Speaker John Boehner has formally invited President Barack Obama to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 25.

“A new Congress provides us a renewed opportunity to find common ground and address the priorities of the American people,” the Ohio Republican wrote Tuesday in a letter to the president. “Our actions must be driven by their desire for freedom, economic recovery, and fiscal sensibility, as well as a need to rebuild the broken bonds of trust between the people and their government.”

Boehner, who was elected Speaker last week shortly after the 112th Congress convened, mentioned in his letter the recent shooting spree in Tucson, Ariz., which targeted Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

“Recent events have reminded us of the imperfect nature of our representative democracy, but also how much we cherish the ideal that our government exists to serve the people,” the Speaker wrote. “Even in the wake of tragedy, we must never waiver from our obligation to carry out their will and provide solutions to keep moving our nation forward.”

Republicans have not yet announced who will give their official response to the State of the Union, which will be the first Obama will deliver in a Republican-controlled House.

By tradition, the president delivers a State of the Union address at the start of each year before a joint session of Congress.