U.S. Lawmakers Dress in Ukraine Flag Colors at Biden’s State of the Union Speech
(Bloomberg) -- The bright blue and yellow colors of Ukraine's flag were splashed throughout the House chamber during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.
Members of Congress wore blue and yellow ribbons, ties, scarves and some carried small Ukrainian flags in honor of the country, which is defending itself against an invasion by Russian forces at the direction of President Vladimir Putin.
Biden called Putin a “dictator” in his speech, dedicating the first 10 minutes to the invasion of Ukraine. Nearly all members participated in the bipartisan show of solidarity was organized by Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois, who serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. A large group of members gathered on the House steps ahead of Biden's address to show their support for Ukraine.
“This small demonstration is meant to show the President and the world that Congress is a ready and willing partner as we provide even more military, humanitarian and financial aid to Ukrainians and their government,” Quigley, a Democrat, said of the ribbons.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., was wearing navy blue and holding a miniature Ukrainian flag. When Biden recognized her during his speech, she received a standing ovation. From her seat with First Lady Jill Biden, she signaled her appreciation several times by placing her right hand over her heart.
Several women lawmakers, including Democratic representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Brenda Lawrence of Michigan, as well as Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, were wearing either blue or yellow blazers. Ukrainian-born GOP Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana, wore a blue jacket over a yellow dress. And some other members, including House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, wore yellow ties.
It's not the first time politicians have used color to pack a visual punch at a State of the Union address. In 2019 and 2020, Democratic women in the House and Senate wore white to honor the suffrage movement.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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