1966 GOP Response to the State of the Union Address
Senate Story: Opposition Response to the State of the Union Address
On January 17, 1966, in the Capitol’s Old Senate Chamber, Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen (at the podium) and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (seated behind Dirksen) delivered the first official opposition response to a State of the Union Address, beginning a tradition that continues to this day.
credit: U.S. Senate Historical Office
credit: U.S. Senate Historical Office
