WASHINGTON — A Gold Star father will join U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the U.S. House chamber tonight for President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress.
Michael Wargo, of Mahoning Township, will join the first-term Republican lawmaker for Trump's 9 p.m. speech. His son Michael died by suicide in 2013, leading the elder Wargo and his wife Sarah to become mental health advocates.
The younger Wargo enlisted in the Army after the September 11 attacks and served a tour in Afghanistan. He returned home without a physical injury but battled undiagnosed PTSD for years, according to media reports. The elder Wargos have told reporters their son viewed his mental health struggles as a weakness and actively hid it from his family. The couple has worked since then to remove the stigma around mental health concerns and encourage veterans to get the resources they need.
Veterans have long faced a greater risk of suicide compared to the general public, and Carbon County residents have died by suicide at a far higher rate than the rest of Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Veterans in Carbon County die by suicide at a higher rate than those in any other county in Pennsylvania.
“The Wargos have always made clear that our support for veterans can’t stop after they get home.”Ryan Mackenzie
“The Wargos have always made clear that our support for veterans can’t stop after they get home,” Mackenzie said in a prepared statement. “For many, the fight continues long after they leave the battlefield. In Congress, I will keep working alongside constituents like the Wargos and others affected by this crisis to ensure that veterans and their families get the care and support they deserve.”
A president's joint address to Congress is often the pinnacle of American political theater. While the president is theoretically addressing senators and representatives, the prime-time speech is an opportunity for the executive-in-chief to spell out their agenda directly to the American people. Lawmakers in his party typically look for opportunities to show vigorous support while the party out of power tends to make a point of how little they find to cheer.
The symbolism of the event extends to whom gets invited as a plus-one. The guest list often highlights a lawmaker's legislative priorities, commitment to their district, or their alignment with their party. Former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, for example, invited a Bethlehem mother to the State of the Union Address in 2024. Christie Nicas relied on in vitro fertilization to grow her family; at the time, Wild was pushing legislation that would protect access to assisted reproductive technology.
This year, multiple news outlets are reporting that Democrats are inviting recently laid off federal workers to emphasize their opposition to widespread cuts being overseen by Trump's newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Many Republican leaders, meanwhile, have invited victims of crimes committed by people illegally in the country. Immigration and crime rates were a major focus for Republicans on the campaign trail in 2024.
