State of the Union guests spotlight divide on abortion and immigration but offer some rare unity

By The Associated Press

The guest list for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address speaks volumes about what Democrats and Republicans want to focus on as the 2024 election season heats up. Biden and fellow Democrats have invited several health care providers and women whose lives have been impacted by stricter abortion laws following the Supreme Court ruling that stripped away constitutional protections for abortion. Republicans have invited guests who put a heavy focus on the nation’s broken immigration system, an issue that voters say is a central concern ahead of the November election. The guests invited to sit in the galleries for Thursday’s speech also include some people whom nearly everyone in hyper-partisan Washington should be able to cheer.