Pelosi Announces San Francisco Veteran, Advocate Michael Blecker as Guest for State of the Union

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced today that U.S. Army veteran Michael Blecker will be her guest for tonight's State of the Union Address.  Mr. Blecker currently serves as Executive Director of Swords to Plowshares, a San Francisco community-based not-for-profit supporting nearly 3,000 homeless, low-income and at-risk veterans in the Bay Area every year.

"Michael Blecker is an all-American hero, who put his life on the line for our country as a combat infantryman in Vietnam and who has dedicated his life to serving his fellow veterans," Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said.  "For nearly five decades at the helm of Swords to Plowshare in the Bay Area, Michael has helped homeless, low-income and at-risk veterans access health care and social services, housing, skills development and job opportunities.  At the same time, he has been a relentless champion for veterans nationwide, demanding that we do more to honor their service and sacrifice.  Michael Blecker's heroism and patriotism embody the best of America, and I am honored that he will be my guest to this year’s State of the Union address."

Speaker Emerita Pelosi continued: "Nearly two years since the Congress enacted and President Biden signed the landmark PACT Act, more veterans than ever before are accessing expanded benefits and health care.  Tonight, I join a number of my colleagues in inviting as our guests veterans who served our country, as we hear the President’s vision to build a future worthy of their sacrifice.  Mr. Blecker’s presence in the House Chamber will serve as a powerful reminder of our sacred obligation: just as our military leaves no one behind on the battlefield, we must leave no veteran behind when they come home."

"I am honored to be Speaker Pelosi's guest at the State of the Union," said Michael Blecker, Executive Director of Swords to Plowshares and Vietnam veteran. "She always says that Swords to Plowshares leaves no veteran behind, and I can confidently say that neither does she. Her work with President Biden on programs for homeless veterans and on the PACT Act demonstrates that commitment. They have made unprecedented investments and have taken responsibility for the true cost of war. In my fifty years of veteran advocacy, we have fought to reduce barriers to care for service-connected injuries - from Agent Orange to Gulf War Syndrome - and now the PACT Act truly eases the path to care for veterans suffering from the aftermath of war and toxic exposures. I look forward to learning more about President Biden's future plans to continue supporting effective programs to house our nation's veterans. I also hope to hear bold plans to ward off dangerous efforts to privatize the VA in order to ensure it will provide excellent care to future generations of veterans."

Michael Blecker has a nationwide reputation for dedicated service and as an authority on veterans’ services and veterans’ rights.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970, with combat infantry service in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.  He has been associated with Swords to Plowshares since 1976 and served as Executive Director since 1982.