(Reuters) -Democratic and Republican lawmakers aim to put the spotlight on their view of America’s main issues with the guests they invite to President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress.
The speech is due to begin at 9 p.m. ET (0200 GMT on Wednesday).
Democrats’ choices are intended to focus attention on Trump’s campaign to sharply downsize the federal government, while Republicans will highlight issues including immigration. Here is a brief look at some of their plans:
DOGE DISRUPTIONS
Dozens of Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate said they have invited former federal workers from their districts whose jobs were terminated as part of the mass firings by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. A fired park ranger, a tax collector and a National Science Foundation researcher are all expected to be among the guests of Democrats who are protesting Trump and Musk’s drastic and hasty reduction of the federal workforce.
IMMIGRATION
In keeping with Trump’s emphasis on enforcing tough immigration policies, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is bringing Olivia Hayes of Louisiana. Johnson’s office said that Hayes’ husband was killed in a drunk-driving incident by an immigrant living illegally in the U.S.
SERVICE CUTS
Other Democrats said they were bringing constituents who opposed the Trump administration’s attempts to cut federal funding for certain programs, including medical research on diseases they suffer from, and potential cuts to safety net programs including Social Security and Medicaid.
Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada said she was bringing a Las Vegas teenager and his mother who rely on the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans to help cover the $200,000 per year cost of life-saving care for the teen’s numerous genetic disorders.
TRANS WOMEN IN SPORTS
Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa said she was bringing conservative activist and former college swimmer Riley Gaines, who has advocated against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Trump has signed an executive order banning transgender women from doing so, a directive that supporters said would restore fairness but critics contend infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
Both top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Johnson said they were bringing Israelis who were affected by the militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack, which killed some 1,200 people, prompted Israel to launch a counteroffensive that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
Johnson’s office said he was bringing Noa Argamani, a young woman taken hostage by Hamas along with more than 250 other Israelis during the attack. Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in June last year.
Schumer said his guests would include the parents of two Israelis who were killed by Hamas in the attack.
(Reporting by Gabriella Borter, Richard Cowan and David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)
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