House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday issued a formal invitation to President Biden to address a joint session of Congress.
"Nearly 100 days ago, when you took the oath of office, you pledged in a spirit of great hope that ‘Help Is On The Way,’ Pelosi wrote. "Now, because of your historic and transformative leadership, Help Is Here!"
She continued: "In that spirit, I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28, to share your vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment.”
BREAKING: Speaker Pelosi invites President Biden to address joint session of Congress on April 28.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 14, 2021
In the letter, the Speaker wrote, “You pledged in a spirit of great hope that ‘Help Is On The Way.’ Now, because of your historic and transformative leadership, Help Is Here!” pic.twitter.com/gr3yK0Etuq
"Thank you for considering this invitation to speak to the Congress and the Nation. I look forward to your reply," she concluded.
The speech comes later in Biden’s term than his predecessors. President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress took place on Feb. 28, 2017, while President Obama’s was on Feb. 24, 2009.
Pelosi had previously said she was waiting on decisions from the Office of the Attending Physician and the House Sergeant at Arms about capacity given the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The White House has yet to formally respond to the invitation, though it can be assumed the date was agreed upon mutually with Democratic leaders," Fox News reports.