Sixteen years ago, in my role as a congressional staffer, I had the opportunity to attend President Bill Clinton’s final State of the Union (SOTU) address before a Joint Session of Congress.
While I had tuned into plenty of SOTU addresses before, it was an entirely different experience being in the House Chamber and witnessing the pomp and circumstance of this tradition that dates back to 1790. Definitely an experience I will never forget.
Next week, the 44th President of the United States will deliver his final SOTU address to Congress, and while I won’t be in the House Chamber this time, I will be tuning in with the @SHRMATeam and others for a #HRSOTU Twitter chat as President Obama reports on the status of our nation, while outlining his priorities for the remainder of his term.
So please plan to join me @SHRMLobbystLisa at 8:45 p.m. ET on January 12 for a live Twitter chat under hashtag #HRSOTU with special guests Mike Aitken @SHRMVPAitken, Kathleen Coulombe @kcnshrmga, Chatrane Birbal @SHRMBirbal, Kelly Hastings @SHRMKellyH, Nancy Hammer @hammershrm, Jason Gabhart @SHRMCAJason and our affiliate the Council for Global Immigration @Global_imm.
2016 is the year for ADVOCACY and as your government affairs guru, take it from me - you won’t want to miss it. During the SOTU we’ll be chatting about the President’s agenda and prospects for action on key HR public policy issues this year. In his remarks, the President will solidify his legacy by outlining his public policy agenda, which will likely include key HR issues such as the anticipated changes to overtime rules, paid leave, immigration reform, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and tax reform, among others. Future decisions made on these initiatives will certainly impact HR and the workplace!
Extra bonus……my colleagues and I will also provide an insider’s view of the upcoming 2016 Employment Law and Legislative Conference, taking place March 14-16 in Washington, DC. This conference provides an opportunity for SHRM members to continue the #HRSOTU public policy conversation in-person in the nation’s capital. In addition to the latest compliance information, participants will hear about legislative issues pending at federal and states levels, and conduct face-to-face Capitol Hill meetings with their lawmakers to discuss key HR public policy issues, including relevant proposals from the president’s State of the Union address.
So plan to be our virtual guest for the Jan. 12th #HRSOTU Twitter chat and our guest in Washington, DC for the annual legislative conference!
Lisa Horn is Director, Congressional Affairs and the Co-Leader of SHRM's Workplace Flexibility Initiative. Since 2004, Lisa has served as SHRM's chief lobbyist on health care and workplace flexibility public policy issues on Capitol Hill that impact the human resource profession.
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