Biden’s Speech To Congress To Feature Many Firsts

The Washington Post reports:

Biden’s speech, to be delivered on the eve of his 100th day in office, will look very different from past presidential speeches, with no guests, no designated survivor and fewer than half of lawmakers allowed to attend in person.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the first lady will attend but will not be surrounded by guests in a special section of the gallery referred to as the “first lady’s box.” Typically, the White House invites Americans to join the first lady for the speech, and some of them are mentioned by the president in his remarks.

There will be no need for a designated survivor to run the country in the event of a catastrophe because most of the Cabinet will be watching virtually. Only the secretary of state and the secretary of defense will attend, Psaki said.

Read the full article. In another first, as noted below, two women will sit on the dais behind the president.

President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, a prime-time speech on Wednesday night on the eve of his 100th day in office. https://t.co/3H7BYnUiUu

— ABC6 News Desk (@ABC6) April 28, 2021

Punchbowl News: For the first time ever, two women — VP Harris and Speaker Pelosi — will be sitting behind the president during an address to Congress.

It was only 14 years years ago that Pelosi was the first woman to sit behind the president for a joint session.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 22, 2021