White House Invites Bono, Paul Pelosi, and Parents of Tyre Nichols to State of the Union

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House on Dec. 24, 2021. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Several individuals recently featured in the news are listed as guests of first lady Jill Biden at Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the parents of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by police in Memphis, Tennessee, last month, will be among those seated with the first lady.

Also invited by the White House were U2 rock band frontman Bono, Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States.

“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,” the White House’s announcement said.

The White House also invited Mitzi Colin Lopez of West Chester, Pennsylvania, who was 3 years old when her parents brought her into the country illegally.

“[Lopez] grew up only knowing the United States as her home,” the White House said. “As a DREAMer, she applied for and received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2015, and has since graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is an advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and in 2021, Colin Lopez met the President to share her experiences as a DACA recipient.”

Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Austin, Texas, are also slated to be seated near the first lady. Amanda Zurawski was reportedly 18 weeks pregnant when she had pregnancy complications and lost the unborn child. The White House asserted that her doctors were “unable to intervene to help her” due to concerns they were violating Texas’ abortion ban that prohibits abortion care unless the life of the mother is in danger.

“She was sent home with instructions to come back if she developed signs of a life-threatening infection, which she did, three days later,” the White House said. “Zurawski developed sepsis and nearly died because of the delay in receiving treatment. She continues to suffer from medical complications due to the delay.”

Other guests include registered nurse Lynette Bonar, a former sergeant, an Army medic, and a member of the Navajo Nation. The White House also invited several individuals whose families have been impacted by health struggles in recent years.