Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has been invited by the White House to sit in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box at President Obama’s State of the Union address. The governor described the invitation to Tuesday’s speech before Congress as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
In an official statement, Malloy said the invitation comes because of his shared agenda with the president on gun control. “We’ve passed the smartest gun law in the nation, and we’ve helped drive a national conversation to help prevent gun violence. The President is taking action on this important issue just as we have in Connecticut,” Malloy said in his statement.
Malloy will be sitting in a box heavy with symbolism. According to the Washington Post, one seat will be left empty in the first lady’s box “for the victims of gun violence who no longer have a voice.” First Lady Laura Bush left a seat empty in 2003 for the victims of 9/11.
Based on last year’s guest list, the governor will be one of 26 people in the box, including Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden.
It will be Malloy’s second trip to the nation’s capital within a week. He was at the White House this past Tuesday, Jan. 5, to watch President Obama sign an executive order expanding background checks and licensing requirements.
