The President’s State of the Union Address (aka SOTU by POTUS) is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 28. The House Press Gallery is taking requests for reserved seats within the House press gallery (202) 225-3945.
A change this year is that you must have a Congressional hard pass to get a reserve seat (this is the “green badge” most of us have anyway). If for some reason you do not have a pass, call the gallery and they will tell you what to do. You will not be able to cover the speech with just a press sticker. For the uninitiated, during the speech, you can listen to the president deliver it live from the gallery (you also get a print copy to follow along). Just before it ends the gallery staff will escort you down to Statuary Hall where you can arrange to meet with members of your delegation or attempt to grab whoever you want as the members walk out. Personally, while I have gone to the Capitol the night of the speech several times (and it is a unique experience)…I am now just as happy watching it on TV at home and getting members’ reactions via phone. Some of my members don’t even go to watch it in person so if they aren’t going to go, I’m not going (granted the fact I now live in the far flung suburbs versus Capitol Hill might have something to do with it.) I am curious to hear how others do it. Another tip, is that if you plan on filing from the Capitol, make sure you laptop connection works BEFORE the day of the speech. I had a new laptop two years ago that was supposed to work fine, but of course on deadline it didn’t and I ended up racing home to file at the last minute, which included a speeding ticket. ---Suzanne Struglinski
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