Pelosi and Reid Formally Invite President Obama to Address Congress

Washington, D.C.-- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent the following letter today to President Obama inviting him to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.  Pelosi and Reid met Tuesday with the President at the White House to personally extend this invitation, which the President accepted.  Now that the House and Senate have passed concurrent resolutions authorizing the Joint Session, Pelosi and Reid have written to the President to extend the formal invitation.

Below is a text of the letter to the President:

February 12, 2009

President Barack Obama

The White House

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We greatly appreciate your support for the legislation we have sent you to guarantee fair pay for women and expanded health care for children, and for your leadership as we work to finalize an economic recovery bill, which we will send you shortly.

This Congress and your Administration have truly hit the ground running, but our hard work has just begun.  We would like to invite you to address a Joint Session of the Congress on Tuesday, February 24 to share your vision for addressing the many critical challenges our country faces at home and abroad.

Thank you for considering this invitation to speak to the Congress and the nation.  We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

NANCY PELOSI                                                  HARRY REID

Speaker of the House                                             Majority Leader of the Senate