Texans in Congress Use Guest Invites Strategically for Trump's Speech

WASHINGTON -- As Congress prepares to welcome President Donald Trump to the Capitol on Tuesday night for his first address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Texas members are taking full advantage of their ability to bring a guest to the packed chamber.Though many are inviting their spouses or personal friends to the speech, some are using the opportunity to make a point.Rep. Marc Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, will host a Dallas family of Syrian refugees, placing a spotlight on the human impact of Trump’s refugee policies. The Trump administration is expected to roll out a new version of its executive order on refugees this week after the initial effort was held up in court.Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, flew in Michael Dirden, the assistant executive chief of the Houston Police Department as part of an effort to highlight gun safety. At a news conference Tuesday with a group of Democrats and law enforcement officers in the Capitol, Jackson Lee suggested the party will continue to harp on gun issues despite the myriad other concerns they have with the Trump administration.“We stand here in contrast to the voices that say to the American people that guns, the gun lobby, gun manufacturers are more important than the men and women who stand here with us today and the people that they protect,” she said.Jackson Lee and Dirden oppose a measure backed by several Texans and the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., that would eliminate a $200 tax on gun silencers. Though supporters of the bill have argued that the legislation would help protect the ears of people who use recreational firearms, Dirden noted that experienced gun owners like himself are always taught to use ear and eye protection.“So it’s not necessary to have congressional action to protect the ears and eyes of persons who engage in the lawful use of firearms,” Dirden said. “What this legislation really does is make it easier for those who intend to use firearms for unlawful purposes to continue to inflict harm on the people of this country.”After including measures to support adult stem cell treatment in the 21st Century Cures Act that passed last year, Sugarland Republican Rep. Pete Olson invited Fulshear resident Sarah Hughes to Trump’s speech. Hughes was diagnosed as a young child with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, a life-threatening disease, and she testified before the Federal Drug Administration in support of changes to US law on adult stem cell therapy.José Andrés, a renowned Spanish-American chef who owns several of the most popular restaurants in Washington, will be Brownsville Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela’s guest for the speech. At a recent tribute dinner in his honor in Florida, Andrés tore off his white chef’s coat on stage to reveal a black t-shirt with the message: “I am an immigrant.”Beyond his vocal support for immigrants’ rights, Andrés has also had run-ins with Trump before. In 2015, the celebrity chef canceled a deal to open a Spanish restaurant in the new Trump International Hotel in Washington, citing the then-candidate’s incendiary comments about undocumented immigrants.Trump subsequently filed a lawsuit against Andrés for his breach of contract for $10 million in damages, a legal dispute that remains ongoing.Rep. Sam Johnson, who announced last month that this term in Congress will be his last, plans to bring Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the address, an aide said. Paxton was already in town as part of a delegation of attorney generals from around the country who met with Trump on Tuesday morning.Sean Hannity, the avowedly pro-Trump Fox News host, will attend the speech as a guest of Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Tyler Republican. Gohmert, a frequent Fox News guest, also invited his “good friend” Hannity to then-President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address.Members of Congress often use their guest invites to State of the Unions and presidential speeches as a tactic to draw attention to specific issues.At President Barack Obama’s 2016 State of the Union address, Johnson invited an ex-prisoner who had been wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife to raise awareness for legislation to give exonerees tax exemptions, and Veasey brought the owner of Dallas-based restaurant franchise Gloria’s as an example of why small business owners should be supported by his legislation to make it easier to obtain loans.  Continue reading...