'I believe in America': Fired-up Biden uses State of the Union to skewer GOP

The attendees at Biden's address Thursday were invited because each "personify issues or themes" that he will discuss in his speech, the White House said in a statement.

Biden's guests will shine a spotlight the Israel-Gaza conflict (which has fueled progressive criticism against him) and reproductive freedom battles, gun violence prevention, union protections and more.

Standing behind Biden will be Vice President Kamala Harris on his right and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on his left. Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be in attendance.

More than a dozen family members of Americans who are thought to still be held hostage in Gaza and Mia Schem, a freed Israeli hostage, will be present at the Capitol.

First lady Jill Biden invited three women working to protect reproductive rights in her box: Kate Cox, Latorya Beasley and Maria Shriver.

Jazmin Cazares, the older sister of a 9-year-old victim of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, will be in attendance, too.

The United Auto Workers union president, Shawn Fain, who recently endorsed Biden, will also be present.

Biden is set to address a wide range of issues, though some key themes have emerged ahead of the address.

The economy is expected to be a large focus, with the president -- who receives low polling marks on the issue -- expected to renew his calls for increased taxes on corporations and billionaires and eliminating federal student debt while also highlighting a rebounding economy.

"America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up -- not the top down, investing in all of America -- in all Americans -- to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind," Biden plans to say, according to an excerpt of the address released by the White House.

Reproductive health care and gun violence prevention are also among the themes the president is set to address, as reflected through his invited guests, the White House said.

In the excerpt of his remarks, Biden said he promises to restore Roe v. Wade's nationwide guarantees to abortion access "[if] Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose."

Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott that he plans on attending the State of the Union.

Former members have privileges to be on the House floor and Santos retained his privileges despite being expelled, though it's unclear -- based on Santos' past history of misstatements and exaggerations -- if he'll actually attend or if his comments amount to bluster.

The Republican, who was expelled in December in the wake of being charged with multiple criminal felonies, including fraud, first gained notoriety after it was revealed he fabricated parts of his background. (He has pleaded not guilty to his charges.)

Since leaving the House, he has found success on the video service Cameo and appeared on the show hosted by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh.

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George Santos is in attendance at State of the Union despite expulsion

The former congressman still retains floor privileges that allow him to attend.

ABCNews.com

Hi, I’m Monica Potts, a senior political reporter at 538. I’ll be watching the State of the Union and helping provide analysis and commentary about some of the themes from Biden’s speech. I’ll be especially interested in what he has to say about abortion, foreign policy, democracy and the economy. As my ABC News colleagues have noted, the night is really a sort of campaign kickoff event, and how he frames those issues could preview how he plans to talk about them with voters.

I’ll be able to provide context on how voters think about those issues as well. While my colleagues at 538 and I know that the State of the Union itself tends not to move the needle politically, the speech can tell us where Biden plans to focus his efforts this election year. It’s also an opportunity for Biden to assuage concerns from his own voters and inspire them to vote in November. The presidential race has the potential to be as close as the last two, so he’ll need it if he wants to win.

-Monica Potts, 538