WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, his first such appearance in the House chamber for his second term. This annual event, typically broadcasted live, mirrors the State of the Union address but is technically referred to as a joint address to Congress, a tradition dating back to President Ronald Reagan’s first term.
While the U.S. Constitution mandates the president to regularly update Congress and propose policies, it does not specify the timing. Traditionally, presidents deliver this speech in January or February to reflect on past events and lay out future policy intentions. Historically, this discourse was known as “the President’s Annual Message to Congress.” However, in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt started referring to it as “the Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union.”
In 1981, Reagan, after assuming office, addressed Congress in what was titled “Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the Program for Economic Recovery,” according to historical resources from The American Presidency Project. This practice was continued by successive presidents, including George H.W. Bush in 1989 and Bill Clinton in 1993, who focused on “Administration Goals.” In 2001, George W. Bush referred to his address as the “Budget Message.”
Historically, these initial addresses are viewed as carrying the same significance as any subsequent State of the Union messages. Similarly, the opposition party customarily provides a televised rebuttal. This year, Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is slated to deliver the response.
