List of Lenny Skutniks

Last updated

"Lenny Skutniks" is a generic term for notable people who are invited to sit in the gallery at a State of the Union address or other joint meeting of the United States Congress. [1] [2] Lenny Skutnik was the first such guest, who was celebrated for his heroism following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13, 1982. Skutnik dove into the icy Potomac River, saving the life of a passenger. For this act he was commended by U.S. president Ronald Reagan during the annual State of the Union speech held later that month.

Contents

Since then, the term "Lenny Skutniks" has been used to refer to individuals invited to sit in the gallery, and often cited by the President, during the speech. [1] President Reagan's invitation, and the reference to Skutnik's heroism within his speech, may have been an attempt to include a human interest story within the speech. The practice fell out of favor during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Bill Clinton restored the practice upon assuming the Presidency, and it has continued under George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. [3] [4]

Partial list of Lenny Skutniks

1982
Lenny Skutnik was indicated as an example of the American ideal; [5] immediately before noting Skutnik, Reagan first pointed out Jeremiah Denton, a Senator who had formerly been held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
1984
Reagan pointed to Sergeant Stephen Trujillo, a medic during the Invasion of Grenada in October 1983. [6]
1999
Clinton pointed out Rosa Parks for her role as an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement. Sammy Sosa, a right fielder in Major League Baseball who had surpassed Roger Maris's home run total of 61 in a single season, was pointed out for his athletic achievements and role in rededicating a rebuilt hospital in the Dominican Republic.
2000
Clinton pointed to a number of people: Tom Mauser, father of Columbine victim Daniel Mauser and anti-gun advocate; Lloyd Bentsen, former United States Senator from Texas and former Treasury Secretary; Tipper Gore, then Second Lady of the United States; Carlos Rosas, a father from Minnesota; Captain John Cherrey, airman who served during the Kosovo Conflict; and William Cohen, then-Secretary of Defense, with his wife, Janet Langhart.
2001
George W. Bush pointed to Lisa Beamer, widow of Todd Beamer, a victim of the September 11 attacks aboard United Airlines Flight 93, who possibly led the charge against that aircraft's hijackers. He also noted Tony Blair, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. [7]
2003
Bush welcomed and mentioned two members of the new Afghan government, interim leader Chairman Hamid Karzai and Minister of Women's Affairs, Dr. Sima Samar. He also noted Shannon Spann, widow of CIA officer and Marine Michael Spann who was killed in Mazar-e-Sharif. Finally, Bush thanked Hermis Moutardier and Christina Jones, two flight attendants on American Airlines Flight 63, aboard which an attempted suicide bombing was prevented by their actions. [8]
2004
Bush referred to Adnan Pachachi, the President of the Iraqi Governing Council.
2007
Four individuals were pointed to in the "heroes box": Dikembe Mutombo, a basketball player originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who had recently helped fund the building of a hospital in Kinshasa; Wesley Autrey, a New York City construction worker who saved a man who had fallen onto subway tracks; Julie Aigner-Clark, creator of the Baby Einstein toy line; and Sergeant Tommy Riemann, injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2010
Leonard Abess was the longtime owner and CEO of City National Bank of Florida and was cited by Barack Obama for distributing the $60 million sale price of his bank to over 400 current and former employees in the form of bonuses. Although not mentioned in the address, Chesley Sullenberger, who had saved the passengers of his jetliner which he had ditched in Hudson River, was a guest of the President.
2011
Daniel Hernández Jr., the man who saved Gabby Giffords's life during the 2011 Tucson shooting, was a guest of President Obama.
2012
Obama cited Jackie Bray, a single mom from North Carolina who had lost her job and retrained in a program created by Siemens and Central Piedmont Community College. [9] Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, was shown when the president mentioned Steve Jobs. Obama also mentioned Bryan Ritterby, who was hired by a wind turbine manufacturer; Richard Cordray, the director of the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and Debbie Bosanke, the secretary of Warren Buffett, in conjunction with the discussion of the proposed Buffett Rule. [10]
2013
Bobak Ferdowsi, a systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had gained media fame in August 2012, when he wore an unusual mohawk hairstyle during the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity landing. Ferdowsi's father was an immigrant to the United States from Iran, and his presence was meant "to highlight President Barack Obama's call for more visas for skilled immigrants in the fields of math, science and engineering." [11]
2014
Army Ranger Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg, who was almost killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan and suffered a three-month coma and partial paralysis as a result, was seated next to Michelle Obama and applauded. [12]
2016
Former United States Air Force staff sergeant Spencer Stone, who helped foil a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train travelling from Amsterdam via Brussels in August 2015, was a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama. [13]
2018
President Donald Trump recognized Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashley Leppert, who rescued dozens of people using a helicopter during Hurricane Harvey; firefighter David Dahlberg, who rescued 62 children from a California wildfire; [14] Steve Staub, a business owner who hired more workers on account of recent tax cuts, along with one of his employees, Corey Adams; Preston Sharp, a twelve-year-old who organized the placing of over 40,000 American flags on the graves of veterans; Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddie Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado, and Robert Mickens, the parents of two girls who were murdered by members of the MS-13 criminal gang; Homeland Security agent Celestino Martinez, who has spent his career fighting violent street gangs; police officer Ryan Holets and his wife Rebecca, who adopted a baby from a homeless woman; Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck, who rescued U.S. Navy SEALs Senior Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy; Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of Otto Warmbier, who died as a result of mistreatment by North Korea; and Ji Seong-ho, who escaped from North Korea and whose siblings had to eat dirt to assuage their hunger. [15]
2019
President Trump noted the presence of World War II military veterans Joseph Reilly, Irving Locker, and Herman Zeitchik while recognizing the 75th anniversary of the "D-Day" Normandy landings, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. In discussing criminal justice reform, he acknowledged Alice Marie Johnson, a drug offender whose sentence he commuted, and Matthew Charles, the first person released from prison under the First Step Act. In discussing his immigration policies, Trump referred to Debra Bissell, Heather Armstrong, and Madison Armstrong, who he said had two family members "shot to death in their Reno, Nevada, home by an illegal alien," as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Elvin Hernandez. Trump recognized Grace Eline, a 10-year-old survivor of childhood cancer and fundraiser for cancer research. In the portion of the speech on terrorism and national defense, Trump discussed Tom Wibberley, whose son was killed in the 2000 USS Cole bombing; Timothy Matson, a SWAT officer injured in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting; Judah Samet, a Holocaust survivor who was also present at the Pittsburgh shooting; and Joshua Kaufman, another Holocaust survivor who was interned at the Dachau concentration camp, the liberation of which included Zeitchik, recognized earlier in the speech. [16] [17] After Trump noted that the speech was being given on Samet's 81st birthday, attendees interrupted the speech to sing "Happy Birthday to You" to Samet. [18]
2023
The family of Tyre Nichols were guests at the 2023 State of the Union Address, in which President Biden called for reform in law enforcement to prevent further deaths like Nichols'. [19] Brandon Tsay, who stopped the Monterey Park shooter, was also a guest [20] and had received a call from President Biden thanking him for his bravery. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp David</span> Country retreat of the US president

Camp David is a 125-acre (51 ha) country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of the national capital city, Washington, D.C. It is code-named Naval Support Facility Thurmont. Technically a military installation, it is staffed primarily by the Seabees, the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), the United States Navy, and the United States Marine Corps. Naval construction battalions are tasked with Camp David construction and send detachments as needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State of the Union</span> Annual report by the president of the United States

The State of the Union Address is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The speech generally includes reports on the nation's budget, economy, news, agenda, progress, achievements and the president's priorities and legislative proposals.

A United States presidential doctrine comprises the key goals, attitudes, or stances for United States foreign affairs outlined by a president. Most presidential doctrines are related to the Cold War. Though many U.S. presidents had themes related to their handling of foreign policy, the term doctrine generally applies to presidents such as James Monroe, Harry S. Truman, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, all of whom had doctrines which more completely characterized their foreign policy.

In the United States, a designated survivor is a person in the presidential line of succession who is kept distant from others in the line when they are gathered together, to reduce the chance that everyone in the line will be unable to take over the presidency in a catastrophic or mass-casualty event. The person is chosen to stay at an undisclosed secure location, away from such events such as State of the Union addresses and presidential inaugurations. The designation of a survivor is intended to prevent the decapitation of the government and to safeguard continuity in the presidency if the president, the vice president, and others in the presidential line of succession die. The procedure began in the 1950s, during the Cold War, with the idea that a nuclear attack could kill government officials and the U.S. government would collapse.

Martin Leonard Skutnik III is a retired employee of the United States Congressional Budget Office who, on January 13, 1982, saved the life of Priscilla Tirado following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the frozen Potomac River, Washington, D.C. As passengers were being rescued, Tirado was too weak to take hold of the line dropped from a helicopter. Skutnik—one of hundreds of bystanders—dove into the icy water and brought her to the river bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counselor to the President</span> American political position

Counselor to the President is a title used by high-ranking political advisors to the president of the United States and senior members of the White House Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weekly address of the president of the United States</span> Regular radio speech of the American president

The weekly address of the president of the United States is the weekly speech by the president of the United States to the nation. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to deliver such radio addresses. Ronald Reagan revived the practice of delivering a weekly Saturday radio broadcast in 1982, and his successors all continued the practice until Donald Trump ceased doing so seventeen months into his term.

In American politics, the response to the State of the Union address is a rebuttal speech, often brief, delivered by a representative of an opposition party following a presidential State of the Union address. When the president is a Democrat, the rebuttal is typically given by a Republican, and vice versa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House Hanukkah Party</span> Annual reception held at the White House

The White House Hanukkah Party is an annual reception held at the White House and hosted by the U.S. President and First Lady to recognize and celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The tradition was established in 2001, during the administration of George W. Bush. The guest list includes hundreds of American Jewish politicians, organization heads, and school and yeshiva deans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Oval Office Address</span> Speech by the President of the United States

An Oval Office address is a type of speech made by the president of the United States, usually in the Oval Office at the White House. It is considered among the most solemn settings for an address made by a leader, and is most often delivered to announce a major new policy initiative, on the occasion of a leader's departure from office, or during times of national emergency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 State of the Union Address</span> Speech by US president Barack Obama

The 2012 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 24, 2012, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 112th United States Congress. It was Obama's third State of the Union Address and his fourth speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, John Boehner, accompanied by Joe Biden, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 State of the Union Address</span> Speech by US president Ronald Reagan

The 1982 State of the Union Address was given by the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, on January 26, 1982, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 97th United States Congress. It was Reagan's first State of the Union Address and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Tip O'Neill, accompanied by George H. W. Bush, the vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speeches of Barack Obama</span> Overview of Barack Obamas speeches

Barack Obama served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Before his presidency, he served in the Illinois Senate (1997–2004) and the United States Senate (2005–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 State of the Union Address</span> Speech by US president Barack Obama

The 2015 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 20, 2015, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 114th United States Congress. It was Obama's sixth State of the Union Address and his seventh speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, John Boehner, accompanied by Joe Biden, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama's farewell address</span> The farewell address of Barack Obama

Barack Obama's farewell address was the final public speech of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, delivered on January 10, 2017 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The farewell address was broadcast on various television and radio stations and livestreamed online by the White House. An estimated 24 million people watched the address live on television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 State of the Union Address</span> Speech by US president Donald Trump

The 2019 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, on February 5, 2019, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 116th United States Congress. It was Trump's second State of the Union Address and his third speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Mike Pence, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential call button</span> White House call button used by presidents of the United States

An approximately 9 by 3 in wooden box housing a call button is present on the Oval Office desk in the Oval Office of the White House. This call button, also referred to as a valet button, is used to call aides to the President for various reasons. The modern version of the call button has been present since at least the George W. Bush presidency. Earlier versions of presidential call bells and buzzers have existed since the early 1800's.

References

  1. 1 2 Wiggin, Addison (2011-01-25). "Small Business Owners Should Be Obama's Lenny Skutnik". Forbes . Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  2. Clines, Francis X. (1996-08-24). "Bonding as New Political Theater: Bring On the Babies and Cue the Yellow Dog". New York Times . Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  3. O'Keefe, Ed (2012-01-24). "Three decades of 'Skutniks' began with a federal employee". Washington Post . Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  4. Graham, David A. (2018-01-31). "Trump's Dark, Bloody-Minded State of the Union". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  5. Politics and Technology: The "Skutnick": How I learned to stop worrying and love the blog Archived 2005-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Two Clashing Symbols". Time. 6 February 1984. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010.
  7. White House Press Release, 20 September 2001. "President Declares "Freedom at War with Fear"". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2016-08-25 via National Archives. URL last accessed 16 June 2007
  8. White House Press Release, 29 January 2002. "President Delivers State of the Union Address". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2006-07-21 via National Archives. URL last accessed 16 June 2007
  9. 2012 State of the Union Address transcript https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/state-of-the-union-2012-obama-speech-excerpts/2012/01/24/gIQA9D3QOQ_story_3.html last accessed 26 January 2012
  10. By David Nakamura, Published: January 24. Warren Buffett's secretary to sit with Michelle Obama during State of the Union https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/warren-buffets-secretary-to-sit-with-michelle-obama-during-state-of-the-union-address/2012/01/24/gIQAAwObNQ_story.html last accessed 26 January 2012
  11. Kitty Felde (February 11, 2013). "JPL's 'Mohawk Guy' to sit with First Lady at State of Union". Southern California Public Radio . Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  12. Weissman, Jerry (January 29, 2014). "Two Big Takeaways from Obama's State of the Union". Forbes.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  13. Young, Susan (13 January 2016). "Paris Train Hero Spencer Stone Shares His 'Heartbreaking Moment' at the State of the Union Address". People. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  14. "Trump praises heroic actions of Santa Maria firefighter in State of the Union speech". sanluisobispo. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  15. "Read the full text of President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address". Newsweek . 2018-01-31.
  16. "Remarks by President Trump in State of the Union Address". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 2019-02-07 via National Archives.
  17. "Special Guests for President Trump's Second State of the Union Address". whitehouse.gov . 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2019-02-07 via National Archives.
  18. Miller, Ryan W. "Anti-Semitism almost killed him – twice. At the State of the Union, Congress sang him 'Happy Birthday'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  19. O'Kane, Caitlyn (7 February 2023). "Biden acknowledges Tyre Nichols' parents during State of the Union: "Something good must come from this"". CBS News. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  20. Yam, Kimmy. "Brandon Tsay, Biden's State of the Union guest, says he's still processing Monterey Park shooting". NBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  21. Judd, Donald (26 January 2023). "Biden called man who disarmed Monterey Park shooting suspect to thank him for act of bravery". CNN. Retrieved 29 January 2025.