Progressive Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri revealed that she is wearing a shirt emblazoned with the number 18,000 to President Biden’s State of the Union address.
“My State of the Union fit. 18,000. That’s how many people whose clemency petitions are sitting in a backlog, waiting for @POTUS’s review. Justice delayed is justice denied. President Biden, we’re urging you: start granting clemency now,” Bush tweeted when sharing a photo of herself wearing the brightly colored shirt.
The lawmaker has been a vocal advocate for defunding the police.
Biden is delivering his State of the Union address on Tuesday as he continues to remain underwater in a variety of job approval polls.
The speech also comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has drawn attention around the globe, and Ukrainians struggle to defend their nation.
Several GOP lawmakers announced that they would not attend the president’s speech.
“I’m healthy, so I won’t be taking a test for COVID… so I won’t be attending the #SOTU,” GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky tweeted.
“I am boycotting the State of the Union on behalf of the American people who were fired because Joe Biden’s White House strong-armed private employers to institute illegal vaccine mandates,” Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois tweeted.