Politics

Here’s Who the Illinois Congressional Delegation is Bringing to the State of the Union, as Some Choose to Skip Trump’s Speech

President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address as the president and his party appear vulnerable, with recent polls showing that Trump’s overall approval is low and Republicans are losing ground on key issues, including immigration. 

Several Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation have announced they would not attend the speech, citing their disapproval of the president. Some Democrats who are attending have invited guests who they say have been negatively impacted by Trump’s policies.

Trump is expected to use the address to highlight his immigration crackdowns, his slashing of the federal government, his push to preserve widespread tariffs that the Supreme Court recently struck down and his ability to direct quick-hit military actions, including in Iran and Venezuela.

Trump’s State of the Union address is expected to begin at 8 p.m. 

Attending

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois)

Guest: Tereza Lee, musical prodigy who was Durbin’s inspiration to write the Dream Act. 

“President Trump’s animus towards immigrants is on full display in his second term,” Durbin said in a statement. “He attempted to eliminate DACA during his first term, and now, his Administration is doing everything it can to strip Dreamers of their lawful presence and deport them from the country they grew up in.”

U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Chicago)

Guest: Pastor Sandra Gillespie, the executive director of Bread of Life Food Pantry, and assistant to her husband Apostle Walter Gillespie, Jr., in co-pastoring Chosen Bethel Family Ministries in Englewood.

Jackson’s father and civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson died last week. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced he has invited family members of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson as his guests for the State of the Union address.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Chicago)

Guest: Karen Freeman-Wilson, CEO of the Chicago Urban League 

“Due to so-called efficiency, President Trump slashed federal jobs, impacting Black women as unemployment rates continue to climb,” Kelly said in a statement. “President Trump is trying to drag our country backwards to a time when all people were not seen and treated as equals. My honorable guest, Karen, and I will keep marching forward to keep our communities safe, lower costs, expand healthcare, and improve our entire country.”

U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Chicago)

Guest: Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent

“I look forward to attending the State of the Union and hope the country can look at what happened to me and other victims of DHS’s unlawful behavior as a basis to call their elected representatives and demand accountability,” Martinez said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago)

Guest: Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford

Davis, who is not seeking re-election, has endorsed Ford to fill his congressional seat after he retires.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg)

Guest: Jaime, a University of Illinois Chicago student and constituent, whose father was detained for four days at the Broadview ICE facility and was ultimately deported

“Donald Trump can try to rewrite his record tonight, but communities across America are living with the consequences of militarized immigration operations that have terrorized families and left Americans dead,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “I’m bringing Jaime, a UIC student from my district, to the State of the Union because what happened to his father is part of a broader pattern of detainees being held in inhumane conditions, coerced into signing away their rights, and denied due process.”

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Lincolnshire)

Guest: Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, a named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that ruled President Trump’s tariffs are illegal

“Rick Woldenberg is just one of thousands of American business owners whose companies, small and large, have been severely affected by President Trump’s illegal, chaotic, and harmful tariffs over the past year,” Schneider said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Aurora)

Guest: Suzanne Hoban, founder and executive director of the Family Health Partnership Clinic, which provides health care to uninsured adults in McHenry County

“Last year, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress enacted the largest cuts to health care in American history,” Foster said in a statement. “In the face of these cuts, the Family Health Partnership Clinic’s work is more important than ever. We must lift up leaders like Suzanne who ensure our communities have access to the affordable, high-quality health care they deserve when Washington falls short.”

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Springfield)

Guest: Laura Petty, a constituent from Alton, Illinois, whose family has been impacted by rising healthcare costs

“Laura and her husband Rick reached out to my office last Fall to share the difficult decisions their family would have to make if Congress let the ACA tax credits expire,” Budzinski said in a statement. “Since the expiration, they saw their premiums rise by more than $500 a month.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Joliet)

Guest: Pastor Jennifer Amy-Dressler of Open Table United Church of Christ in Ottawa

Not Attending:

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois)

Guest: Jeremy Schumacher of Carbondale, whose family’s health insurance costs jumped after the expiration of the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits tax credits. 

While Duckworth has invited Schumacher as her guest, she will be boycotting Trump’s address to Congress.

“I won’t be attending the State of the Union address,” Duckworth said in a statement. “I’m not interested in hearing another campaign rally full of lies.”

U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago)

Ramirez will join a group of other Democratic lawmakers at the “People’s State of the Union,” which aims to serve as a counterpoint to Trump’s address. Ramirez will honor the people who have lost their lives at the hands of Trump's Department of Homeland Security, according to her office.

“Donald Trump will use the State of the Union address as a platform to gaslight the American people and normalize and justify their terror, abuse, and violations of our rights,” Ramirez said in a statement. “I refuse to legitimize it.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago)

Quigley will attend a virtual town hall hosted by Indivisible Barrington.

“Instead of listening to Trump drone on about how ‘great’ he is, I’m going to join Indivisible Barrington for a virtual town hall,” Quigley said in a statement. “I’m proud to spend this time with my constituents, talking with them about how to restore the American dream and save our democracy.”

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Lombard)

“My respect for the office of the President of the United States cannot abide the disrespect that Donald Trump shows to that office every day,” Casten said in a statement. “As such, while I will watch the State of the Union elsewhere, I will not attend in person, as I am not interested in being used as a prop for his theatrics.”

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Skokie)

“I cannot, in good conscience, sit in that House chamber on Tuesday night and pretend everything is normal while families across my district are living in constant fear of this administration and fighting every day just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads,” Schakowsky said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Rockford)

“I will not be attending this year’s State of the Union. Because I already know the state of our union — families across Illinois are hurting,” Sorensen said in a statement. “Neighbors are scared of ICE violence. Farmers are going bankrupt. Costs are too high, and this administration is failing to deliver an economy that works for us in the middle.”

Did Not Respond:

• U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Effingham)
• U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Quincy)
• U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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