By Paige Leskin and Tal Axelrod
WASHINGTON — Several members of Congress took the opportunity at Tuesday’s State of the Union address to prominently display their views, ranging from the terror attacks in Paris to the recent decision to open diplomatic relations with Cuba. Some reacted to all of the president’s applause lines; others sat on their hands.
In a show of support for freedom of expression, a smattering of the crowd raised yellow pencils in the air when President Barack Obama referenced the recent terror attacks in Paris on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. What started as an idea floated last week by the staff for Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., quickly spread Tuesday afternoon, with more than 50 Democrats pledging their participation by the time Obama started speaking, Moore’s press secretary, Eric Harris, said.
Republican leaders showed their opposition to Obama’s intention to end the embargo in Cuba. Both House Speaker John Boehner and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., invited Cuban democracy activists to witness the address.
Meanwhile, Alan Gross, the American who was held in Cuba for five years, was one of the two dozen special guests who were asked to watch the address from first lady Michelle Obama’s box in the House gallery.
On the floor of the House, among the sea of black suits and blue and red ties, the women of Congress wore a rainbow of colors. Prior to Obama’s speech, Reps. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., and Cheri Bustos, R-Ill., posted Twitter messages noting that they and other members would be wearing pink suits to advocate for more women in Congress.
Obama’s sixth address to Congress came at a time of economic success in the United States — falling gas prices and a lower unemployment rate — which allowed him to provide a “message of optimism,” said Kyle Kondik, director of communications at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. With his popularity ratings on the rise, Obama had more room in his speech to introduce progressive policies and do what he wants, Kondik said.
The president faced partisan reactions to his proposals, such as free community college and the end of the Cuba embargo, in his first address to a Republican-controlled Congress. While Democrats on his right offered the president standing ovation for calls for improved health coverage and raising the minimum wage, Republicans on the left stayed in their seats. This scene played out behind Obama as well, with Vice President Biden offering more applause than his neighbor, House Speaker John Boehner.
The parties joined in together in applauding veterans and an initiative taken on by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the vice president’s wife.
Not everyone was excited or attentive to Obama’s message. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared to be dozing off, with Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer attempting to nudge her awake.
