State of the Union: Who's on guest list for Joe Biden's speech to Congress?

Thursday's State of the Union address will be President Joe Biden's last before he runs for re-election in November

When President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address on Thursday night, he will be speaking to more than just the high-ranking US officials seated before him.

Invited by the White House and members of Congress, dozens of notable guests - carefully chosen by policy advisers - will be in attendance to highlight key issues ahead of the November election.

Mr Biden is expected to use his speech, which will air in a primetime slot across all major US networks, to emphasise his political priorities ahead of a likely rematch with Donald Trump.

Based on his invited guests, it appears his speech could centre on access to abortion and fertility treatments and the need to address US foreign policy concerns.

House and Senate members are also allowed guests. Republican leaders, for example, have chosen a number of people associated with border security - a key priority for the party.

Here is what to know about some of the notable attendees this year.

Women who fled Republican-run states for abortions

Kate Cox's case found national attention, after senior Texas officials fought to prevent her accessing abortion services

Democrats hope that abortion will serve as a wedge issue in 2024 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade two years ago, ushering in restrictions to the procedure across the US.

First Lady Jill Biden has invited Kate Cox to the high-profile speech to illustrate that point. The mother of two sued the state of Texas last year for the right to terminate her pregnancy.

Ms Cox's unborn baby had been diagnosed with a chromosomal anomaly that almost always leads to miscarriage, stillbirth or death of the infant.

She had had two previous Caesarean sections, and the pregnancy could have threatened her life and future fertility, according to a lawsuit she filed.

Ms Cox was initially granted an exemption to a state law broadly prohibiting abortions, as it provided exceptions for pregnancies that were "life-threatening" or that could cause "substantial" harm.

But she left Texas to terminate the pregnancy after the state's Supreme Court blocked the exemption at Attorney General Ken Paxton's request.

Also in the audience will be Kayla Smith, an Idaho mother who was denied an abortion after learning at 19 weeks that her foetus "had serious and fatal foetal anomalies". She had to move to a neighbouring state for an abortion.

First person born from IVF

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has invited Elizabeth Carr, the first person born via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the US.

An Alabama court sent shockwaves across the US last month after it ruled that frozen embryos are considered children and threw the future of IVF treatments into doubt.

The decision meant a person could be held liable if a frozen embryo was destroyed, and it forced many healthcare providers to suspend the service.

Democrats have sought to frame the decision in a state dominated by Republicans as a fresh attack on reproductive rights.

Ms Carr, born in 1981, said she was "honoured" by Senator Kaine's invitation and that she would serve as a "representative of how far IVF technology has come in this country".

The parents of jailed reporter Evan Gershkovich

The parents of reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained by Russia for almost a year, will attend the address

House Speaker Mike Johnson has invited the parents of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges for almost a year.

The Biden administration has maintained that the journalist was unjustly arrested. Moscow has reportedly rejected several US offers to secure his release.

"By hosting Evan's parents, Congress will shine a spotlight on the unjust detention of their son," Mr Johnson said in a statement. "The United States must always stand for freedom of the press around the world, especially in places like Russia, where it is under assault."

"The administration must bring Evan home," he added.

Mr Biden also invited Yulia Navalnaya - the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who he met with last month - to the address. She declined the invitation, citing fatigue and stress, according to media reports.

Another failed White House invitation went to Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, who reportedly cannot attend due to a scheduling conflict.

A new Nato leader

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will also be a guest of First Lady Jill Biden for the event.

Mr Kristersson is currently visiting Washington to formalise Sweden's sign-up to Nato - a military alliance of more than 30 Western nations which includes the United States.

Nato membership has grown since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 - with Sweden's own accession following that of its neighbour Finland.

Previously, both countries followed a non-alignment policy.

Relatives of US citizens killed or taken hostage by Hamas

Speaker Johnson, Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of Congress have invited 17 relatives of Americans killed or taken hostage by Hamas during the 7 October attack that triggered the Israel-Gaza war.

Freed hostage Mia Schem and the families of six Hamas kidnapping victims, who are thought to be alive, will attend.

Ms Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli tattoo artist, was kidnapped while attending the Nova music festival near the Gaza border and freed after 50 days. She will be a guest of Speaker Johnson.

Other guests of the Speaker include Orna and Daniel Neutra, the mother and brother of Omer Neutra - an American serving as an Israeli tank commander who went missing on 7 October.

Mr Jeffries has invited Andrea Weinstein, whose family members - Judy Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai - were both killed by Hamas.

But other Democrats have invited guests to underscore the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza and put pressure on Mr Biden. Cori Bush has invited Intimaa Salama, a St Louis graduate student whose family remains trapped in Gaza.

Republicans focus on the border

The crisis at the US southern border, which millions crossed illegally last year, is a key issue ahead of November's election.

Speaker Johnson has invited two New York police officers - Zunxu Tian and Ben Kurian - who fought a group of men outside a migrant shelter in Times Square in January.

The family of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed by an illegal migrant from Venezuela, have declined an invitation from Georgia congressman Mike Collins. The seat reserved for his guest will remain empty in her honour.

Laken Riley was killed by an undocumented migrant

Meanwhile, Elise Stefanik, a Republican congressional leader who is reportedly among those being considered to be Mr Trump's running mate, has invited Brandon Budlong - a US Border Patrol officer and union leader.

Mr Budlong, an officer with the force for 16 years, said he was "honoured" to be Ms Stefanik's guest, whom he hailed "for her unwavering commitment to securing our border".

Rapper and healthcare advocate Fat Joe

Fat Joe, who won fame in the early 2000s as a rapper and host of MTV's Pimp My Ride International, will be the guest of California congresswoman Nanette Barragán to highlight a push for price transparency in the healthcare system.

He met lawmakers last year as part of a drive to tackle the spiralling level of healthcare debt affecting US citizens. A February analysis says that 8% of Americans carry some amount of medical debt, and government data shows that people in the US owe at least $220bn due to the cost of medical care.

Ms Barragán hailed the rapper as an "incredible advocate" for healthcare price transparency and said she was "proud to be in this fight with him to make healthcare affordable for all American families".