Two freshmen House Democrats will have parents from the school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas, as their special guests Tuesday night for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address at the Capitol.
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., will host Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquín Oliver, among the 17 victims of the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland.
And Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, will host Brett Cross, whose son Uziyah García was among the 19 schoolchildren killed at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School last year.
“I think there’s power in that we’re both from the South, we’re both Latinos, we’re both from states that are controlled by Republican legislatures and governors who have not acted on gun violence,” Frost told The Hill, when discussing his relationship with Casar, “just not acted, they’re actively passing legislation that will cause more gun violence.”
“And we’re taking two fathers who have lost children at school, and we’re bringing them to the Capitol to hear from the president, and we’re going to talk about ending gun violence and what we think needs to happen.”
Also, in a joint statement, Frost, 26, and Casar, 33, said their guest selections call attention to the “continued need for gun reform and gun violence prevention.”
It is worth noting: Manuel Oliver was escorted out the White House last July, after interrupting a Biden speech addressing gun safety.
Oliver might not have a similar outburst Tuesday night, but it might potentially liven up what former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicts will be a “very boring” Biden address.
Gingrich speculated Biden’s tedious address would reflect “the gradual decline of the Democratic Party.
“There are a lot of people drifting away from the Biden Democratic Party, and I think a lot of Democrats know that,” Gingrich added.
Gingrich predicted Biden would likely lead his speech with the “relevant” stuff, in the eyes of progressive Democrats; and after that, “there’ll be lies,” he said, with Biden trying to justify Americans are “better off” with high inflation, exorbitant spending at the federal level, and an unsecure southern border.
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