South Floridians at State of the Union address to call attention to Florida’s 15-week abortion law, Afghanistan withdrawal, fentanyl deaths

Highlighting issues such as abortion and Social Security, South Florida’s Congressional leaders will bring guests to Washington, D.C., to show the faces of those directly impacted from current and possible legislation.

President Joe Biden will deliver his 2023 State of the Union address to a Joint Session of Congress at the United States Capitol at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Here are some of the guests invited to attend:

After diagnosis, woman left Florida for abortion

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said Monday she is bringing Anabely Lopes, a Hallandale Beach woman who terminated “a very wanted” pregnancy when her fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 18, also called Edwards’ syndrome, last summer. Those who survive the pregnancy are still likely to die once born. “We felt it was our duty to protect our daughter from the inevitable suffering if she were to make it to term,” Lopes said, in tears.

It was a baby she had wanted, having her previous pregnancy result in a miscarriage. She said she was turned away from a pregnancy clinic in Tamarac because her test results took too long to come back, and she was now just one day past the legal limit for an abortion when she got the confirmation results.

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law with no exceptions.

Lopes said she had to leave Florida to Washington, D.C., for the procedure at 16 weeks and three days. She said she was so distraught she considered suicide. “It was very painful for me to decide to do this,” she cried.

Wasserman Schultz accused Republicans of sparking “culture wars” and meddling in private affairs.

DeSantis has previously said he would sign a six-week abortion ban. Wasserman Schultz said many women don’t even know they are pregnant that early, and doctors are afraid to intervene for fear of criminal prosecution. Proponents of abortion bans have said all human life, regardless of the circumstances, should be protected.

“Women have a target on their back right now,” said Wasserman Schultz. She said guests will “highlight the extremism” of Republican states.

Attention on Afghanistan

Republican U.S. Rep Brian Mast, of Palm City, is bringing Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, who was discharged from the Marines after speaking out against the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“I’m honored to have Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller join me for this year’s address because he put his career and reputation on the line in an effort to force the top brass to take responsibility, and that’s what Republicans in Congress will do as well: demand accountability for the disaster in Afghanistan,” Mast said in a statement.

‘Fentanyl is a killer’

Sen. Rick Scott announced that he will take Miami Shores Police Department Police Chief David Golt as his guest.

In December 2021, Chief Golt lost his son, Zachary, to fentanyl.

“While we cannot reverse the damage fentanyl has done, we can and must keep working to tell these stories, make sure families like Chief Golt’s know they are not alone and finally end this devastating epidemic,” Scott said in a statement. “Fentanyl is a killer that does not discriminate by race, political party, age or background and the wide open southern border we have today is allowing it to pour into our communities like never before.”

The White House will stream the speech live, and it will be broadcast on the traditional commercial broadcast television networks and cable TV stations.

Social Security and Medicare

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, is taking Janet Zweiback, 78, a Kings Point resident in Delray Beach, as her guest. Zweiback is a Social Security and Medicare recipient.

Frankel’s spokesman said Biden is expected to address the importance of Social Security in his speech and multiple Democrats will bring seniors who can speak to the importance of these programs “as House Republicans threaten to cut the two programs to limit spending as we debate the debt ceiling.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and his new majority in the House have said they will push changes, such as overhauls to entitlement programs, in order for Congress to raise the debt limit.

Biden is also widely believed to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the economy, crime and bipartisanship. And he’ll face a full House chamber since COVID restrictions were lifted, and unlike last year, lawmakers are allowed to bring a guest.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash