Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States and a whistleblower who exposed Facebook documents about how the company handles disinformation will be among President Biden’s guests on the floor of the House of Representatives during a speech to Congress, White House officials said on Tuesday.
Ambassador Oksana Markarova and nine other guests will sit in First Lady Jill Biden’s box, officials said, part of a tradition that dates back decades as presidents seek to humanize the policies they talk about in speeches.
Mr. Biden’s speech will take place during fierce fighting in Ukraine, where Russian troops appear poised to launch an all-out strike on Kiev, the country’s capital. Ms. Markarova’s presence at the Capitol highlights the president’s desire to send a signal to President Vladimir Putin that Russia is backing Ukraine from America, even as the fighting continues.
Francis Haugen, a former product manager at Facebook, presented Congress with a slew of internal company documents on how Facebook’s algorithm promotes misinformation and negative messages. In announcing her as a guest, White House officials called her “an advocate for greater humanity and transparency in the tech and social media industry, especially when it comes to teen mental health.”
There will be seven other guests during the speech — a group that White House officials have called “for their resilience, innovation, service, and courage” and said they were chosen because they represent policies or topics that Mr. Biden will refer in his speech.
They include:
Joseph “JoJo” BurgessA 20-year-old member of the United Steelworkers who spent seven years in the military, including a tour during Operation Desert Storm.
Joshua Davisa seventh grader from Midlothian, Virginia who, when he was 4 years old, campaigned for the Virginia General Assembly to pass a bill to make schools safer for children with type 1 diabetes.
Refind Duroan Ohio progressive nurse who has been treating Covid patients since the start of the pandemic and has been a bedside nurse for 19 years.
Patrick Gelsingerthe chief executive of Intel who pushed Intel to build more semiconductor factories in the United States, a priority for the administration as it tries to stop shortages of tiny chips used in cars, appliances and other consumer products.
Melissa Isaacfounder of Project AWARE Native American Saginaw Chippewa and an elementary school teacher who recognized the need to support the mental health of her students and their families.
Daniel Robinson from Ohio, the surviving wife of Sgt. First class Heath Robinson, who was assigned to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo and the Camp Liberty/Victory complex in Iraq and was later diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and stage 4 lung cancer. He died in May 2020.
Kesia RodriguezBergen Community College student and mother of twin daughters who enrolled their children in a free child care program in Bergen.
Douglas EmhoffVice President Kamala Harris’ husband, and Valerie Biden Owens, Mr. Biden’s sister, will also sit with Ms. Biden.