Congresswoman Judy Chu to Attend Sotu Address Alongside Republican House Colleague, Minority Leader Pelosi

Press Release

Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA32, announced today that she will be attending President Obama's State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011 alongside Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-MD06 and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA08.

Reps. Chu and Bartlett will be joining many of their fellow Congress members by sitting alongside members of the opposite party, a departure from past State of the Union addresses during which Democrats sat on one side of the chamber, and Republicans on the other.

Rep. Chu said attending the President's address to Congress with a Republican seatmate is just one example of the new spirit of bipartisanship and civility that has characterized the 112th Congress since the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others in Tucson earlier this month.

"Rep. Bartlett and I may come from different parties, different generations, and different professional and cultural backgrounds," said Rep. Chu. "But like the rest of our colleagues in the House, we are here because we love this country, we have heeded the call to serve and we are committed to protecting and improving the lives of our fellow citizens," said Rep. Chu. "It will be an honor for me to sit alongside such a distinguished public servant as Rep. Bartlett, our esteemed Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as all of my House colleagues, Republican and Democrat alike, as we listen to the President's address and heed his call to maintain our nation's competitiveness and economic leadership on the world stage."

The first Chinese American woman to serve in Congress, Representative Judy Chu was elected in July 2009 to the U.S. House of Representatives as the Representative of California's 32nd District, which includes East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. She is a member of the House Judiciary, Government Oversight, and Education and Labor Committees.

Congresswoman Chu's career in politics spans 24 years. A lifelong educator, Congresswoman Chu taught community college classes in Los Angeles and East Los Angeles for 20 years. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology and a B.A. in mathematics.

Rep. Bartlett is serving his 10th term as a member of the United States House of Representatives. One of only three scientists in Congress, Dr. Bartlett has had successful careers as a small business owner, researcher, professor, inventor and farmer. He has been awarded numerous patents for his work with the military and NASA on life support equipment used by pilots, astronauts and firefighters.

Rep. Bartlett is a member of the House Armed Services, Science and Technology, and Small Business committees.

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