State of the Union Live Updates: Biden to Promote His Path of Taxing the Rich, Aiding the Needy

WASHINGTON — Family members of victims of police brutality and a mass shooting, a police sheriff and an N.F.L. player are among the guests invited by members of Congress to sit in the House chamber on Tuesday night for President Biden’s State of the Union address.

Members of Congress are generally allowed to invite guests to sit in the gallery overlooking the House floor for the annual presidential speech, and Republicans and Democrats alike have chosen guests whose presence is aimed at sending a pointed public message.

Asian American lawmakers have used their tickets to honor victims of the fatal shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., last month.

Representative Judy Chu, Democrat of California, whose district includes Monterey Park, invited Juily Phun, a professor at California State University, Los Angeles, whose aunt was killed in the shooting.

“This feeling of being honored is battling with my other emotions,” Ms. Phun said. “It feels bittersweet to represent my family and community.”

In an interview, Ms. Phun said she was happy to be included but that she did not feel emotionally equipped to attend.

“I don’t want to be here because it’s hard, and none of us are really OK,” she said.

Ms. Chu had also invited Brandon Tsay, who disarmed the gunman at the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio, which his family operates. But Mr. Biden wanted to host Mr. Tsay as one of the White House guests who will sit with Jill Biden, the first lady.

And Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, invited Henry Lo, a member of the Monterey Park City Council.

The Congressional Black Caucus invited guests to spotlight the issue of police brutality as its members make a renewed push for enactment of a law enforcement overhaul after the killing of Tyre Nichols, an unarmed Black man who died after being beaten by the police for roughly three minutes during a traffic stop for reckless driving. Representative Steven Horsford, Democrat of Nevada and the chairman of the caucus, invited Mr. Nichols’s parents.

“This is not a one-off; this has happened over and over and over in our country,” Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota and member of the caucus, said. “Police who are sworn to protect and service are killing men and women. They’re taking innocent people from our communities.”

Ms. Omar invited the father of Amir Locke, a Black man who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers last year.

Representative Jamaal Bowman, Democrat of New York, said he hoped the caucus’s guest list would inspire legislative action.

“It’s important for them to be here, for us to support them, and for the president to speak to that, but it’s not just about words and actions and thoughts and prayers,” Mr. Bowman said. “We’ve got to do something.”

Representative Nancy Pelosi of California invited Aquilino Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant who protected the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, in the latest effort by a Democrat to remind Americans of the Republican effort to overturn the 2020 election and of the deadly riot that followed.

Republicans, too, sought to send a message about their support for law enforcement. Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking Republican, invited Jeffrey T. Smith, the Montgomery County Sheriff from Fort Plain, N.Y.

“Sheriff Smith and countless other members of law enforcement are on the front lines every day protecting our communities and fighting against the crises caused by Joe Biden’s failed policies,” Ms. Stefanik said in a statement.

Another Republican from New York, Representative George Santos, invited a former firefighter who did rescue work at ground zero, an unusual decision for a lawmaker who has faced scrutiny for lying about his background, including a false claim that he had a family connection to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Some lawmakers said they were merely honoring a particularly distinguished constituent.

Representative Beth Van Duyne, Republican of Texas, invited Dana Loesch, the former National Rifle Association spokeswoman and a conservative radio host who lives in her district.

And Representative Seth Magaziner, Democrat of Rhode Island, invited Kwity Paye, the Indianapolis Colts defensive end. In a statement, he said that Mr. Paye “represents the best of our state.”