InAmerican politics, theresponse to the State of the Union address is a rebuttal speech, often brief, delivered by a representative (or representatives) of an opposition party following a presidentialState of the Union address. When thepresident is aDemocrat, the rebuttal is typically given by aRepublican, and vice versa.
The practice began in 1966 when RepublicanSen.Everett Dirksen (Illinois) andRep.Gerald Ford (Michigan) appeared on TV to offer a response to the address by Democratic PresidentLyndon Johnson.[1] The opposition party's response has varied in format, ranging from a prerecorded 45-minute TV program in 1970[2] to a call-in show in 1972 where a panel of congressmen answered unrehearsed questions from callers.[1] Since the late 1980s, it usually has been a televised speech given soon after the State of the Union address.[1]
Four presidents have given both a State of the Union address and an opposition response:Gerald Ford,George H. W. Bush,Bill Clinton, andJoe Biden.[1][3]
Unless otherwise noted, the response was broadcast live the same night as the State of the Union address and given in English.
| Year | Responding Party/Group | Response given by[1] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| President Lyndon Johnson (D) | |||
| 1966 | Republican | Senate Minority LeaderEverett Dirksen (IL) and House Minority LeaderGerald Ford (MI) | Response given five days later and recorded live and broadcast that evening |
| 1967 | Senate Minority LeaderEverett Dirksen (IL) and House Minority LeaderGerald Ford (MI) | Formatted as a news conference | |
| 1968 | Sens.Howard Baker (TN),Peter Dominick (CO),Robert Griffin (MI),Thomas Kuchel (CA),George Murphy (CA),Chuck Percy (IL),Hugh Scott (PA), andJohn Tower (TX) and Reps.George Bush (TX), Gerald Ford (MI),Mel Laird (WI),Bob Mathias (CA),Dick Poff (VA),Al Quie (MN),Charlotte Reid (IL), andBill Steiger (WI) | Response given six days later | |
| 1969 | No response given due to the address occurring in the final week of Johnson's term | ||
| President Richard Nixon (R) | |||
| 1970 | Democratic | Sens.Albert Gore (TN),Philip Hart (MI),Scoop Jackson (WA),Mike Mansfield (MT),Ed Muskie (ME), andBill Proxmire (WI), andRalph Yardborough (TX), and Reps. SpeakerCarl Albert (OK),Donald Fraser (MN),John McCormack (MA), andPatsy Mink (HI) | Prerecorded response given seventeen days later and included discussions with voters |
| 1971 | Senate Majority LeaderMike Mansfield (MT) | Response given four days later in an interview format with reporters asking questions | |
| 1972 | Sens.Lloyd Bentsen (TX),Frank Church (ID),Tom Eagleton (MO), andBill Proxmire (WI) and Reps.Carl Albert (OK),Hale Boggs (LA),John Brademas (IN),Martha Griffiths (MI),John Melcher (MT),Ralph Metcalfe (IL), andLeonor Sullivan (MO) | Response given one day later; panelists answered questions submitted live by voters over the phone | |
| 1973 | No response given due to Nixon submitting the State of the Union report in writing | ||
| 1974 | Senate Majority LeaderMike Mansfield (MT) | Response given two days later | |
| President Gerald Ford (R) | |||
| 1975 | Democratic | Rep.Carl Albert (OK) and Sen.Hubert Humphrey (MN) | Response given five to seven days later with Albert's speech airing on the first two nights and Humphrey's speech on the third night |
| 1976 | Sen.Ed Muskie (ME) | Response given two days later | |
| 1977 | No response given due to the address occurring in the final week of Ford's term | ||
| President Jimmy Carter (D) | |||
| 1978 | Republican | Senate Minority LeaderHoward Baker (TN) and House Minority LeaderJohn Rhodes (AZ) | Response given seven days later in a question-and-answer format |
| 1979 | Senate Minority LeaderHoward Baker (TN) and House Minority LeaderJohn Rhodes (AZ) | Baker and Rhodes gave official response one day later as a news conference; Sen.Bob Dole (KS) and Rep.Barber Conable (NY) joined Baker and Rhodes for an interview onNBC that evening | |
| 1980 | Acting Senate Minority LeaderTed Stevens (AK) and House Minority LeaderJohn Rhodes (AZ) | Prerecorded response given five days later | |
| 1981 | No response given due to Carter submitting the State of the Union report in writing | ||
| President Ronald Reagan (R) | |||
| 1981[a] | Democratic | No response given to Reagan's first address to a joint session of Congress | |
| 1982 | Gov.Jerry Brown (CA); Sens.Robert Byrd (WV),Alan Cranston (CA),Gary Hart (CO),Bennett Johnston (LA),Ted Kennedy (MA),Don Riegle (MI),Paul Sarbanes (MD), andJim Sasser (TN); Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill (MA); and Rep.Al Gore (TN) | Prerecorded, documentary-style response includingman-on-the-street interviews | |
| 1983 | Sens.Joe Biden (DE),Bill Bradley (NJ),Robert Byrd (WV), andPaul Tsongas (MA); Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill (MA); and Reps.Les AuCoin (OR),Tom Daschle (SD),Bill Hefner (NC),Barbara Kennelly (CT),George Miller (CA),Paul Simon (IL), andTim Wirth (CO) | Prerecorded | |
| 1984 | Moderated by Gov.Michael Dukakis (MA) and included Sens.Max Baucus (MT), Joe Biden (DE),David Boren (OK),Robert Byrd (WV),Dee Huddleston (KY),Carl Levin (MI), andClaiborne Pell (RI); Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill (MA); and Reps.Barbara Boxer (CA),Dante Fascell (FL),Bill Gray (PA), andTom Harkin (IA) | Partially prerecorded | |
| 1985 | Hosted by Gov.Bill Clinton (AR) and included remarks from Rep.Dick Gephardt (MO), Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill (MA), and Senate Majority LeaderRobert Byrd (WV); focus groups moderated by Sens.Chris Dodd (CT) andSam Nunn (GA), House Majority LeaderJim Wright (TX), Rep.Bill Richardson (NM), Gov.Chuck Robb (VA), Lt. Gov.Nancy Dick (CO), Attorney GeneralDave Armstrong (KY), and MayorWilson Goode (Philadelphia) | Prerecorded response featuring excerpts fromfocus groups with Democratic voters moderated by Democratic politicians[5][b] | |
| 1986 | Sen.George Mitchell (ME), Reps.Tom Daschle (SD) andBill Gray (PA), Lt. Gov.Harriett Woods (MO), and Fmr. Gov.Chuck Robb (VA) | Last response to be given by more than two people | |
| 1987 | Senate Majority LeaderRobert Byrd (WV) and Speaker of the HouseJim Wright (TX) | ||
| 1988 | Senate Majority LeaderRobert Byrd (WV) and Speaker of the HouseJim Wright (TX) | ||
| President George H. W. Bush (R) | |||
| 1989[a] | Democratic | Speaker of the HouseJim Wright (TX) and Sen.Lloyd Bentsen (TX)[1] | |
| 1990 | Speaker of the HouseTom Foley (WA) | ||
| 1991 | Senate Majority LeaderGeorge Mitchell (ME) | ||
| 1992 | Speaker of the HouseTom Foley (WA) | ||
| President Bill Clinton (D) | |||
| 1993[a] | Republican | House Minority LeaderBob Michel (IL)[1] | |
| 1994 | Senate Minority LeaderBob Dole (KS) | ||
| 1995 | Gov.Christine Todd Whitman (NJ) | ||
| 1996 | Senate Majority LeaderBob Dole (KS) | ||
| 1997 | Rep.J. C. Watts (OK) | ||
| 1998 | Senate Majority LeaderTrent Lott (MS) | ||
| 1999 | Reps.Jennifer Dunn (WA) andSteve Largent (OK) | ||
| 2000 | Sens.Susan Collins (ME) andBill Frist (TN) | ||
| President George W. Bush (R) | |||
| 2001[a] | Democratic | Senate Minority LeaderTom Daschle (SD) and House Minority LeaderDick Gephardt (MO)[6] | |
| 2002 | House Minority LeaderDick Gephardt (MO) | ||
| 2003 | Gov.Gary Locke (WA) | ||
| 2004 | Senate Minority LeaderTom Daschle (SD) House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi (CA) | ||
| 2005 | Senate Minority LeaderHarry Reid (NV) House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi (CA) | ||
| 2006 | Gov.Tim Kaine (VA) | ||
| 2007 | Sen.Jim Webb (VA) | ||
| 2008 | Gov.Kathleen Sebelius (KS) | ||
| President Barack Obama (D) | |||
| 2009[a] | Republican | Gov.Bobby Jindal (LA)[7] | |
| 2010 | Gov.Bob McDonnell (VA) | ||
| 2011 | Rep.Paul Ryan (WI) | ||
| Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Tea Party | Rep.Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) | ||
| 2012 | Republican | Gov.Mitch Daniels (IN) | |
| Tea Party | Herman Cain, a businessman from Georgia | ||
| 2013 | Republican | Sen.Marco Rubio (FL) | Response given in English and Spanish |
| Tea Party | Sen.Rand Paul (R-KY) | ||
| 2014 | Republican | Rep.Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) | |
| Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Tea Party | Sen.Mike Lee (R-UT) | ||
| 2015 | Republican | Sen.Joni Ernst (IA) | |
| Rep.Carlos Curbelo (FL) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Tea Party | Rep.Curt Clawson (R-FL) | ||
| 2016 | Republican | Gov.Nikki Haley (SC) | |
| Rep.Mario Díaz-Balart (FL) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| President Donald Trump (R) | |||
| 2017[a] | Democratic | Fmr. Gov.Steve Beshear (KY)[8] | |
| Astrid Silva, an immigration activist from Nevada[8] | Response given in Spanish | ||
| 2018 | Rep.Joe Kennedy III (MA) | ||
| State Del.Elizabeth Guzmán (VA) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| 2019 | Fmr. State Rep.Stacey Abrams (GA) | ||
| Attorney GeneralXavier Becerra (CA) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Working Families | Lt. Gov.Mandela Barnes (D-WI) | ||
| 2020 | Democratic | Gov.Gretchen Whitmer (MI) | |
| Rep.Veronica Escobar (TX) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Working Families | Rep.Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) | ||
| President Joe Biden (D) | |||
| 2021[a] | Republican | Sen.Tim Scott (SC)[9] | |
| Working Families | Rep.Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)[10] | ||
| 2022 | Republican | Gov.Kim Reynolds (IA) | |
| Working Families | Rep.Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)[11] | ||
| Congressional Black Caucus | Rep.Colin Allred (D-TX)[12] | ||
| Problem Solvers Caucus | Reps.Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) andBrian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) | Organized byNo Labels | |
| 2023 | Republican | Gov.Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR) | |
| Rep.Juan Ciscomani (AZ) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Working Families | Rep.Delia Ramirez (D-IL) | ||
| 2024 | Republican | Sen.Katie Britt (AL) | |
| Rep.Monica De La Cruz (TX) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Working Families | CouncilmemberNicolas O'Rourke (Philadelphia At-Large) | ||
| Independent | Presidential CandidateRobert F. Kennedy Jr.[13] | ||
| President Donald Trump (R) | |||
| 2025[a] | Democratic | Sen.Elissa Slotkin (MI) | |
| Rep.Adriano Espaillat (NY) | Response given in Spanish | ||
| Working Families | Rep.Lateefah Simon (CA) | ||
| Independent | Sen.Bernie Sanders (VT) | ||