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The Speaker of the US House of Representatives has turned down a request for President Ruto of Kenya to speak at a joint session of Congress during his upcoming State visit to the United States.
This decision came after Speaker Mike Johnson declined a request from certain Democratic lawmakers who had suggested inviting President Ruto for the address.
In a statement released on Saturday, Raj Shah, the deputy chief of staff for Speaker Johnson, explained that the decision was due to scheduling limitations.
While Speaker Johnson welcomes President Ruto to the Capitol, the arrangements made include a 90-minute engagement with the Kenyan embassy, a one-on-one meeting with Speaker Johnson, a bipartisan leadership meeting, and a bicameral meeting. However, accommodating a request for remarks before a Joint Session was not feasible due to scheduling constraints.
President Ruto would have been the first Kenyan leader to address a joint meeting of Congress and the first African leader to do so since Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006.
The formal request to invite President Ruto was made by House Foreign Affairs Committee Member Gregory Meeks and Committee Chairman Michael McCaul. They wrote a letter to the Speaker respectfully asking for an invitation for President Ruto to address a joint session of Congress during his official visit to the United States.
Typically, joint meetings of Congress are held when a notable individual, often a foreign leader, is invited to address both the House and Senate simultaneously.
These invitations are extended through agreement between the House and Senate, and the Congressional Research Service provides guidance on the process.
