Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Roll Call

Jinitzail Hernández

State of the Union: draft after draft

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., speaks with reporters following the final votes of the week on Dec. 12, 2019. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer was one of the youngest staffers on the Clinton administration’s speech writing team.

“The good news is I was only 23 so I don’t think I realized just how overwhelmed I should have been by being in the West Wing,” said Gottheimer while showing CQ Roll Call the Clinton speech memorabilia adorning his walls.

Watch the New Jersey Democrat recall the many drafts and just how last minute the State of the Union comes together.

Read more about Gottheimer's time as a staffer here.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

‘Utterly evil’: Louisiana pastor sentenced to seven years’ prison for molesting teen girl

‘Utterly evil’: Louisiana pastor sentenced to seven years’ prison for molesting teen girl

Milton Otto Martin III received maximum sentence for indecent behavior inflicted on teenager 15 years ago

The Guardian - US

Acquittal of Chile riot officer who blinded protester raises impunity fears

Acquittal of Chile riot officer who blinded protester raises impunity fears

Gustavo Gatica lost his sight in 2019’s nationwide unrest but as the country prepares to swear in a far-right president the man who fired the rubber bullets has walked free

The Guardian - US

Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live

Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live

President warned prior to the vote that any Republican who voted against tariffs would ‘suffer the consequences’

The Guardian - UK

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Olympians will get a post-tax income boost ranging from about $48,350 to $73,146, according to a Fortune analysis based on today’s tax rates.

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Violence marred polling in Bangladesh's Gopalganj Sadar as a crude bomb injured two security personnel and a child. Another crude bomb blast occurred in Munshiganj, followed by a chase between rival supporters. Separately, a BNP leader died after a scuffle at a Khulna polling station, though party sources cited pre-existing…

The Times of India

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy have confirmed they are currently working on the belief she is "alive".

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

‘Utterly evil’: Louisiana pastor sentenced to seven years’ prison for molesting teen girl

‘Utterly evil’: Louisiana pastor sentenced to seven years’ prison for molesting teen girl

Milton Otto Martin III received maximum sentence for indecent behavior inflicted on teenager 15 years ago

The Guardian - US

Acquittal of Chile riot officer who blinded protester raises impunity fears

Acquittal of Chile riot officer who blinded protester raises impunity fears

Gustavo Gatica lost his sight in 2019’s nationwide unrest but as the country prepares to swear in a far-right president the man who fired the rubber bullets has walked free

The Guardian - US

Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live

Six Republicans join Democrats in vote to block Donald Trump’s Canada tariffs - US politics live

President warned prior to the vote that any Republican who voted against tariffs would ‘suffer the consequences’

The Guardian - UK

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Olympians will get a post-tax income boost ranging from about $48,350 to $73,146, according to a Fortune analysis based on today’s tax rates.

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Violence marred polling in Bangladesh's Gopalganj Sadar as a crude bomb injured two security personnel and a child. Another crude bomb blast occurred in Munshiganj, followed by a chase between rival supporters. Separately, a BNP leader died after a scuffle at a Khulna polling station, though party sources cited pre-existing…

The Times of India

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy have confirmed they are currently working on the belief she is "alive".

Our Picks

The Epstein scandal has punctured all the age-old myths about the French elite

Suddenly, venerable figures presumed immune to sordid compromise have been exposed – although some have shown that moral courage is possible, says political commentator Agnès Poirier

The Guardian - UK

Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Pickpocket Signs, Cleveland Balloon Release, Ivanpah Solar Power Facility (Vol. 20)

Good intentions, bad results

‘People Do Indeed Ask’: Katt Williams Drops Claims About What He Saw When People Hit Up Diddy’s Parties

Katt Williams bring his perspective.

Florida man picks up cold blooded iguana from under a tree and then makes tacos with its meat

TikTok user @gray.davis has a habit of making a meal out of everything, but no one was prepared for this one. Exactly a week ago, he uploaded a video on his profile in which he picked up an iguana from under a tree and used its meat to make tacos,…

‘They were disgusted that I was even talking’: Nashville dad takes kids to McDonald’s, ends up realizing they don’t want him there at all

Remember the golden age of McDonald’s? Bright red booths, a dedicated cashier who actually smiled, and a self-serve soda fountain that felt like a sanctuary of free refills. According to one Nashville father, those days are officially buried under a pile of sterile kiosks and gray paint.

Miami woman brought a family heirloom to Chicago airport and loses it to the TSA. But why is nobody feeling bad for her?

We’ve all had those mask-off moments at the TSA. The frantic realization that your expensive moisturizer is 4 ounces instead of 3.4, or the internal panic when you forget a stray water bottle in your bag. But one traveler just lived through a tragedy that has the internet screaming at…

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play