WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will serve as the "designated survivor" for President Joe Biden's third State of the Union address on Thursday.
The "designated survivor" tradition dates back to the Cold War, according to the Constitution Center. It typically calls for a member of the president's cabinet to be absent from the State of the Union, inaugurations and presidential speeches to joint sessions of Congress in case a catastrophic disaster strikes the U.S. Capitol. The designated survivor is taken to an undisclosed location by Secret Service before the State of the Union.
Last year, then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh served as the designated survivor, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo held the role in 2022. There was no designated survivor during Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress in 2021 because most of the cabinet did not attend the speech in person due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The State of the Union is designated as a “national special security event,” which clears the way for communication, funding and preparation between multiple agencies in Washington, including the Capitol Police, Pentagon, Homeland Security and District-area police. Other such events include the Super Bowl and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
How to watch the 2024 State of the Union
You can find the State of the Union on all major networks, which will be carrying it live. It will also be streamed online right here on this website, as well as by the White House and The Associated Press.
The speech starts at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. MT, 6 p.m. PT)
Republican response
This year, Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will deliver the rebuttal to the president's address.
