A History of Foreign Leaders and Dignitaries Who Have Addressed the U.S. Congress

What are the methods that Congress has used historically to receive addresses by foreign leaders and dignitaries?

There are three such methods: joint meetings, joint sessions, and separate House and Senate receptions.

What is a joint meeting of Congress?

A joint meeting is the preferred method for receiving addresses from foreign leaders and dignitaries. Joint meetings also are used for special commemorative events and to receive addresses by domestic dignitaries. To initiate a joint meeting, both houses, by resolution or by unanimous consent, declare themselves in recess for a joint gathering in the House chamber. House Rule IV governs this procedure:

"The Hall of the House shall be used only for the legislative business of the House and for caucus and conference meetings of its Members, except when the House agrees to take part in any ceremonies to be observed therein. The Speaker may not entertain a motion for the suspension of this clause."

As precedent has evolved, however, the House has tended to use unanimous consent, rather than a resolution, for the purpose of receiving a foreign leader.

What is a joint session of Congress?

A joint session of Congress has been used almost exclusively to receive the President's State of the Union Address (prior to 1942 called the Annual Message), other presidential addresses, and the counting of electoral votes for the President and Vice- President of the U.S. Both chambers follow a formal procedure to establish these occasions by adopting a concurrent resolution. Only twice have foreign dignitaries addressed a joint session of Congress: French Ambassador Andre de Laboulaye (20 May 1934), to mark the centennial of the death of the Marquis de Lafayette, and Cuban Ambassador Guillermo Belt (19 April 1948), to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cuban independence after the Spanish-American War in 1898.

What is a House or Senate reception?

Earlier in Congressional history the standard manner in which both the House and the Senate received addresses by foreign leaders was to invite dignitaries to a one- chamber reception. This procedure required either unanimous consent or resolution by the chamber that wished to receive the foreign leader. According to Congressional Research Service (CRS), 122 such receptions have occurred in both chambers. Louis Kossuth, Governor of Hungary, was the first foreign dignitary to address a Senate reception (5 January 1852) and a House reception (7 January 1852).

These receptions are not associated with other informal, social receptions and lunches provided for foreign leaders on behalf of congressional leadership or individual committees. In the post-World War II era, the practice of using one-chamber receptions largely disappeared. The last Senate reception to host a foreign dignitary was held for West German Chancellor Kurt Kiesinger (18 August 1967); the last House reception was held for Mexican President Joe Lopez Portillo (17 February 1977).

Trends over time

As the United States attained greater status in the 20th century, the method used to invite foreign leaders and dignitaries to address Congress evolved. The practice of receiving foreign leaders before joint meetings or joint sessions was exceedingly rare prior to World War II. The French general and Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette made the first joint meeting address before Congress in 1824. A full half-century passed before another foreign leader was extended the honor. On 18 December 1874, King David Kalakaua of Hawaii, became the first member of royalty accorded the honor of appearing before a joint meeting of Congress. Hawaiian Chief Justice Elisha Hunt Allen, a former Member of the U.S. House, delivered the king's address because the monarch was incapacitated with a head cold. French Ambassador Andre de Laboulaye spoke before a joint session of Congress on 20 May 1934. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed a joint meeting of Congress on 26 December 1941—less than three weeks after the U.S. entered World War II.

Churchill's address, the first of three he delivered before Congress, began a new trend in which Congress invited foreign leaders to address joint meetings rather than just one-chamber receptions. Within the next decade nine additional joint meetings were held for foreign leaders.

After the Second World War, foreign leaders who addressed joint meetings often represented America's close wartime allies—particularly those from Atlantic Alliance countries. A large number also represented newly-emerging democracies in Asia, South America, Latin America, and Africa.

Fast Facts

Below are some quick-reference facts about foreign leaders and dignitaries who have addressed Congress.

Who was the first foreign leader or dignitary to address Congress?

The Marquis de Lafayette, the French general and Revolutionary War hero, was the first foreign dignitary to address the United States Congress. Lafayette delivered a speech before a joint meeting on 10 December 1824. He was one just three foreign figures who were not heads of state to address a joint meeting of Congress. The others were Polish Solidarity Leader Lech Walesa in 1989, and Nelson Mandela, then Deputy President of the African National Congress in 1990.

On how many occasions have foreign leaders or dignitaries addressed joint meetings?

Including Ayad Allawi, the Interim Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, who addressed a joint meeting of Congress on 23 September 2004, there have been 96 joint meeting addresses delivered by foreign leaders and dignitaries extending back to Lafayette's in 1824.

• Including Allawi, 91 leaders or dignitaries representing 46 countries and kingdoms have addressed joint meetings of Congress.
• Eleven (11) monarchs or royalty have addressed joint meetings of Congress.
• Six (6) women have addressed joint meetings of Congress. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was the first (6 August 1942). Others who followed include: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (3 April 1952), Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (21 April 1982), UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (20 February 1985), Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino, Nicaraguan President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (16 April 1991).
• Three generations of the same family have delivered joint meeting addresses to Congress: Queen Wilhelmina (1942), her daughter Queen Juliana (1952), and her granddaughter Queen Beatrix (1982).
• The years in which the greatest number of foreign leaders or dignitaries have addressed joint meetings of Congress: 1976 (5), 1985 (5), 1954 (4), 1959 (4), 1960 (4), 1989 (4), 1994 (4).
• Historically, European leaders and dignitaries have most frequently addressed joint meetings of Congress: Europe including Russia (37), Western Hemisphere (23), Asia/ Pacific (21), Middle East (9), Africa (5).

How many times has a British leader or dignitary spoken before a joint meeting of Congress?

Counting Tony Blair's 17 July 2003 address, United Kingdom leaders and dignitaries have made seven joint meeting addresses before Congress. Other UK leaders who have addressed joint meetings of Congress: Queen Elizabeth II (16 May 1991), Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (20 February 1985), Prime Minister Clement Atlee (13 November 1945), Prime Minister Winston Churchill (26 December 1941, 19 May 1943, 17 January1952). An eighth UK leader—Winston S. Churchill, MP, and grandson of Prime Minister Churchill—participated in a joint meeting to commemorate the birth centennial of Dwight D. Eisenhower on 27 March 1990.

What country has the distinction of sending the most leaders and dignitaries to deliver joint meeting addresses before Congress?

The United Kingdom and France lead the list with seven joint meeting addresses per country by heads of state or dignitaries. One Frenchman has addressed a joint session. In descending order other countries leading the list of joint meeting addresses include: Mexico (5), Ireland (5), Italy (5), Israel (5), Germany, including West Germany and unified Germany (4), South Korea (4) India (3), Canada (3), Argentina (3), and the
Philippines (3).

What foreign leader has made the most appearances before a joint meeting of Congress?

Winston Churchill made more addresses to Congress than any other individual. He addressed joint meetings in 1941, 1943, and 1952. Nelson Mandela of South Africa has addressed Congress twice, in 1990 and 1994. Yitzak Rabin of Israel also addressed joint meetings of Congress on two occasions, in 1976 and 1994.

Bibliography
Bacon, Donald C. et. al. The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress, volume 3 (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995): 1183-1184.

Congressional Directory, 107th Congress. "Statistical Information" section on "Joint Sessions, Joint Meetings, and Inaugurations" (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2001).

Congressional Quarterly, Inc. Congress A to Z: CQ's Ready Reference Encyclopedia (Washington, D.C.: 1988): 221.

Patrick, John J. et al. The Oxford Guide to the United States Government (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001): 343-344.

Wellborn, Clay. Joint Sessions and Joint Meetings of Congress. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, CRS Rept. 87-244 (1987).