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House Democrats break out their white suits for State of the Union

The party selected the color to harken back to suffragists

First row from left, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Alma Adams, D-N.C., pose for a group photo Tuesday of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center. They say they are wearing “suffragette white” to the State of the Union address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
First row from left, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Alma Adams, D-N.C., pose for a group photo Tuesday of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center. They say they are wearing “suffragette white” to the State of the Union address. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
By Tom Williams
Posted February 5, 2019 at 6:38pm

House Democrats appeared at the Capitol on Tuesday wearing white suits and dresses ahead of the State of the Union. 

The color was selected as a nod to the suffragist movement, according to Rep. Lois Frankel, chair of the Democratic Women’s Working Group.

“This is really going to be sending a message … that a big part of our agenda is going to be promoting the economic security of women and their families,” Frankel said. For more on the color choice, click here for Lindsey McPherson’s reporting. 

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 05: Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., talks with Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., after a group photo of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center who plan to wear
Rep. Dean Phillips (right), D-Minn., talks with Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 05: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, pose for a group photo of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center, who plan to wear
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, pose for a group photo of House Democrats. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Watch — SOTU: A brief history

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