Democrats are readying a number of demonstrations to protest President Trump’s first State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
A number of Democratic women will wear black in solidarity with sexual assault and harassment survivors, sending a message that the time is up for politicians who have used their power to engage in sexual misconduct. At least seven members are boycotting the address, and many are bringing recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as their guests.
#MeToo
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., is pushing not only Democrats but Republicans to wear black to send a signal that Congress doesn’t tolerate sexual harassment. Speier invited the founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burke, to be her guest to the State of the Union, but Burke is unable to attend.
“We want men and women, Republicans and Democrats to participate,” Speier said. “I mean, who supports sexual harassment?”
Instead, Travis Moore, one of the leading advocates for survivors of sexual harassment and violence in Congress will join Speier. Moore helped organize 1,500 former congressional staff to send a letter to House and Senate leadership “demanding reform of the broken congressional complaint process,” according to Speier’s office.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will be among the Democratic women wearing black to Trump’s address.
Boycotts and demonstrations
So far 11 Democrats have said they plan to boycott the president’s address, but that number is expected to grow. Additional members have said they are still mulling whether or not they will attend the speech.
Those not attending include Democratic Reps. John Lewis of Georgia, Maxine Waters of California, Primila Jayapal of Washington, Gregory Meeks of New York, and Barbara Lee of California.
The Congressional Black Caucus is debating whether they will boycott or engage in a demonstration during the president’s address. A few members have floated the idea of walking out in the middle of the speech or holding fists in the air while Trump is speaking or wearing Kente cloths in silent protest. A Democratic aide said CBC members are still deciding what actions they’ll take.
Dreamers
Pelosi, and Democratic Reps. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Joe Crowley of New York, and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico are among the lawmakers bringing so-called “Dreamers” as their guests. Dreamers are young, undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will bring Stephanie Keegan, a New Yorker and mother of a veteran who overdosed on heroin while waiting to be seen at his local VA Hospital to put a spotlight on the need to invest more in the fight to combat the opioid epidemic. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who is one of the key negotiators in immigration talks, will bring Cesar Montelongo, who has temporary legal status under DACA.
Potential 2020 contenders, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., will be joined by Denea Joseph, a DACA recipient who immigrated to the U.S. from Belize. Another Democrat on the 2020 watchlist, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, will bring Jean Bradley Derenoncourt, the first Haitian-American elected to public office in Massachusetts.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus members will wear “migrating butterfly” stickers in solidarity with “immigrants and refugees after a year of Trump’s attacks,” according to one aide.
Trump ordered the end of DACA effective March 5 and Congress is currently debating a legislative solution.
Democratic responses
Democrats have tapped Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts to give the official Democratic response to Trump’s address.
Kennedy, considered a rising star in the party, will give the rebuttal from Fall River, Mass. Kennedy’s guest to the speech, Staff Sergeant Patricia King, a transgender infantry soldier, will be attending without him.
Kennedy won’t be the only Democrat filming a response, however. Waters will also give a nationally televised rebuttal. Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, will speak at the start of a BET News special, BuzzFeed News reported.
Not to be left out, 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will stream his own response on Facebook Live, Twitter, and YouTube.
In all, Democrats are planning at least five responses to Trump’s speech.
