Jill Biden's State of the Union guests include the Ukrainian ambassador and the Facebook whistleblower

• Jill Biden will have guests for tonight's State of the Union and they include some notable names.
• Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, and Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, will be in attendance.

First Lady Jill Biden's State of the Union guests will include Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, and Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, whose revelations about the social network sparked international fervor about the company.

Markarova's attendance comes as the US and Western nations levy historically harsh sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, came forward last year as the main source behind the Wall Street Journal's series of exposés about Facebook's practices. She later testified before Congress about how the company knew it was causing mental harm to young users on products like Instagram but refused to take action. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who now leads the renamed Meta, responded to Haugen's claims with a 1,300-word post that defended the company's practices.

The White House's formal announcement about Biden's guests marks the return of a State of the Union tradition that began with President Ronald Reagan. Tuesday night is Biden's first State of the Union address, and attendance was limited during his January 2021 joint address to Congress due to the coronavirus pandemic. Members of Congress, who traditionally can bring guests as well, are prohibited from doing so this year due to the Capitol's pandemic restrictions.

Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, whose company recently announced plans to build a $20 billion factory in Ohio, will also be in attendance.

The first lady's guests often hint at the content of the closely watched speech and presidents typically note their guests' presence in the address itself. President Donald Trump took this tradition to a new level when he awarded controversial radio host Rush Limbaugh a Presidential Medal of Freedom during his 2020 State of the Union.

Biden's other guests include Joseph "JoJo" Burgess, a Pennsylvanian and union steelworker, who recently introduced Biden at an infrastructure event in Pittsburgh. It makes sense that the White House would choose a guest that will allow Biden to further talk about the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, a key non-pandemic related domestic achievement that comes as much of the president's agenda has stalled.

Joshua Davis, a seventh-grader from Virginia who has raised awareness about Type 1 diabetes, will also join the first lady. His attendance could underline how a part of Biden's stalled agenda known as Build Back Better is aimed at lowering prescription drug costs. Congress has tried for years to rein in drug costs, but has struggled to coalesce around a plan and to overcome intensive lobbying from the prescription drug industry.

Biden is expected to address the pandemic and the hopeful outlook many have as Omicron-related cases plummet in most parts of the US. Refynd Duro, an Ohio nurse who has treated COVID-19 patients since the pandemic began, could be mentioned during this part of the speech. Politico reported on Monday that Biden will use his speech to declare a new chapter in the fight against the pandemic but will not repeat his July 4 rhetoric that suggested a victory over the coronavirus.

Other guests include Melissa Isaac, a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe; Danielle Robinson, an Ohio woman whose husband Heath died after being exposed to burn pits; and Kezia Rodriguez, a New Jersey resident and mom who attends Bergen Community College.

Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Valerie Biden Owens will also join the first lady in her box to watch the address.