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State of the Union 2024: Here is the guest list for Thursday’s speech

By Debbie Lord, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

State of the Union: Read the transcript of President Biden’s address WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on February 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. The speech marks Biden's first address to the new Republican-controlled House. Seated behind President Biden are Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

By Debbie Lord, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

President Joe Biden will give the State of the Union address on Thursday and there will be several notable guests in attendance.

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Biden will speak to both chambers of Congress at 9 p.m. EST Thursday. The speech will be carried live on both network channels and cable news networks.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, is expected to give the GOP rebuttal to Biden’s address.

Here is a list of some of those who have been invited to the speech:

  • 17 family members of the hostages being held in Gaza: Invited by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of Congress, the guests are family members of people taken hostage on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel.
  • Amanda Zurawski: Invited by Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts, Zurawski could not receive the abortion care she needed until she went into septic shock and nearly died.
  • Caitlin Bernard: Invited by Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, Bernard is the doctor who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old child who was raped and then denied abortion services in Ohio.
  • Elizabeth Carr: Invited by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, Carr is the first person born via in-vitro fertilization.
  • Kate Cox: Invited by first lady Jill Biden, Cox sued for the right to terminate a nonviable pregnancy in Texas.
  • Kayla Smith: Invited by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, Smith had to travel to Washington state to receive an abortion when she could not get one in Idaho.
  • Liz Shuler: Invited by Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisconsin, Shuler is the president of the AFL-CIO.
  • Mia Schem: Invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, Schem spent more than 50 days in captivity after being kidnapped on Oct. 7 in Israel.
  • Rapper Fat Joe: Invited by Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-California, the rapper, born Joseph Cartagena, will highlight a push for price transparency within the healthcare system.
  • The parents of Evan Gershkovich: Invited by Johnson, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich, the parents of the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia on alleged espionage charges, will be attending to keep Evan’s case in the public eye. Gershkovich, his family, the Journal and the federal government have denied the espionage charges.
  • Ulf Kristersson: Invited by first lady Jill Biden, the Swedish prime minister will attend the speech on the day his country joins the NATO alliance.

Unable to attend:

  • Yulia Navalnaya: Invited by the White House, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said she is not able to attend Thursday’s speech.
  • Olena Zelenska: Invited by the White House, Zelenska said she is unable to attend, the administration said.

A former Naval Station Mayport commander is also on the guest list.

Commander Shelby Nikitin, who is from Wakefield, Mass., recently completed her command tour onboard the USS Thomas Hudner in January.

The navy guided-missile destroyer shot down “multiple one-way attack drones” while it was operating in the Red Sea, the Navy Times reported on Nov. 23, 2023.

At the time she was relieved from command, Mayport said Nikitin’s next assignment is Director of Maritime Warfare (N73) of the Surface Warfare Schools Command in Newport, Rhode Island.

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