Each State of the Union address begins with the House sergeant-at-arms loudly announcing the arrival of the president before the joint session of Congress. But who is the sergeant-at-arms, and what else does he do?
William McFarland is the 38th person to hold the position, and he will announce the president for the first time at the speech on Tuesday night after Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) appointed him last month. As sergeant-at-arms, McFarland oversees the security of the House side of the Capitol complex, but announcing the president is the most high-profile aspect of his job.
McFarland attracted headlines on Monday for opposing the construction of fencing outside the Capitol ahead of President Joe Biden’s address. He was the lone vote on the three-member Capitol Police Board, and while the reason for his vote is unclear, a source familiar with the decision told Politico there wasn’t a credible threat to warrant the security precaution.
STATE OF THE UNION 2023: GINGRICH PREDICTS BIDEN WILL GIVE ‘BORING SPEECH’ FULL OF ‘UNTRUTHS’
The House sergeant-at-arms has announced the president’s arrival to joint sessions of Congress since the position of House doorkeeper was abolished in 1995. The sergeant has other ceremonial duties, including escorting articles of impeachment from the House to the Senate and escorting foreign dignitaries, but his main job is the duties of the chief law enforcement officer of the House.
In this capacity, the sergeant-at-arms works with his Senate counterpart and the Architect of the Capitol to provide for the safety of lawmakers, staff, and tourists in the building. He serves under the direction of the speaker of the House.
Before McCarthy appointed McFarland sergeant-at-arms in January, he protected the campus as the director of the Office of House Security in the House Sergeant at Arms and was the director of security for the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was sworn in along with Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson, Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor, and Chaplain of the House Margaret Grun Kibben.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Former Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Livingood, who was the first of his office tapped to announce the president before the State of the Union, spoke about his experience at the end of his tenure in 2013. He recalled practicing the eight simple words “Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States” for weeks leading up to the moment. He served under successive presidents from 1995 to 2012.
“Every one of them has just been unbelievable as far as being nice, and they talk to you,” Livingood said. “I usually say, ‘I’m glad you’re here, Mr. President,’ because to me, it doesn’t matter who is our president.”
