Members of Congress showed up to President Joe Biden‘s State of the Union in their finest, sporting everything from Swavorski crystals and Make America Great Again hats to coordinated white and blue suits as lawmakers looked to make a statement during the president’s address.
One of the most populous fashion choices seen on the House floor was the Democratic female lawmakers wearing white to support reproductive rights, a main topic expected to come up during Biden’s speech regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Alabama in vitro fertilization ruling.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) donned Palestinian keffiyehs. Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, has long pressured Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Another group of lawmakers are wearing outfits in solidarity with foreign allies. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) is wearing a Ukrainian scarf she said was gifted to her by a Ukrainian constituent.
“Support for the Ukrainian people means standing up to Putin, protecting our national security, and fighting for democracy,” Sherrill said in a statement on X.
Tonight, I’m proudly wearing a Ukrainian scarf given to me by a Ukrainian constituent to the President’s State of the Union Address.
Support for the Ukrainian people means standing up to Putin, protecting our national security, and fighting for democracy. pic.twitter.com/5RIeuQ6jxt
— Rep. Mikie Sherrill (@RepSherrill) March 8, 2024
Reps. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (R-FL) all wore blue “to stand in solidarity with the Israeli hostages.”
I wore blue with my colleagues to stand in solidarity with the Israeli hostages. All hostages must be released! pic.twitter.com/ReZhNAHLPs
— Congresswoman Nikema Williams (@RepNikema) March 7, 2024
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, surprised no one and wore a red Make America Great Again hat and a Laken Riley T-shirt and pin in honor of a Georgia nursing student allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant. On the House floor, she took the hat off.
“The State of the Union is Laken Riley,” Greene said.
Many other House Republicans are wearing buttons with Laken Riley’s name or buttons that say “Stop the Biden border crisis.”
Senators are also looking to make a statement. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) posted a photo on X sporting his “climate stripes,” along with his guest, Frank Carini, co-founder of eco-RI News.