Updated 10:41 a.m. | President Barack Obama is accepting an invitation to deliver the 2015 State of the Union on Jan. 20, according to a White House official.  

The date was suggested in a letter sent Friday by Speaker John A. Boehner. The Ohio Republican previously dismissed the idea of not inviting Obama to deliver the address, as had been floated by some critics in the immediate aftermath of Obama’s executive actions on immigration policy.  

“Listen, the more the president talks about his ideas, the more unpopular he becomes,” Boehner said at a Dec. 4 news conference . “Why would I want to deprive him of that opportunity?”  

The text of the letter, which is brief and to the point, appears below:

Dear Mr. President:

The new year will bring a new American Congress, and with it, the opportunity to continue our work to build a stronger economy and secure a better future for our country. In that spirit, it is my honor to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 so that you may fulfill your duty under the Constitution to report on the state of the union and recommend measures for our consideration. Your report will inform our efforts to address the people’s priorities.

I look forward to your response, and Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,

John A. Boehner

Speaker

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