Don’t let partisan politics kill the State of the Union 

Former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) has called on Speaker Mike Johnson to rescind President Biden’s upcoming State of the Union address invitation and use it as a “point of leverage” to secure a more radically conservative border funding bill.  

It is perhaps no surprise that the same congressman who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results and block the January 6 committee from investigating the attack on the Capitol would try to dismantle yet another tradition of American democracy. Still, as two former White House speechwriters, we are alarmed by and strongly disagree with this approach by one of the leading House Republicans.  

The State of the Union is one of the few opportunities Americans have to see all three branches of government assemble, and to hear their president lay out the entirety of his plans and priorities for the nation in the year ahead. When so many now consume their politics through social media and partisan news sources, some 27 million Americans tuned in for Biden’s address last year. The most-watched network for the speech, ironically, was Fox News.  

While threatening to cancel a presidential speech is not as serious as attempting to overturn an election, Republicans should not hold this annual tradition of democracy hostage as part of their partisan squabbles. Doing so would be yet another example of their sinister and cynical attempts to chip away at our democratic traditions. 

The history of the State of the Union address goes back to the founding of our nation. George Washington established the precedent of an annual address to Congress, in line with the Constitution’s requirement that the president “give to the Congress information of the state of the Union.” The precedent was short-lived, as Thomas Jefferson opted to provide a written report to Congress instead; it wasn’t until Woodrow Wilson that the tradition of a speech resumed. Since then, most presidents have used the State of the Union to outline major initiatives and doctrines. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt used the address to talk about his “Four Freedoms.” In 1964, LBJ declared an “unconditional war on poverty.” And in 2002, George W. Bush decried the “axis of evil.” 

Despite the inherent political bent to the annual speech, the occasion is typically a rather grand display of bipartisanship. The jeers and boos aside — who could ever forget Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) interrupting President Obama to scream “you lie!” — the speech brings together almost all 535 elected members of Congress, many of whom reach across the aisle (at times, literally) in hopes of securing a handshake — or, nowadays, a selfie — from the president as he enters or exits.

Americans watching at home see the vice president and Speaker of the House seated behind the president. Whether from the same or different parties, they stand together in applauding as the president declares that “the state of the union is strong.” And they rise together to salute the heroic Americans who attend the address at the president’s invitation. 

In an era where even the smallest displays of bipartisanship are increasingly rare, we need these moments more than ever. Increased polarization has Americans feeling exhausted by our politics. And it continues to fuel deep distrust in our government. Canceling the speech would only add more fuel to the fire.  

This would be especially true given that Perry’s reasons for wanting the speech canceled are political. He knows that Biden showed real leadership in endorsing a bipartisan border security bill, though it was later killed by Republicans in obedience to Donald Trump. If Perry were serious about charting a way forward on the border, he would welcome the opportunity to hear the president lay one out during his speech.

Taking a step back, Scott Perry is the same man who recently stated that Biden is “not capable of serving as president.” How ironic that he now seeks to prevent Biden from carrying out his constitutionally mandated presidential duties.  

During our time at the White House, we saw the president up close. Like everyone who has had the opportunity to see and hear from Biden personally, we know that he is not just up to the job but that he continues to tackle his day-to-day responsibilities with seemingly inexhaustible energy and skill. Even so, many Americans are still looking for reassurance. If House Republicans are genuinely concerned about Biden’s fitness, they should give him the opportunity to put their fears to rest on behalf of all Americans. 

To be sure, Perry can still register his displeasure with Biden next Thursday night by skipping the speech. There is precedent, both among Republicans and Democrats, of representatives doing just that. Addresses have even been postponed in extraordinary circumstances. But having a few members skip is certainly preferable to rescinding the president’s invitation altogether, which would be unprecedented.  

Moreover, Rep. Perry can lobby for the opportunity to deliver the Republican Party’s response to the speech, in which he can rebut each and every one of the president’s positions if he so chooses. That back-and-forth is part of a healthy democracy. What is not part of a healthy democracy, however, is attempting to further divide our country and limit the people’s ability to hear from their president for the sake of accruing “leverage” in a political fight.  

Americans deserve better than the hypocrisy Republicans are serving up on their cheap platter of pettiness. At a time when they are craving conviction and clarity from their leaders, they deserve to hear Biden deliver the State of the Union next Thursday. For the sake of our country, that’s what they must get. 

David Cavell served as a speechwriter for President Barack Obama and as director of speechwriting for Vice President Kamala Harris. Gevin Reynolds served as associate director of speechwriting in the office of Vice President Kamala Harris.