Pa. Republican Scott Perry says President Biden’s SOTU address next week should be canceled

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry on Monday called for House Republicans to cancel President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, which will take place next week.

The annual State of the Union address, scheduled for March 7, will give Biden a chance to outline his policy goals for the last year of his term while he campaigns for reelection in an anticipated rematch against former President Donald Trump.

During an interview on Fox Business Network, Perry (R., Pa.) said Republicans need to use “every single point of leverage” in their budget negotiations with Biden.

“He comes at the invitation of Congress,” Perry told host Maria Bartiromo. “The Republicans are in charge of the House, there’s no reason that we need to invite him to get more propaganda and actually blame the American people for the crisis he caused.”

If Congress cannot reach a deal to fund the government by March 1, a partial government shutdown will begin. A full government shutdown would take place on March 8, the day after the president’s speech.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) extended a formal invitation to Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress in early January. Johnson said he was inviting Biden “in this moment of great challenge for our country.” On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Biden accepted.

“Looking forward to it, Mr. Speaker,” the president said.

The annual speech has seen numerous examples of partisan rancor in recent years. Last year, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) shouted, “Liar,” during Biden’s speech. In 2020, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) ripped up a copy of Trump’s speech upon its conclusion.

Perry, the former leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said the time slotted for the speech would be better used for a discussion on the southern border.

A longtime Trump ally, Perry played a leading role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The central Pennsylvania congressman offered the motion to throw out Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes hours after rioters ransacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Perry’s motion was defeated and Congress affirmed Biden’s victory in the state.

The Democratic Party has an eye on Perry’s seat in the 10th Congressional District, which includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York Counties. Six Democrats are running in the April 23 primary with the hopes of facing Perry in November and flipping the district.

» READ MORE: Trump and Biden are poised for a rematch in Pa. Here’s what’s changed since 2020.

John Henry Newman, an anti-Trump Republican from Carlisle, announced last month that he would challenge Perry in the Republican primary but didn’t file the required paperwork by the deadline.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.