were inaugurated. Since 1981, Presidents have
addressed a joint session of Congress closely following their inauguration, but not as an official
“State of the Union” address. As the address is now broadcast and webcast to a “prime time”
national and international audience, it serves several functions: as a report to Congress and the
nation on national conditions; as a platform to announce and rally support for the President’s
legislative agenda for the coming year; and as a unique opportunity for the chief executive to
convey a vision for the nation to Congress and the American people. To ensure continuity of
government, one Cabinet officer (and in more recent years, selected Members of Congress) are
absent from the Capitol during the address.
This report takes the format of answers to frequently asked questions about the State of the Union
address.

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History, Evolution, and Practices of the President’s State of the Union Address: FAQs

What Is the State of the Union Address?
The State of the Union Address is a communication from the President of the United States to
Congress and the nation in which the chief executive reports on the general state of affairs in the
United States, provides an assessment of key issues impacting conditions in the country,
recommends a legislative program for the coming session of Congress, and frequently presents a
vision for the future.1
In Contemporary Practice, Is There a State of the Union Address
Every Year?
The past seven Presidents have chosen not to give an official State of the Union address the year
they were first inaugurated, having just previously delivered an inaugural address. In each
instance, their first speech to a joint session of Congress closely followed their inauguration, but
was not officially categorized as a “State of the Union Message.” For example, President Donald
Trump’s 2017 address was entitled “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress.”2
Some recent Presidents have also preferred not to deliver a State of the Union address
immediately prior to their departure from office, although several have given farewell addresses.
President Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell message, broadcast to the nation on January 17, 1961,
became famous for its warnings against the “military-industrial complex.”3
Nevertheless, occasionally outgoing and incoming Presidents have given successive State of the
Union addresses within weeks of each other. President Harry Truman’s final message, delivered
in printed form to Congress on January 7, 1953, was closely followed by President Eisenhower’s
first message, delivered in person at the Capitol on February 2, 1953.4
What Precautions Are Taken at the Address to Assure Security,
Continuity of Government, and to Accommodate Pandemic
Protocols?
Customarily, one member of the President’s Cabinet (commonly known as the designated
survivor) does not attend.5 This precaution is taken to provide continuity in the presidency in the
event a catastrophe were to result in the death or disablement of the President, the Vice President,

1 More information about the State of the Union Address can be found on the History, Art & Archives website (a
collaboration between the U.S. House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian and the Clerk of the House’s Office
of Art and Archives), “State of the Union Address,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/.
2 Government Publishing Office, Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, 2017 DCPD No. 150, at
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-201700150/pdf/DCPD-201700150.pdf.
3 Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Farewell Radio and Television Address to the American People,” in Public Papers of the
Presidents of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960-61 (Washington: GPO, 1961), pp. 1035-1040.
4 John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, “Length of the State of the Union Addresses and Messages in Words,” The
American Presidency Project, at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-
guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-3.
5 For example, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry was the designated survivor in 2019, and Secretary of Commerce Gina
Raimondo was the designated survivor for 2022. See “Cabinet Members Not in Attendance (“Designated Survivor,”
from 1984), and Frequency By Department,” at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-
archive-guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-1.
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History, Evolution, and Practices of the President’s State of the Union Address: FAQs

and other officials in the line of presidential succession gathered in the House chamber.6 The
designated survivor has most frequently been a Secretary from the Departments of Interior,
Agriculture, and Commerce (though other executive-branch department heads have been
designated, as well).7 In recent years, selected Members of Congress were also absent from the
Capitol during the address.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the April 2021 joint session, a limited number of
Members of Congress were in the House chamber (approximately 200 people were in the
chamber; typically there are more than 1,500 attendees).8 That year, some Members were seated
in the House gallery to meet social distancing protocols,9 and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
maintained face mask guidance inside the House chamber.10
In 2022, all 541 Members were invited to attend President Biden’s address. Initially, the Sergeant
at Arms of the House had issued a memo (on February 17, 2022), announcing guidance for
attendance requirements, which included “a negative PCR test one day before the event, the
wearing of a high quality, properly fitted, medical-grade filtration mask (KN95 or N95) at all
times, and attestation of a negative health screening inventory and social distancing separation of
seating.”11 However, the Office of the Sergeant at Arms released updated information (two days
prior to the speech, on February 28, 2022), indicating that PCR testing would still be required, but
that “individuals may choose to mask at any time, but it is no longer a requirement.”12 Reportedly,
at least six legislators announced that they had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the
address.13
In preparation for the 2022 State of the Union address, inner-perimeter fencing was erected
around the Capitol building, and National Guard troops were deployed to assist the U.S. Capitol
Police.14

6 For more information on the line of presidential succession, see 3 U.S.C. §19, available from the Government
Publishing Office at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2006-title3/html/USCODE-2006-title3-chap1-
sec19.htm.
7 “Cabinet Members Not in Attendance (“Designated Survivor,” from 1984), and Frequency By Department,” at
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-guidebook/annual-messages-congress-
the-state-the-union-1.
8 “All 535 Members of Congress Invited to Biden’s State of the Union Address, but Masks Required,” ABC News,
archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20220302043913/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/535-members-congress-
invited-bidens-state-union-address/story?id=82981127.
9 Matt Viser, “Biden Will Close the First Chapter of His Presidency Before a Sparse Crowd—and With a Historic
Backdrop,” Washington Post, April 24, 2021, archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20210623120435/https://
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-congress-speech/2021/04/23/d82dc59a-a44e-11eb-a7ee-
949c574a09ac_story.html.
10 “Congress Prepares for ‘Strange’ and ‘Extraordinary’ Presidential Address,” ABC News, archived at
https://web.archive.org/web/20220303021507/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congress-prepares-strange-
extraordinary-presidential-address/story?id=77318542.
11 Letter from William J. Walker, Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, to All Members of
Congress, Invited Press, and Credentialed Staff, February 17, 2022.
12 Letter from William J. Walker, Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, to All Members of
Congress, Invited Press, and Credentialed Staff, February 28, 2022. Also see “Capitol leaders rescind mask mandate
ahead of State of the Union,” Politico, at https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/27/capitol-leaders-rescind-mask-
mandate-sotu-00012167.
13 “State of the Union Attendance Required a COVID Test. 6 Legislators Tested Positive,” National Public Radio,
March 1, 2022, archived at https://www.npr.org/2022/03/01/1083845000/state-of-the-union-covid.
14 U.S. Capitol Police, “Statement: USCP Chief Tom Manger’s Message to the Community,” at https://www.uscp.gov/
media-center/press-releases/statement-uscp-chief-tom-manger-s-message-community.
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In addition, in 2022, U.S. Capitol Police indicated in a press release that they were aware of plans
for a series of truck convoys expected to arrive in the area around the time of that year’s joint
session,15 and that these plans were similar to events that had recently occurred in Canada
involving large trucks and commercial vehicles blocking traffic.16 The Sergeant at Arms of the
House indicated in an announcement (February 23, 2022) that they were “working with the
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and other law enforcement partners to support peaceful
demonstration activity and manage transportation routes.”17
As with the 2021 and 2022 speeches, the 2023 address is expected to be designated as a National
Special Security Event.18
What Section of the Constitution Is the Formal Basis for the State
of the Union Address to Congress?
Article II, Section 3, clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution refers to the President’s State of the Union
message, stating that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of
the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge
necessary and expedient.”
Who Gave the First State of the Union Address? What Was the
Early Practice?
President George Washington delivered the first “State of the Union” address before a joint
session of Congress, in New York, on January 8, 1790. At that time, the speech was known as the
“Annual Message.” This ritual originated from the British practice of giving “a speech from the
throne” to open every new session of Parliament.19 Washington’s first address, which was the
shortest to date, at 1,089 words, was delivered before both houses of Congress.20 When
Washington gave his second Annual Message, he established the precedent that the President

15 U.S. Capitol Police, “USCP Plans for Extra Security Ahead of the Joint Session of Congress,” at
https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-plans-extra-security-ahead-joint-session-congress.
16 “Capitol girding for potential ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protest at State of the Union,” Fortune, at https://fortune.com/
2022/02/18/capitol-potential-freedom-convoy-protest-state-of-union/.
17 Letter from William J. Walker, Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, to All Members of
Congress and Congressional Staff, February 23, 2022.
18 Department of Homeland Security, “Readout of Secretary Mayorkas’s Meeting with Mayor Bowser and Chief
Contee,” February 25, 2022, at https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/02/25/readout-secretary-mayorkass-meeting-mayor-
bowser-and-chief-contee. National Special Security Event operational plans include the use of physical infrastructure
security fencing, barricades, special access accreditation badges, K-9 teams, and other security technologies. To ensure
consequence management, DHS pre-positions Domestic Emergency Support Teams, Urban Search and Rescue Teams,
National Emergency Response Teams, Nuclear Incident Response Teams, and assets from the Strategic National
Stockpile and Mobile Emergency Response System. Specific teams and groupings of teams are designed for each event
based on coordination with other federal entities, state and local jurisdictions, available local resources, and mutual aid
agreements.
For more information on National Special Security Events, see CRS Report R43522, National Special Security Events:
Fact Sheet, by Shawn Reese.
19 Arthur M. Schlesinger, “Introduction,” in The State of the Union Messages of the President 1790-1966, vol. 1, ed.
Fred L. Israel (New York: Chelsea House, 1966), p. xiii.
20 John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, “Length of the State of the Union Addresses and Messages in Words,” The
American Presidency Project, at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-
guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-3.
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would provide information to Congress on an annual basis.21 During the Washington and John
Adams Administrations, the President customarily appeared before a joint session of Congress to
deliver the address personally. Each house subsequently made official replies to the President’s
message, which were delivered personally to the President, and each such response received
formal presidential acknowledgement.22
Which President Stopped Delivering the Speech in Person, and
Why? How Long Did This Practice Last?
President Thomas Jefferson changed the procedure followed by his predecessors with his first
annual message (December 8, 1801). Instead of delivering an in-person speech, his private
secretary delivered copies of the message to both houses of Congress, to be read by clerks in the
House and Senate. Jefferson likened the oral delivery of the message to the British monarch’s
“speech from the throne,” and felt it unsuitable to a republic.23 Some historians also speculate that
Jefferson was a poor public speaker and did not want to deliver it orally, because his inaugural
address had been barely audible and was unfavorably received.24 Jefferson’s precedent of sending
the yearly report as a formal written letter to Congress was followed throughout the 19th century
(and part of the 20th century), until 1913.
Who Revived the Tradition of Delivering the Speech in Person?
Over a century later, on December 2, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson revived the tradition of
delivering the Annual Message to Congress as an in-person speech.25 President Wilson is also
widely credited with expanding the scope of the annual message, transforming it from a report on
the activities of the executive departments into a tool to draw widespread attention to the policies
he supported. From 1914 to 1933, the message varied between being a written and a spoken
message. President Franklin Roosevelt reestablished the personal appearance as a tradition with
his 1934 State of the Union message, but he and several later chief executives also chose to
deliver a written message in preference to a personal appearance on at least one occasion.
When and Where Does the Ceremony Take Place?
The annual message was delivered in December (or shortly before), until the Twentieth
Amendment was ratified in 1933, which changed the opening time for congressional sessions.
Since 1934, messages have been delivered on a range of dates, typically between January and

21 Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, “Introduction,” in The State of the Union Address: Presidential Rhetoric from
Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush, eds. Deborah Kalb, Gerhard Peters, and John T. Woolley (Washington: CQ
Press, 2007), p. 2. Also, the Constitution does not mandate this level of frequency; only reading that the communication
should be given “from time to time.”
22 Arthur M. Schlesinger, “Introduction,” in The State of the Union Messages of the President 1790-1966, vol. 1, ed.
Fred L. Israel (New York: Chelsea House, 1966), p. xiii.
23 Ryan L. Teen, “Evolution of the Modern Rhetorical Presidency: Presidential Presentation and Development of the
State of the Union Address,” Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 2 (June 2003), p. 337.
24 Gerhard Casper, “Executive-Congressional Separation of Power during the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson,”
Stanford Law Review, vol. 47, no. 3 (February 1995), p. 480.
25 Earlier in 1913, Wilson delivered three special messages to Congress in person on tariff reform, currency and bank
reform, and Mexican affairs—the first of which made headlines, because no President had addressed Congress in
person since John Adams. For further information, see Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia,
“Woodrow Wilson: Domestic Affairs,” at https://millercenter.org/president/wilson/domestic-affairs.
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February of each year. Before the Capitol moved to Washington, DC, the annual message was
often delivered in the Senate chamber (in New York and Philadelphia, until 1800).26 The first
annual message to be given in the new Capitol building in Washington, DC, was in 1800 (by
President John Adams).27 The State of the Union address is now customarily delivered at the
Capitol, in the chamber of the House of Representatives, before a joint session of both houses of
Congress.
The 2023 State of the Union address will be delivered by President Joe Biden on February 7.28
Has It Always Been Called “The State of the Union Address?”
The message was generally known as “the President’s Annual Message to Congress” until well
into the 20th century. It was informally known as the State of the Union message or address from
1942 to 1946, and has been officially known as the State of the Union address since 1947.29
Which Was the Shortest Message? The Longest Message?
George Washington’s first annual message was the shortest (in words), at 1,089 words.
In contemporary practice, the address tends to be measured in delivery time, rather than in the
number of words it contains. The American Presidency Project at the University of California,
Santa Barbara (UCSB) has data on length of State of the Union addresses (in minutes) back to
1964. Within this timeframe, it would appear that Ronald Reagan gave the shortest address in
1986, at approximately 31 minutes.30 However, even this address was more than 3,500 words
(three times as long, text-wise, as Washington’s first message), so it is likely that Washington’s
was one of the shortest (if not the shortest) in delivery time as well.
President Jimmy Carter’s 1981 message was the longest written message to date, at 33,667
words. President Bill Clinton’s 1995 address was the longest in-person speech, at 9,190 words.31
From the available UCSB data dating back to 1964, Clinton’s 2000 State of the Union address
holds the record of being the longest by delivery time—at just under one hour and 29 minutes.
Since 1964 (Lyndon Johnson), the average length of the address by each President has ranged
between 35 minutes and 80 minutes.32 For example, President Barack Obama’s final State of the

26 U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, Office of Art and Archives, “Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, &
Inaugurations,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/Joint-Sessions/Joint-Sessions/.
27 U.S. Senate Historical Office, “November 17, 1800: The Senate Moves to Washington,” at https://www.senate.gov/
about/historic-spaces/senate-moves-to-washington.htm.
28 “Biden Set to Deliver Annual State of Union Address on Feb. 7,” Reuters, at https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-
house-speaker-mccarthy-invites-biden-deliver-state-union-feb-7-2023-01-13/.
29 U.S. House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian and the Clerk of the House’s Office of Art and Archives,
“State of the Union Address,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/.
30 John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, “Length of State of the Union Addresses in Minutes,” The American Presidency
Project, at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-guidebook/annual-messages-
congress-the-state-the-union-0.
31 John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, “Length of the State of the Union Addresses and Messages in Words,” The
American Presidency Project, at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-
guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-3.
32 The Congressional Research Service’s calculations of the average length of State of the Union speeches based on
data available from The American Presidency Project. See John Woolley and Gerhard Peters, “Length of State of the
Union Addresses in Minutes,” The American Presidency Project, at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/
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Union address in 2016 took just under 59 minutes to deliver, which also includes time for
applause interruptions.33
Which President Delivered the Most Messages? Which the Fewest?
The longest-serving President, Franklin Roosevelt, holds the record for the most State of the
Union addresses delivered—12—of which 11 were personal appearances before Congress.
President Zachary Taylor submitted one written annual message, in 1849.
Has Any President Not Delivered a Message or Address? Has an
Address Ever Been Delayed?
Two Presidents did not serve long enough to submit an annual message: William Henry Harrison,
who died of an acute illness on April 4, 1841, 32 days after his inauguration, and James Garfield,
who served 199 days and was assassinated in 1881.34
The State of the Union address was previously delayed on at least two known occasions in recent
history:
 On January 28, 1986, the Challenger explosion claimed the lives of seven
astronauts and stunned the nation. President Reagan’s fifth State of the Union
address had been scheduled for that same evening, but after discussion with
White House aides and congressional leaders, the speech was postponed for a
week.35
 In a letter dated January 3, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi invited
President Trump to address a joint session of Congress to deliver the State of the
Union address.36 On January 16, Speaker Pelosi again wrote to President Trump
and suggested that the speech be delayed (or submitted in writing) due to security
concerns arising from a continuing partial government shutdown, which had
begun on December 22, 2018.37 Two more letters were exchanged during the
partial shutdown (both dated January 23, 2019), in which President Trump
initially objected to the proposal to postpone,38 and Speaker Pelosi responded that
the House of Representatives would not consider a concurrent resolution
authorizing the President’s address in the House chamber until government
reopened.39 After the partial government shutdown ended, Speaker Pelosi wrote
to President Trump on January 28, 2019, and referenced a conversation between
the Speaker and President about a mutual agreement to set the date for the

presidential-documents-archive-guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-0.
33 Manuela Tobias, “Obama’s Final State of the Union, by the Numbers,” Politico, January 12, 2016, at
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/state-of-the-union-2016-by-the-numbers-217691.
34 As noted previously, prior to the Twentieth Amendment, Congress did not assemble until December in most years,
by which time both Harrison and Garfield had died.
35 David Hoffman, “The Shuttle’s Blown Up!” Washington Post, January 29, 1986, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401037.html?noredirect=on.
36 See https://web.archive.org/web/20190205212009/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/1318-3/.
37 See https://web.archive.org/web/20190116161142/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/11619/.
38 See https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-201900047/pdf/DCPD-201900047.pdf.
39 See https://web.archive.org/web/20190124041400/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/12319-3/
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address to be delivered before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber
on February 5, 2019.40
The latest in the year that a President has delivered the address since 1934 was in 2022; President
Biden gave the speech on March 1, marking the first time a President did so in the month of
March.41
How Have Advances in Technology Affected the Address?
Advances in technology have dramatically affected the format, audience, and impact of the
address. President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first annual message by radio broadcast, in
1923. President Truman’s 1947 State of the Union message was the first to be broadcast by
television. Free airtime for the President’s message and the opposition response is currently
provided as a public service by commercial, public broadcast, and cable networks. President
George W. Bush’s 2002 address was the first to be streamed live from the White House website.
In his 2013 address, President Obama’s Administration produced an “enhanced broadcast” that
included infographics that accompanied his remarks.42 Social media has also served as an
increasingly important platform for connecting audiences with the address; for example, President
Trump’s 2020 remarks generated 14.1 million social media interactions across Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter.43 Additionally, President Biden was the first President to mention social
media as a topic in his speech.44
Commanding a steadily growing audience of listeners and viewers, successive Presidents learned
to use the occasion as an appeal to the nation. The message evolved from being a report to
Congress to a direct address to the American people, a platform from which the President
announced, explained, and promoted his legislative agenda for the coming year. In 1965, Lyndon
Johnson changed the time of his address from the traditional mid-afternoon to 9:00 P.M., to better
attract the largest number of television viewers. The message traditionally draws a large audience:
President Obama averaged 38.8 million television viewers over the eight addresses he made.45
The largest recorded television audience in recent decades was 66.9 million viewers, for President
Clinton’s 1993 Address to the Joint Session of Congress (not officially a State of the Union

40 See https://web.archive.org/web/20190129044331/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/12819-2/.
41 The Twentieth Amendment was ratified in 1933, which changed the opening time for congressional sessions. Since
1934, messages have been delivered on a range of dates, typically between January and February of each year. See U.S.
House of Representatives’ Office of the Historian and the Clerk of the House’s Office of Art and Archives), “List of In-
Person Annual Message and State of the Union Addresses,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-
Union/.
42 “President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union,” available at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/02/13/
president-obamas-2013-state-union.
43 Nielsen, “Over 37 Million Viewers Watch 2020 State of the Union Address,” February 5, 2020, at
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2020/over-37-million-viewers-watch-2020-state-of-the-union-address/.
44 “This Is the First Time a President Mentioned Social Media by Name in a SOTU Speech,” CNN, at
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/02/media/sotu-biden-social-media/index.html. President Biden remarked, “Children
were also struggling before the pandemic. Bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media. As Frances
Haugen, who is here with us tonight, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national
experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit” (see https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-
remarks/2022/03/01/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-delivered/).
45 Average calculated based on figures provided by Nielsen at https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2021/
media-advisory-nearly-27-million-viewers-watch-pres-joe-bidens-first-address-to-congress/.
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address), whereas President Obama’s 2016 address attracted the fewest viewers in recent times, at
31.3 million.46
Who Is Invited to the State of the Union Address?
Traditionally, Members of the House and Senate are invited, along with the President’s Cabinet
(with the exception of one planned absentee Cabinet member), Vice President, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, former Members of Congress, and members of the
diplomatic corps. Seating in the House gallery is for ticket holders only, and it is coordinated by
the Sergeant at Arms of the House.
However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the April 2021 joint session, attendees were
limited and Members’ guests were not permitted. Member seating was also extended to the House
gallery that year to allow for social distancing protocols.47
When Did the Tradition of Acknowledging Guests Sitting in the
House Gallery Begin?
The chief executive frequently invites citizens who have distinguished themselves in some field
of service or endeavor to be personal guests in the gallery. President Ronald Reagan began the
tradition in 1982 by acknowledging Lenny Skutnik in his speech. Since then, most State of the
Union addresses have included the direct mention of at least one presidential guest who was in
attendance.48 Presidential speechwriters often refer to these guests as “Lenny Skutniks.”49
Usually, the achievements or programs for which the President publicly salutes these guests also
serve to underscore some major element of the message. Some guests have included civil rights
pioneer Rosa Parks, former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, NBA star and humanitarian
Dikembe Mutombo, former Treasury Secretary and Senator Lloyd Bentsen, baseball great Henry
“Hank” Aaron, and numerous military servicemembers and veterans.
What Procedures Are Currently Followed When the President
Delivers the Message?
A concurrent resolution, agreed to by both chambers, sets aside a certain date and time for a joint
session of the House of Representatives and the Senate “for the purpose of receiving such
communication as the President of the United States shall be pleased to make to them.”50 At the
appointed time, the Senators cross the Capitol to the House chamber, where seats are reserved for

46 Ibid.
47 Brett Samuels and Cristina Marcos, “Biden to Address Congress on April 28,” The Hill, at https://thehill.com/
homenews/administration/548095-pelosi-invites-biden-to-address-joint-session-of-congress-on-april-28; and Speaker
of the House, “Dear Colleague to All Members on Health & Safety Guidelines,” press release, January 4, 2021,
athttps://web.archive.org/web/20210108184519/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/1421.
48 Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project, “List of Acknowledged Guests Sitting in House Gallery During
State of the Union Addresses,” at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-documents-archive-
guidebook/annual-messages-congress-the-state-the-union-2.
49 Deborah Kalb, Gerhard Peters, and John T. Woolley, State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from Woodrow
Wilson to George W. Bush (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2007), p. 10. Lenny Skutnik was a government employee who
dived into the Potomac River to rescue a survivor after a plane departing from Washington’s National Airport crashed
into the 14th Street Bridge. Reagan stated that Skutnik embodied “the spirit of American Heroism at its finest.”
50 For example, H.Con.Res. 282, in the 110th Cong., 2nd sess.
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History, Evolution, and Practices of the President’s State of the Union Address: FAQs

them at the front of the chamber. The Speaker and the Vice President (in the capacity as President
of the Senate) occupy seats at the dais, and the Speaker presides. Aside from reserved places for
leadership, seats in the chamber are not assigned to particular Members.51 The President is then
escorted to the chamber by a specially appointed committee of Members from both houses, and
upon entering the chamber, the President is announced by the Sergeant at Arms of the House of
Representatives. The Speaker then introduces the President, who delivers the address.
What Are the Origins of the Opposition Response?
In 1966, Senator Everett Dirksen and Representative Gerald Ford made a televised joint
Republican response to President Lyndon Johnson’s message, a practice that has since become a
regular feature and is usually broadcast shortly after the President has completed his remarks.52
The format for the opposition response varies, but it usually includes remarks by one or more
party leaders (almost always Senators, Representatives, or state governors), who are nationally
known or generally considered to be promising, emerging political figures.

Author Information

Maria Kreiser
Michael Greene
Senior Research Librarian
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process

Acknowledgments
A previous version of this report was authored by Thomas H. Neale, Specialist in American National
Government, and Michael Kolakowski, a former Information Research Specialist.

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

51 Seats in the well of the House chamber are also reserved for the President’s Cabinet, any Justices of the Supreme
Court who choose to attend, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Members of the diplomatic corps, who are seated in the
gallery, also frequently attend.
52 See “Televised Opposition Responses to the President’s Message,” at http://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/
Opposition-Speeches/.
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