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Response to the State of the Union address

In American politics, the response to the State of the Union address is a rebuttal speech, often brief, delivered by a representative (or representatives) of an opposition party following a presidential State of the Union address. When the president is a Democrat, the rebuttal is typically given by a Republican, and vice versa.

The practice began in 1966 when Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen (Illinois) and Rep. Gerald Ford (Michigan) appeared on TV to offer a response to the address by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson.[1] The opposition party's response has varied in format, ranging from a prerecorded 45-minute TV program in 1970[2] to a call-in show in 1972 where a panel of congressmen answered unrehearsed questions from callers.[1] Since the late 1980s, it usually has been a televised speech given soon after the State of the Union address.[1]

Four presidents have given both a State of the Union address and an opposition response: Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden.[1][3]

List of responses

Unless otherwise noted, the response was broadcast live the same night as the State of the Union address and given in English.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Starting in 1981, first-term Presidents have been invited to address a joint session of Congress shortly after their inauguration. These have reflected the style of a State of the Union address but are not officially titled as a "State of the Union." Since 1989 the opposition party has offered a response.[4]
  2. ^ NBC and CBS aired the response on the same night as the State of the Union address while ABC aired it two days later

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Opposition Responses to the State of the Union Messages (1966-Present)". United States Senate. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Frum, David (2000). How We Got Here: The '70s. New York: Basic Books. p. 47. ISBN 0-465-04195-7.
  3. ^ Polus, Sarah (April 28, 2021). "Biden Becomes Just Fourth President to Have Given Both SOTU Rebuttal and Joint Address". The Hill. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. ^ The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications (PDF). Congressional Research Service. January 24, 2014. p. 2.
  5. ^ Henderson, Nia-Malika (20 January 2015). "This is the best/worst State of the Union response ever. And, yes, Bill Clinton is prominently featured". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  6. ^ "The Democratic Response". PBS.org. February 27, 2001. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  7. ^ "Transcript of Gov. Jindal's GOP response to Obama speech". CNN. February 24, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Democrats Pick Ex-Kentucky Governor To Respond To Trump Speech To Congress". NPR. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "GOP Sen. Tim Scott to deliver GOP response for Biden address to Congress". CNN.com. April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "Rep. Jamaal Bowman Delivers WFP Response to Biden Joint Address". Working Families Party. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  11. ^ "Squad member to deliver response to Biden SOTU". POLITICO. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  12. ^ "Dallas Rep. Colin Allred to give Congressional Black Caucus response to Biden's State of the Union". Dallas News. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  13. ^ "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "State Of The Union" Address: 80% Of Americans Don't Want To Choose Between The Lesser Of Two Evils". RealClear Politics. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.

Sources