WASHINGTON — An array of locals who are making a difference in their communities have been invited to attend the State of the Union virtually as guests on Tuesday by a handful of local politicians.
President Joe Biden will deliver the first address of his presidency at 9 p.m. EST and will cover a range of topics, from navigating the country out of a pandemic, rebooting his domestic agenda, addressing rising costs of living for the American public and confronting Russia’s aggression in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will be bringing the co-owner and founder of local small business Denizens Brewing Company. Founder Julie Verratti established the craft brewery in 2014 with taprooms in Silver Spring and Riverdale Park, Maryland.
The brewery applied for and received a $448,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan, which was fully forgiven due to 100% being used to keep employees on the payroll. The Paycheck Protection Program was created by the CARES Act, which Van Hollen helped enact in 2020. According to his office, Sen. Van Hollen extended the virtual invitation to Verratti as a way to honor Marylanders and highlight their stories of resilience amid the pandemic.
“The pandemic has brought enormous hardship and loss, but throughout, so many Marylanders have shown extraordinary resilience – including small business owners like Julie,” the senator stated. “People like her are the true drivers of our ongoing recovery, and I’m proud to highlight her story as my virtual guest to President Biden’s first State of the Union address.”
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) also announced his guest ahead of the address as Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner.
“Thanks to County Executive Jan Gardner’s leadership, our Frederick community has made extraordinary strides turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening our local economies for working families and truly building back better,” Rep. Raskin said via press release.
Gardner responded by saying that she is “truly honored and excited” to join Congressman Raskin for the virtual event.
Jan Gardner was elected as Frederick County’s first County Executive in 2014, having previously served as County Commissioner for 12 years. She has spearheaded initiatives investing in education, creating jobs, benefiting seniors, serving community needs and more, according to Rep. Raskin’s office.
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton will be bringing seven distinct guests for the virtual event. Those guests will include Josh Burch, a native Washingtonian who co-founded Neighbors United for D.C. Statehood; Bo Shuff, who serves as the executive director of DC Vote; and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Howard University, Dr. Ravi Perry.
In addition, Norton will host Cassandra Likouris, a recent graduate of Kent State University who now works for the District of Columbia Shadow Delegation and is also the executive director of Students for D.C. Statehood; a 14-year D.C. resident and longtime activist for D.C. statehood, Dara Baldwin; a graduating senior at Howard University studying civil and environmental engineering, Olivia Carrol, who also serves as the chair of the Howard University chapter of Students for D.C.; and lastly, graduating senior at Howard University studying international affairs with a minor in community development, M. Julian Goldstein, who also serves as the vice-chair of the Howard University chapter.
Earlier on Tuesday, First Lady Jill Biden announced the guests who she will bring to hear the address live from her viewing box.
Those individuals include Second Gentleman, Douglas Emhoff; the President’s sister, Valerie Biden Owens; the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarov and Frances Haugen, the former Facebook employee who exposed what the company may have known about damage caused by its social media platforms.
In addition, Dr. Biden will bring along Joshua Davis, a 7th grader at Swift Creek Middle School from Midlothian, Virginia who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 11 months old. When he was four years old, he advocated for the Virginia General Assembly to pass a bill making schools safer for kids with Type 1 diabetes, according to the White House.
Additional guests of the first lady and more information about them can be found by clicking here.