One of First Lady Jill Biden’s 20 guests at the state of the union speech tonight will be Pittsburgher Samantha Ervin-Upsher.
Ervin-Upsher is a 23-year-old mother of two, and an apprentice with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 432. She met Biden during a trip the First Lady made to Pittsburgh last year.
“Each of these individuals were invited by the White House because they personify issues or themes to be addressed by the President in his speech, or they embody the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies at work for the American people,” according to a statement from the First Lady.
During Biden’s trip to the Pittsburgh International Airport, Ervin-Upsher spoke about trying to pave the way for other Black women to work in the trades. “It’s a big honor to be able to pave the way for women after me to get into the trades,” Ervin-Upsher said. “There’s not that many of us out there, but the ones that are out there … work hard every day to make sure that we know and they know that they can do it, too.”
Congressional representatives will also be bringing guests of their own to the speech, choices that can send political messages while also recognizing a constituent’s stature within the community.
Rep. Chris Deluzio invited Darlington Township supervisor Mike Carreon, as a reminder of Deluzio’s calls to pass rail safety reforms. Darlington was impacted by a Norfolk Southern train derailment that released toxic chemicals a few miles upwind in East Palestine, Ohio. Deluzio has been urging Congress to pass the Rail Safety Act, which supporters say will address concerns that came to light as a result of that derailment.
Rep. Mike Kelly invited Laura Crago, a podcast host for the Butler Eagle, who recently moved back to the area after a long career in entertainment. Crago’s podcast, the Alter Eagle, has focused on the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health challenges. Crago spoke to Kelly on her podcast earlier this year about his son’s struggles with addiction and Kelly blamed the country’s border policies.
“Things are always concerning to you until it becomes one of your own. Then it becomes a crisis,” Kelly told her. “I really am looking at the possibility of a lost generation. A lot of what's happening today is the amount of drugs that have come into our country.”
Rep. Summer Lee invited John Moon, a retired EMT for the Freedom House Ambulance Service. Moon and the Hill District ambulance service revolutionized the way people are treated on their way to hospitals, pioneering medical procedures like resuscitating heart attack victims.
“John Moon is a living legend,” Lee said in a statement. The service’s “revolutionary methods are responsible for saving a life every 30 minutes. It is a profound privilege to have him be my guest of honor at the State of the Union, as we continue his legacy of fighting for Medicare for All, health equity, and towards building public services that serve ALL of our communities.”
