Ever since Ronald Reagan, presidents speaking to joint sessions of Congress have used the presence of guests sitting with the first lady to personalize the impact of the policy proposals being made.
Joe Biden is no exception. In his speech, Wednesday, given near the end of his administration’s first 100 days in place of a State of the Union address, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will act as hostess to a handful of people who, the White House said “personify some of the issues or policies that will be addressed” in the president’s remarks.
Due to safety concerns regarding COVID-19, this year’s guests will attend the speech virtually while watching remotely, the administration said, following a virtual reception held that afternoon by Dr. Biden and live-streamed on the White House website.
Those attending include, as described by the White House in a news release:
–Javier Quiroz Castro, “Dreamer, DACA Recipient & Nurse”
According to a biographical sketch provided by the White House, Quiroz’s parents brought him to the United States from Mexico when he was three years old. He grew up in Nashville, attending Lipscomb University from which he graduated in May 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Science of Nursing degree. Quiroz received the Spirit of Nursing Award, given yearly to a single nursing student who best delivered quality care. In 2012, using the protection of the Barack Obama-initiated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, he became a registered nurse and has been on the frontlines in the fight against COVID.
–Maria-Isabel Ballivian, “Executive Director, Annandale Christian Community For Action Child Development Center
Ballivian’s biographical summary describes her as “an innovative educator, senior administrator, trainer, and advocate” who has been working to improve young children’s quality of care and education. The program she runs is an NAEYC-accredited program serving more than 200 at-risk children in Fairfax County, Virginia.
–Tatiana Washington, “Gun Violence Prevention Advocate and Organizer”
According to the White House, Washington became involved with gun violence prevention work after her aunt was killed in a murder-suicide in March 2017. She is a Policy Associate at March for Our Lives and Executive Director of 50 Miles More, a youth-led organization focused on gun violence prevention. She is also involved in the Wisconsin Black Lives Matter Movement.
–Stella Keating (she/her), “First Transgender Teen to Testify Before U.S. Senate”
Keating’s biographical outline explains she’s been politically active since age nine when she testified before her school board advocating for more innovative programs in her elementary school. At age 16, the Tacoma, Washington high school sophomore became the first transgender teenager to testify before the U.S. Senate during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the Equality Act in March 2021.
–Theron Rutyna, “IT Director for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa”
The White House described Rutyna as a leader in the effort to get broadband to tribal lands in Wisconsin. A member of Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ Broadband Task Force, he has been working with the state’s tribal communities to secure funding to bring broadband access to the mostly rural communities they occupy.
The issues the president has chosen to highlight with these guests, especially, the conversion of illegal immigrants to legal ones, transgenderism, and stricter gun control measures are hardly the moderate, bread and butter kinds of issues one might expect a self-proclaimed moderate to address his first time out of the gate. Rather than unite the country, as he tried to do in his inaugural, Biden is attempting, it seems to make a moral crusade out of some of the most divisive issues the country faces. Instead of bringing the country together, he’s splitting it further apart – which may explain why his approval rating at this point is the lowest for any elected president at the same time in their administration except for his immediate predecessors.
Peter Roff is a former UPI and U.S. News & World Report columnist who is now affiliated with several Washington-D.C.-based public policy organizations. He appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network.
He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeterRoff.
Peter Roff
Peter Roff is affiliated with several Washington, D.C. public policy organizations and is a former U.S. News and World Report contributing editor who appears regularly as a commentator on the One America News network. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeterRoff.
Could it get any better?
Trump is the best President our country has had in my lifetime………and……..Dementia Joe is the worst (he edges out Peanuts Carter)…………and I’m OLD.
I agree Casey with your assessment……I guess that makes me old, too.
SO ashamed of my former studies at Tulane!!!! How could they allow a jerk like Hunter attempt to teach a class there????????????
WHO EVER ACCUSED HUNTER OF BRING ABLE TO ‘TEACH’?
No crap! We have a long line of people to arrest because of all the laws they have broken. We don’t know half of it I’m sure of it. How do we know where all the spending bills he has passed are really going to those countries, etc., Are they making themselves richer, bribing people to come over with the same belief as they have, gain power, money, and control of the people? Please wake up, look at the writing on the wall!!!!! I know Trump has his faults, but I’ll take him any day. It never affected the people, it was just saying what we really thought but was too nice to say so. It was always in defense of the people. He never tried to hurt us, just make it easier to live and work as a real American has always done!
You’re broaching a topic that’s a well-kept secret in Washington: The Blackmailing of our public officials. There actually should be a punishable offense proffered against the media and others for releasing such juicy information about sitting presidents and congressional representatives. The reason being they’re (Media) ‘sitting’ on these subjects to steer our government policies in favor of special interests, and when those officials balk at those issues, suddenly the floodgates open to reveal their shady activities. Mr. Epstein was among a few of the more prominent examples of this scheme.
Well look, daddy got this person (he’s not a man) his little screw upson, another job. Drugies arem’t very smart. Let’s face it he’s still riding daddy’s coat tail to keep jobs.
Is this a joke? This must be a joke.
Stricter gun control laws while his own son (hunter) lied on the application for to buy a gun, which is a felony, are great examples of Laws for thee, but not for me.
Remove all communist democrats from office! period
So Dr. Pepper Jilly Briben is going to have “virtual” (artificial or fake) guests for Beijing Briben’s teleprompter “speech”. How appropriate the fake “President” will have his fake “Doctor “ wife host fake guests.
Senile sleepy Joe Biden has been a closet Democrat/communist Putz for 47 years!
Since Speaker Pelosi limited seating to the sitting members of the House and Senate and wouldn’t allow all the members who wanted to attend, there should not have been any guests allowed. But this is typical of the Leftist Democraps bailiwick….. Not surprising. AND on top of that, I was told that the President further divided the country with the speech instead of Uniting as he promised during his campaign…. AND then the Racism by the Left started up again with the derogatory name calling of Tim Scott as ‘Uncle Tim’….. SAD
Ooops, I didn’t read the part of the guests being in virtual not actually in the chambers…. my mistake…..
Please STOP referring to Pedo Biden and his concubine wife as the First Lady ! These People are potential Prison bait and guests at GITMO !
Yep, that’s funny. The doctor and the V.P. Buzzard have to hover, to catch him if he falls. Physically and mentally. Hiden B. Is a major bore and talks at us and not to us. We’re just dumb children.
“Give me Liberty, or give me Biden.”