My Citizen Legislators, President Joe Biden gave his in person State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on February 7th at 9pm ET.  I want to discuss the origins and authorization of the State of the Union Address.

According US House of Representatives Office of the Historian:

The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution:

• The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Article II, Section 3, Clause 1.

The constitutionally mandated presidential message has gone through a few name changes:

• It was formerly known as the Annual Message from 1790 to 1946.
• It began to be informally called the "state of the Union" message/address from 1942 to 1946.
• Since 1947 it has officially been known as the State of the Union Address.

Earlier Annual Messages of the President included agency budget requests and general reports on the health of the economy. During the 20th century, Congress required more-specialized reports on these two aspects, separate from the Annual Message.

• Budget Message, required by the National Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (42 Stat. 20) to be delivered to Congress no more than two weeks after Congress convenes in January.
• Economic Report, required by the Employment Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 23), with a flexible delivery date.

Over time, as the message content changed, the focus of the State of the Union also changed:

• In the 19th century, the annual message was both a lengthy administrative report on the various departments of the executive branch and a budget and economic message.
• After 1913, when Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of presenting the message to Congress in person, it became a platform for the President to rally support for his agenda.
• Technological changes—radio, television, and the Internet—further developed the State of the Union into a forum for the President to speak directly to the American people.

Technological Change

• First radio broadcast of Message: President Calvin Coolidge, 1923.
• First television broadcast of Message: President Harry Truman, 1947.
• First televised evening delivery of Message: President Lyndon Johnson, 1965.
• First live webcast on Internet: President George W. Bush, 2002.
• First high definition television broadcast of Message, President George W. Bush, 2004.

Record Holders

• The longest: President James Earl (Jimmy) Carter 33,667 words in 1981 (written). President William J. (Bill) Clinton 9,190 words in 1995 (spoken).1
• The shortest: President George Washington, 1790, 1,089 words.2
• Average length: 19th century was about 10,000 words; late 20th century, about 5,000 words.
• Most Messages/Addresses given: President Franklin Roosevelt, 12 (10 were personal appearances before Congress).
• Fewest Messages/Addresses given: President Zachary Taylor, 1; President William Henry Harrison, 0; President James A. Garfield, 0.

Footnotes

1The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php (January 16, 2014).

2Ibid.

List of In-Person Annual Message and State of the Union Addresses

The following is a list of in-person Annual Message and State of the Union Addresses given by Presidents of the United States before Joint Sessions of Congress. There have been 99 total in-person addresses from 1790 to 2022. In 1945, President Franklin Roosevelt's address was read to a Joint Session of the House and Senate. Since the President did not deliver the address, it does not count as an in-person address. The address was formally known as the Annual Message from 1790 to 1946. Since 1947, it has officially been known as the State of the Union Address.

President Thomas Jefferson began the practice of sending separate, written Annual Messages to the House and Senate, instead of an in-person address, in 1801. This remained the practice of Presidents until Woodrow Wilson revived in-person delivery before a Joint Session of Congress in 1913.

January 27, 2010

Obama, Barack H.

January 25, 2011

Obama, Barack H.

January 24, 2012

Obama, Barack H.

February 12, 2013

Obama, Barack H.

January 28, 2014

Obama, Barack H.

January 20, 2015

Obama, Barack H.

January 12, 2016

Obama, Barack H.

January 30, 2018

Trump, Donald J.

February 5, 2019

Trump, Donald J.

February 4, 2020

Trump, Donald J.

March 1, 2022

Biden, Joseph R., Jr.

February 7, 2023

Biden, Joseph R., Jr.

Televised Opposition Responses to the President's Annual Message

The practice began in 1966 when the television networks provided the Republican party with a half-hour slot. Senator Everett Dirksen (Republican, Illinois) and Representative Gerald R. Ford (Republican, Michigan) delivered the first opposition response. By 1976 the television networks were providing a slot for the opposition party almost immediately after the State of the Union address.

2021

No Annual Message.  President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. delivered a speech on his Build Back Better plan on April 28, 2021. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina delivered the Republican response.

2022

Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) offered the Republican response to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Annual Message, delivered on March 1, 2022.

2023

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) offered the Republican response to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s Annual Message, delivered on February 7, 2023.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my knowledge and love of politics.  I look forward to geeking out with you again.

State of the Union | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives

How the evolution of the State of the Union reflects a changing country : NPR

State of the Union 2023 | The White House

Why was Biden heckled by Republicans at the State of the Union? - Vox

State of the Union 2023: 5 questions for Biden's speech (thehill.com)

Explainer: State of the Union 2023: When is Biden speaking and what do you need to know? | Reuters

5 Key Takeaways From Biden’s 2023 State of the Union - Bloomberg

Sanders says ‘choice is between normal or crazy’ in GOP response | The Hill

State of the Union hecklers: What lawmakers yelled out (thehill.com)

List of In-Person Annual Message and State of the Union Addresses | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives



Welcome back to Topless Government. This show is a cross between Schoolhouse Rock and civics for the masses.  I want to make this show relatable and fun for everyone who would like to know how YOUR government works.  Remember knowledge is power!  So let’s get started.

I am the host, Crystal Ellerbe.  I live, breathe, eat, and sleep politics.  I’ve done two tours of duty in the US Senate and one tour of duty in the US House.  I had the privilege of working in state and local governments, corporate America and several lobbying firms in Washington, DC.