It’s custom for members of Congress to invite guests to the State of the Union address when the president formally speaks to the Congress, members of the U.S. Supreme Court and the nation.
Tuesday, Andrea Chamblee, widow of slain Capital Gazette journalist John McNamara, will be the guest of U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen as President Donald Trump gives his third address. He will be only the second president in U.S. history to give the address while on trial in the Senate following his impeachment by the House of Representatives.
Van Hollen hopes Chamblee’s presence will focus the nation’s attention on the “urgent need of federal laws to reduce gun violence.” McNamara was one of five Capital Gazette staff members killed in an attack on the newsroom in June 2018.
“Andrea has been somebody who, after experiencing a terrible personal loss, has dedicated herself to trying to prevent other families from experiencing those tragedies,” said Van Hollen, D-Maryland.
As a gun violence prevention advocate, Chamblee frequently tells her story to state and federal lawmakers in speaking events that are often emotionally painful. She recently testified in Annapolis on state legislation affecting rifles and shotguns. A final vote in the House of Delegates on that bill is set for Tuesday.
“I keep thinking I need to stop for my own good. But I find myself unwilling to turn down a chance to talk about John, his work, his stories and his book I find so inspiring,” Chamblee said.
Though Van Hollen’s invitation is considered an honor, some days are harder than others and her role is not one she would wish on others, Chamblee said.
“We’ll see if I make it through the speech or not,” Chamblee said. “If I can’t, I’ll just hold my head up high and know I’m doing my best for John.”
Chamblee is the vice-chair of the Anne Arundel County Gun Violence Taskforce. Van Hollen said he shares her desire to pass legislation to prevent gun violence. The senator introduced a bill to incentivize state and local governments to enact laws requiring individuals to obtain a license to purchase a handgun.
A bill to require background checks for all firearm sales is pending in the Senate, Van Hollen said. He hopes added attention surrounding the need to pass the bill will result in a safer country and fewer families impacted by gun violence.
U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, invited Dr. Eberechukwu Onukwugha, a leading pharmaceutical and health care researcher, to the Tuesday address. Onukwugha joins Sarbanes to help elevate efforts to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs across the country, she said in a statement.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican from Annapolis, will deliver his State of the State address the day after Trump’s State of the Union speech. Chamblee feels recognized by Van Hollen for her work in the fight to stop gun violence, she said, but she has not heard from Hogan since the shooting.
“Not a peep from our governor,” she said.
The governor’s office released a statement Monday afternoon in response to Chamblee’s criticism.
“Governor Hogan has enacted several bipartisan measures to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and those with criminal backgrounds, including landmark red flag legislation,” the statement reads.