Among local and state congressional leaders’ invited guests to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday are a business owner, a sheriff, a mother and the leader of a local nonprofit.
Invited guests to the annual speech often serve as a way for lawmakers to highlight policy concerns or achievements as well as elevate community leaders on a national stage.
Here is the developing list:
Ben Pearson, owner of ENALAS in Rochester, which makes science kits and other classroom products. He claims that Trump’s tariffs have cost his business more than $1 million. In a news release, Pearson said: “We have been forced to reduce our workforce by 20% and raise prices simply to remain viable.” Pearson is an invited guest of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.
Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby has been in law enforcement for three decades. In a statement, Milby said: “Justice is strongest when every level of government stands shoulder to shoulder — protecting our citizens together and ensuring that accountability and responsibility are never optional.” Milby is a guest of U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-Cleveland, Oswego County.
Eva Wood, a mother of seven from Rochester, who had been receiving about $300 a month in ACA-enhanced premium tax credits to help pay for family health insurance and her own heart medication. Democrats lost a push to extend those credits. Said Wood: “Once the ACA tax credits expired, our monthly health insurance bill — not including copays or prescriptions — equaled the amount of our monthly mortgage payment. And now, like thousands of families, we have to choose which of our other essential bills we can pay.” Wood is Schumer's invited guest.
- Angelica Perez-Delgado is president and CEO of the Ibero-American Action League Inc. In a statement, she said: “This invitation is not about me; it represents the resilient families and vulnerable communities we serve every day. At the Ibero-American Action League Inc., our work is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves dignity, opportunity, and the support to thrive.” Perez-Delgado is an invited guest of U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, D-Irondequoit.
