For a president, a State of the Union address is a chance to lay out a vision for the country and speak directly with the American people. The members of Congress in attendance have no such ability to command the country’s attention, but they do still have ways to send a message: through their choice of guest to the address, and potentially through their decision not to attend at all.
Tonight, as President Donald Trump prepares to give his address before a joint session of Congress (since it’s the first address of his new administration, it’s technically not a State of the Union address, though it’s often referred to as such), New Jersey’s 14 members of Congress are sending a variety of messages.
Four representatives and senators are bringing activists, advocates, and bureaucrats closely involved in Medicaid, which Democrats warn could be slashed under Republican spending plans. Two congressmen are bringing family members of current and former American hostages, including the parents of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander. Two members are bringing current or former federal workers – one recently fired by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), another at risk of being fired soon.
And one New Jersey congresswoman won’t be there at all. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), also a candidate for governor this year, said that, just as she skipped Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, she will skip Trump’s address in protest of his conduct in office.
“I believe in these rituals of our democracy – believe in them to my core, having taken oaths to my country since I began my service in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Academy,” Sherrill said. “I also believe our democracy is degraded when these rituals are exploited in the service of outright lies, attacks on our allies, even attacks on our own citizens. I will watch his address tonight with my family, I will listen closely, and I will continue the fight to protect and preserve New Jersey.”
Here’s who the state’s other members of Congress will be bringing tonight.
Senator Cory Booker: Fired Forest Service worker Cameron McKenzie
Cameron McKenzie, a community engagement specialist with the U.S. Forest Service from rural Warren County, was abruptly let go from his job in the early weeks of Trump’s term. He’ll be Senator Cory Booker’s guest at tonight’s address, one of a number of federal workers who will be there as symbols of the approximately 30,000 people who have been fired under Trump and DOGE.
“Cameron’s future is now uncertain, and he will have to sell his home in Blairstown,” Booker said. “What Musk is doing is hemorrhaging our nation’s talented workforce and unduly harming people and communities nationwide, including New Jerseyans. It is my honor to be joined by Cameron this evening, and it is my hope that his courage and resilience are recognized for what they are: patriotic.”
Rep. Herb Conaway: An anonymous federal worker at risk of termination
Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran)’s guest could soon be in a similar position as McKenzie. According to Conaway, his guest is a New Jersey-based federal employee who has worked for the Department of Defense for more than a decade, but whose recent hiring into a new position means that he’s on probationary status and thus at risk of being fired by DOGE; the guest is remaining anonymous out of fear for his job.
“I wish the ignorance and reckless actions of this administration and Elon Musk were harmless, but sadly, they are not,” Conaway said. “My guest for this year’s State of the Union is one of those Americans – a dedicated professional who is living in fear that he will be terminated from their position after more than a decade of service with the Department of Defense… This person epitomizes the call of public service, and I hope his story serves as a wake-up call to Republicans that their actions have real, severe consequences that affect everyday people.”
Rep. Frank Pallone: Disability advocate Lauren Zalepka
The top-ranking Democrat on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) is set to play a leading role in Democratic efforts to fight back against any major legislation Republicans attempt to pass this year, especially as it relates to health care and the environment.
As a way of highlighting the Medicaid cuts Pallone says would result from Republicans’ plans, the congressman is bringing Lauren Zalepka, a longtime disability advocate whose daughter has a developmental disability. Zalepka is a former president of the Arc of Monmouth, a disability non-profit organization, and an incoming president of the Arc of New Jersey; Pallone said that she has fought for years to protect Medicaid funding, which is critical for those with disabilities.
“Last week, every single House Republican voted to gut Medicaid to pay for massive tax breaks for billionaires,” Pallone said. “Lauren Zalepka has dedicated her life to fighting for individuals with disabilities – not just as a leader at The Arc of Monmouth, but as a mother who knows exactly how devastating these cuts would be. She’s joining me at Trump’s Joint Address to send a clear message: we will not let Republicans put Medicaid on the chopping block without a fight.”
Senator Andy Kim: Disability activist Kevin Nuñez
Pallone isn’t the only New Jersey member of Congress putting the spotlight on how critical Medicaid is for disabled Americans. Senator Andy Kim is bringing Kevin Nuñez, a disability rights activist and former vice chair of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities who relies on Medicaid to live independently as a disabled man.
“Trump and Musk have shown they have no problem cutting vital funding that help our most vulnerable succeed; with these cuts, the disabled community will be losing access to critical programs and lifelines,” Kim said. “Kevin has been a leading voice for disability rights in New Jersey for many years and I am honored to have him as my guest for the State of the Union to remind Trump that disability rights are human rights that must be protected.”
Rep. LaMonica McIver: Disability advocate Cathy Tamburello
Like Kim and Pallone, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) has invited a disability advocate seeking to fight against any prospective cuts to Medicaid. Cathy Tamburello’s 39-year-old son Michael has a number of intellectual and developmental disabilities, and his round-the-clock care is funded through Medicaid; McIver will bring the elder Tamburello to tonight’s address.
“In NJ-10 alone, the Republican budget would kick 225,000 New Jerseyans off Medicaid,” McIver said. “These aren’t just numbers. They’re people – like my guest to tonight’s address, Cathy from Verona, whose son, Michael, relies on Medicaid for care. I’m honored to stand alongside Cathy this evening, and to fight in Congress every day for her, Michael, and everyone in our 10th District.”
Rep. Nellie Pou: New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman
Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) is also sending a message on Medicaid via her guest, but she’s coming at it from a different angle: by bringing Sarah Adelman, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Adelman has led the state department responsible for overseeing NJ FamilyCare since 2021, and Pou said she serves as a reminder of what New Jersey stands to lose if the GOP’s legislative agenda is successful.
“When Donald Trump speaks to Congress and the nation tonight, I want him to look directly into the eyes of Commissioner Adelman sitting above to remind him of the devastating impact on the health care of countless Americans if his preferred policies are enacted,” Pou said. “I thank Commissioner Adelman for standing up for our state in the face of cruel Republican cuts and her department’s work to keep New Jerseyans healthy.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer: The family of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander
For more than a year, Edan Alexander – a native of Tenafly, New Jersey who was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023 – has been held in captivity. Unlike many of his fellow hostages, Alexander was not released during the recent months of ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and he’s now the last living American hostage.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly), along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will bring Adi and Yael Alexander, Edan’s parents, as their guests tonight; Gottheimer said it’s critical that the United States never forget about Alexander or any other hostages. (Both Adi and Yael came to last year’s State of the Union as well, as guests of Gottheimer and Rep. Donald Norcross.)
“Leader Jeffries and I are honored to have the Alexander family from Tenafly, NJ, as our guests to the President’s joint address to Congress,” Gottheimer said. “Their presence ensures that no American forgets their son, 21-year-old Edan, is still being held hostage in Gaza. We must get every hostage home. The United States should never leave any man or woman behind.”
Rep. Tom Kean Jr.: Sarah Moriarty, daughter of the late Robert Levinson
In March 2007, Robert Levinson disappeared while on a CIA mission in Iran; he was widely believed to have been taken captive by Iran, though Iran’s government never acknowledged his arrest, and he was declared dead in absentia in 2020.
As his state of the union guest, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) is bringing Sarah Moriarty, Levinson’s daughter and Kean’s constituent, who has spent decades as an advocate for her father and for other American hostages held worldwide. In 2021, Trump signed the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act into law, which Kean said was in part due to Moriarty’s activism.
“Sarah has devoted her life to being a tireless advocate for the families of American hostages and those wrongfully detained overseas,” Kean said. “Her work has led to significant legislative achievements, including the establishment of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act, the U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day and the creation of an official flag to raise awareness. She represents the very best of America and New Jersey, and I am thankful she will join this special event.”
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman: Former combat surgeon Adam Hamawy
An Army veteran and former combat surgeon, Dr. Adam Hamawy was one of the doctors who operated on now-Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) when her helicopter was shot down in 2004; now a plastic surgeon based in North Brunswick, Hamawy volunteered to provide medical aid in Gaza after the current conflict between Israel and Hamas began. He’ll be the guest of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) tonight.
“[Dr. Hamawy’s] selflessness and bravery are an example for all of us,” Watson Coleman said. “His commitment to providing medical care to those who need it most, in one of the most dangerous places in the world, speaks to his remarkable character, bravery, and dedication to humanitarianism. He is someone who has seen first hand the devastating impacts of the war in Gaza, and can speak with unimpeachable authority on the suffering the Palestinian people have been forced to endure.”
Four other congressmen – Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), Chris Smith (R-Manchester), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), and Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) – have not announced their address guests and did not respond to the New Jersey Globe’s requests for information.
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January 7, 2019