US Democrats planning to skip State of the Union address, hold protests
Some House Democrats are planning to skip President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, while others are preparing to hold protests against it.
Trump will deliver his speech a day before Wednesday when the final vote in the Senate trial to acquit him will likely come.
Now, some lawmakers are considering or planning to boycott his speech in the House chamber entirely.
Those who will be absent for the address will include some of the earliest and most fervent supporters of the impeachment which stemmed from two charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who introduced the two articles of impeachment in 2017, skipped the last two State of the Union addresses too.
Speaking to The Hill, Cohen said he does not intend to "go in a very cold room and hear a bunch of puff and lies."
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who forced three House votes on impeachment and, so far, has boycotted all of Trump's addresses to Congress, said that he was undecided.
“The things that caused me to stay away have not changed,” Green acknowledged, though he did say he had been “encouraged” by a colleague to attend but still weighing his decision.
The offices of other Democrats who skipped Trump’s State of the Union in the last two years — including Reps. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), John Lewis (Ga.), Hank Johnson (Ga.) and Maxine Waters (Calif.) — have not said so far whether they would attend this year’s speech.
Those who will certainly be present at the State of the Union will be the Democrats who oversaw the impeachment inquiry.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers are preparing to stage protests with female Democrats reprising their coordinated white outfits as a gesture of solidarity with women.
Democratic women and even some men wore white, the color of suffragettes, at the 2019 State of the Union and Trump’s joint address shortly after his inauguration in 2017.
In 2018, they wore black in solidarity with the “Me Too” movement eradicating sexual misconduct.
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), a co-chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, said she thought it was necessary to send a message from the room to women and her constituents instead of skipping the address.
“I think it's important to be there. The country is watching,” Frankel said. “I want them to know that we are there and sending the message that we are fighting back and we're fighting for the people.”
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