A number of Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate announced their intent to boycott President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, his second since taking office last year, despite the deepening crisis in Ukraine amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
While not historically remarkable (a number of Democrats boycotted a similar speech delivered by President Donald Trump in 2018), the statements are nevertheless a sign of the continued deep polarisation present in Washington and across the US.
Among those boycotting are both right-wing members of the GOP like Josh Hawley and Andrew Clyde, famous for his statements minimising the severity of the attack on Congress by calling rioters “tourists”, as well as more centrist members like Sen Marco Rubio.
The total confirmed list so far includes Sens Rubio, Hawley and Tom Cotton in the upper chamber, as well as Reps Clyde, Mary Miller, Bob Good, Chip Roy and Matt Rosendale in the House. Sen Rick Scott has also stated that he may not attend.
The lawmakers’ boycotts have drawn criticism from many on social media accusing them of missing out on an important show of solidarity with Ukraine for frivolous reasons.
Many, including Mr Rubio, released statements sharply criticising both the Covid-testing requirements and re-construction of security fencing around the US Capitol put in place for Mr Biden’s visit to Capitol Hill. Those attending the State of the Union address on Tuesday will be required to show a negative Covid-19 test result in order to be allowed entrance to the chamber.
“For the first time in American history you now have people having to produce paper to go in somewhere, to sit somewhere, to go to the State of the Union,” complained Mr Rubio during his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over the weekend.
He added: “This ... is what happens after 20 years of infusing this Marxist thought process into every aspect of our lives and now we’ve come face-to-face with it."
Mr Rosendale agreed in a statement provided to The Daily Caller, a right-wing publication.
“Members of Congress should not be subject to Covid-19 tests and social distance when it is not necessary, and the entire nation has ended most, if not all, coronavirus restrictions,” he said.
Mr Hawley likewise complained about needing a Covid vaccine as his announced his absence less than an hour before the speech.
“I hope Biden explains tonight why he surrendered America’s energy independence & apologizes for it. I’ll be watching from home. I refuse to submit to a Covid test to sit in a room of fully vaccinated people in a Capitol ringed with barricades to satisfy Joe Biden’s Covid theater,” the Missouri senator tweeted.
Others, like Sen Ted Cruz, did not indicate that they would skip the speech but hammered what they called “theatrics” put in place by Democrats around Mr Biden’s speech.
The security fencing was originally constructed after the 6 January attack on Congress last year, and was taken down months later.
Mr Biden is set to address the nation on Tuesday night amid the shocking invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and his own inability as president to wrangle the various wings of his party to pass his signature piece of economic safety net legislation, the Build Back Better Act, which is now in legislative limbo after two conservative Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, refused to support it.
The president faces worsening approval ratings as his popularity has slipped considerably over his first year in office and the White House faces the prospect of another eight months with little chance for major legislative victories on Capitol Hill.
