WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump will hold his first joint session address to Congress on Tuesday and every member is able to bring a guest to sit in the gallery.
Oftentimes, those invited are a part of what is driving the news of the day. Notable themes this year have been immigration, the 2010 health care law and police-community relations.
Here are the some of the people who are invited:
Minister at ICE roundup church: Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is taking Reverend Keary Kincannon, who is a minister at Fairfax County's Rising Hope Mission Church. On Feb. 15, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a group of undocumented immigrants as they were leaving the church's overnight shelter program. Kincannon focuses his ministry around the homeless and those in need.
Muslim doctor: Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island is taking Ehsun Mirza, a critical care doctor and immigrant from Pakistan. Langevin is leading an effort among his Democratic colleagues in the House to invite guests who have, despite discrimination, made positive impacts on their communities, according to his news release. Mirza immigrated to the U.S. for his residency training after medical school and now is a citizen who works in internal medicine, nephrology, hypertension and critical care.
Immigration attorney: Democratic Rep. Luis V Gutierrez of Illinois is taking Fidaa Rashid, an immigration attorney in Chicago who focuses on Middle East clients. Her parents were refugees from Gaza in the Palestinian territories. "I want Trump to see the face of a woman, the face of a Muslim, and the face of someone whose family has enriched and contributed to this country despite starting out as refugees," Gutierrez said in a news release.
Muslim interfaith leader: Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington is taking a Aneelah Afzali, who is the executive director of the American Muslim Empowerment Network, an initiative of the Redmond-based Muslim Association of Puget Sound. She is an activist and interfaith leader.
Iranian graduate student: Democratic Rep. Judy Chu of California is taking Sara Yarjani, a 35-year old Iranian graduate student who is studying at the California Institute for Human Science in Encinitas. She is a permanent resident of Austria who resides in the U.S. on a student visa. On Jan. 27, Yarjani was held at the Los Angeles International Airport for 23 hours and sent back to Vienna, where she was visiting family. She was able to return to the U.S. eight days later.
Hate crime victim: Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York is taking Sarker Haque, a business owner in Queens who was the victim of an anti-Muslim hate crime. Haque immigrated from Bangladesh 30 years ago and is the proprietor of a conveniece store. In 2015, he was beaten by an attacker claiming he wanted to "kill Muslims," according to Crowley's news release.
Children of immigrant: Democratic Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva of Arizona have invited Angel and Jaqueline Garcia de Rayos, the children of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, one of the best-known people affected by Trump's immigration policies. Their mother voluntarily met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and was deported, according to their news release.
Muslim community voice: Democratic Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois is taking Samia Abdul-Qadir, a high school student who participated in one of Foster's community discussions on the effect Trump's travel ban has had on the local Muslim community and the fear it provoked. Abdul-Qadir was an outspoken voice and Foster was impressed by her courage and conviction, according to his news release.
Green card holder: Democratic Rep. Norma J. Torres of California is taking Areej Ali, a Sudanese-born green card holder living in California. Ali was recently was visiting Sudan for the first time in more than 20 years to attend her sister's wedding and prohibited from boarding a flight back to the U.S. Once she arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport, she was detained. Ali immigrated to the U.S. in 1993.
Sister of Iraqi interpreter: Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia is taking Farah Alkhafaji, the sister of an Iraqi interpreter initially refused entry into the U.S. due to Trump's immigration executive order. Her husband was killed for working with the U.S. military, according to Connolly's news release. In January, she passed her U.S. citizenship test.
Widow of fallen police officer: Republican Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois and Ann Wagner of Missouri are teaming up to take Elizabeth Snyder, the widow of fallen St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder, and her police officer brother Justin Sparks. Snyder, 33, was killed in October 2016 while responding to a disturbance call. The Snyders have a 2 year old son. Snyder was the 97th law enforcement officer killed in 2016, according to Davis and Wagner's news release.
Police officer: Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson of California is taking Andrew Bidou, chief of the Vallejo Police Department. The congressman wants to make it clear that he stands with law enforcement, according to his news release. He will be joined by Bidou, other members, and other police officers for a news conference before the address.
Flint pediatrician: Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan is taking Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician in Flint who helped to expose the water crisis there. Mona is the daughter of Iraqi-American scientists and immigrated to the U.S. as a child. She helped uncover the lead levels in Flint children and persisted until Gov. Rick Snyder admitted her findings were accurate, according to Kildee's news release.
Substance abuse treatment advocate: Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is taking Ashley Hurteau, who is in recovery from a heroin addiction and is now a substance abuse treatment advocate. Hurteau was able to receive treatment because of New Hampshire's bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan, according to Hassan's news release. The two met in January at a panel about the impact of repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Elementary school principal: Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut is taking Valerie Nelson, a retired elementary school principal. Nelson left the Charles Barnum Elementary School in June 2015 after 25 years and in 2017 the school received a National Blue Ribbon Award from the Department of Education for exceptional performance in closing the achievement gap.
Affordable Care Act beneficiary: Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is taking Shannon Linford, who has had a neurological disorder since she was 10. Linford benefited from ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from denying services due to a preexisting conditions and it also allows her to stay on her parents' insurance plan until she turn 26. She is currently 24.
