Hi, I'm Kitty Felde.
Thursday night is the annual State of the Union Address.
Back when I was a public radio reporter, it was my favorite night of the year.
Statuary Hall was packed with cameras and reporters waiting to hear reviews for the President's speech from members of Congress.
I was up in the House Gallery watching the Supreme Court.
The First Lady and most of the cabinet joined senators and congresspeople on the House floor.
The place was so packed that I had to sit on concrete steps up in the gallery.
I wanted to capture what it's like to watch the State of the Union in person and explain its purpose to folks who probably would rather be watching basketball.
So here's a scene from my book State of the Union, starting with our 10-year-old Detective Fina sitting around her congressman father's office watching Washington's favorite channel, C-SPAN.
My name is Fina Mendoza.
I moved to Washington, D.C. with my older sister Gabby because Papa works in the U.S.
Capitol.
He's a congressman.
Me?
I solve mysteries.
Here's the remote.
Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, making it clear that, to help fight inflation, the Fed will be raising interest rates this month.
It's all C-SPAN all the time, but there might be something interesting.
I'd like for you to comment if you would just for a second.
This is a lot about supply side issues and we welcome any help we can get.
Thank you very much.
The gentleman's time has expired.
Representative Jacobs is now recognized for five minutes.
I first wanted to echo the sentiments of some of my colleagues about the sunset clause.
Those things do go into into our CRA assessments.
The TRIO programs are a set of.
Higher education initiatives organized under the authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Tune in on Tuesday for the State of the Union.
Hey, Claudia, which state is it?
What do you mean?
Kansas, California.
What are you talking about?
The message at the bottom of the screen.
It says Tuesday night is the State of the Union.
Which state?
Mississippi?
I'm sorry, Fina.
It's a fair question.
The State of the Union is a speech by the President.
It kind of takes the temperature of the country every year.
Like a checkup on America?
Exactly.
The president comes to the Capitol and reminds Congress about all the good things he did last year and all the things he wants them to do this year.
And after the speech somebody from the other party goes on TV to complain about everything the president just said.
Is that what Papa's going to do?
Complain?
Pretty much.
They've been complaining ever since Lyndon Johnson was president, and Senate Republicans wanted a chance to gripe about his State of the Union speech.
That's what I'll be doing, complaining about the State of the Union address, but in Spanish.
How do you know what the president is going to say before he says it, Papa?
Well, we don't know everything, but it's pretty easy to guess some of the things the president will talk about on Tuesday nights, like immigration.
The reason for the rebuttal speech is to present different ideas from our party's point of view.
Rebuttal?
I think Ms.
Greenwood should be teaching us a bunch of Washington words like rebuttal instead of regular vocabulary words.
Rebuttal means to make an argument that answers back to something.
Papa's lucky.
When I answer back, I get sent to my room.
Sometimes I think you should be running the country, Fina.
No thanks.
I don't like making speeches and I hate meetings.
It's a big honor to be asked to give the democratic response.
Your dad has to have the first draft in front of the boss by tomorrow morning.
Boss?
Oh, you mean the minority leader.
She kind of reminds me of my second grade teacher, Mrs. Watkins, who smiled too much.
Speaking of work, you have homework to do.
Get to it, mija.
Yes, Papa.
Math.
Yuck.
Careful, Abuelita.
These stairs are super steep.
What?
You think I'm going to fall over the rail and land on some congressman down below?
I think Gabby was stupid to say she didn't want to come to the State of the Union.
Don't say stupid, Fina.
Gabby hates anything to do with politics, but I think she just says that to make Papa mad.
You should thank your sister for finding your father.
Golden ticket after you lost it.
I didn't lose it.
Not exactly.
I just left it on the sink last night when I was brushing my teeth.
I want to save my ticket.
Your father says members of Congress usually give their one ticket for the State of the Union to someone to make a point about some issue like gun control or education.
Instead, he gave it to me.
Papa says he's making a point about family, because we're finally a family again.
Here's our chairs.
Fina, stop scratching.
I can't help it.
My dress is kind of itchy.
I feel like I'm in a school play with all these red ruffles.
I don't see why I couldn't just wear my school uniform.
Because it's an important night and you must dress the part.
You mean I have to look like the daughter of the man who's going to be on TV to tell America all the things that the president said that were wrong, and say them in Spanish.
Watch the reporters, Fina.
Your father says they get a paper copy of the speech.
When the president gets to the second, to the last page, our job is to leave the gallery and get downstairs before the president is done.
Otherwise, You'll miss your father's speech.
Do you know why?
That's because when the president is coming or going, the Secret Service shuts down the elevators and nobody can move.
Look at all those lawmakers.
Not one of them is as important as your papa.
Look.
There's my boss, Congresswoman Mitchell.
She looks like a nice lady.
Who are those people coming in the back door?
I'm not sure.
Probably the people who work for the president.
They're called the cabinet.
And those guys with all the ribbons and pins are from the military.
And those people in the black robes... Mija!
It's her.
Sonia Sotomayor.
Hola, Justice Sotomayor.
Hola.
Hola.
Uh-oh.
We're in trouble now, Abuelita.
You remember the rules.
Papa said no laughing unless everyone is laughing.
No doing anything to call attention to ourselves, and no talking to people on the house floor.
Te amamos.
Shh, Abuelita, sit down.
The Capitol Police will kick us out of the gallery.
Don't do that, Abuelita.
Stop waving at her.
Look, look, she's waving back.
I can't believe it.
Vina, please.
Close your mouth.
I'm catching flies.
I'm seeing flies.
Please sit down, Abuelita.
Look.
See all the cool stuff in the house chamber?
There's a giant American flag behind the chair where the speaker sits.
And look at the ceiling.
There's an eagle up there made out of glass.
Hmm.
It doesn't look much like an eagle.
What?
Yeah, right.
Glass eagles don't screech.
Did you hear that?
Hear what?
Mr. Speaker!
The President of the United States!
See all those people shaking hands with the president?
Papa says lawmakers had to get there before lunch to save a seat near the aisle.
Mr Speaker, Mr Vice President, members of Congress and my fellow Americans, I come to this House of the People to speak to you and all Americans about the state of this, our union, our country, the United States of America.
Many look at us today and call us anything but united.
But I say to you, we are an American family.
And, like all families, we have disagreements, heated arguments, even periods of time when we don't want to talk to each other.
But we are still a family.
There are a number of challenges facing our national family.
And it's of these I want to speak to you.
Don't fall asleep, Vina.
It's way past my bedtime.
You seem to have no problem staying awake past midnight on Christmas Eve.
My shoes are pinching my feet.
And as to immigration reform, no amnesty.
Ever.
I want to acknowledge our fearless frontline workers.
Workers like emergency room nurse Mary Grady, who worked multiple shifts in her small town's only hospital, and Raphael Duran, who spent three weeks on the fire line in eastern Oregon.
What the?
Look, up there, a bird.
And it pooped on the president's head right in the middle of the State of the Union address.
Can you believe it?
No.
He's smelling his hand.
He just figured out what landed on his head.
Poor guy.
Where's the bird now?
I don't see it.
Find that bird.
I think it flew over there.
Look, there's a feather.
A bird?
A trickster.
Could it be Monica's chick Charmy?
Let's go.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Hey, watch where you step in.
Ouch.
Sorry.
Sorry.
There he is!
Arturo!
We made it!
Shh!
We're going live in two minutes.
Here, sit here.
Papa's face is so orangey.
It is a TV makeup.
Here we go.
In three, two... Buenas noches.
Soy Congresisto Arturo Mendoza.
Le quiero hablar esta noche sobre los.
I want to talk to you this evening about the thousands of people in my district alone who pay their taxes, obey the law and yet have no voice in how those taxes are spent and how those laws are made.
Que no tienen voz en cómo esos impuestos se gastan.
I want to talk to you about the undocumented men and women living in this country.
And God bless the United States of America.
Clear.
Thank you, Congressman.
Let me help you with that microphone.
Papá!
Mijita, I'm so glad the two of you made it.
Now don't go messing up her hair, mijo.
I spent 20 minutes combing out the tangles this afternoon.
Do you want her daughter to look like a frightened bird on television?
I'm not going to be on television, abuelita.
How do I look, Mama?
Handsome as ever?
I am so proud of you, mijo.
Abuelita, now you have orange makeup on your face.
So, how did I do, mija?
Super, papá.
I wish I could be as brave as you when I have to talk in front of the class.
How do you do it?
Practice, mija, practice.
Now follow me.
The minority leader is holding a little reception outside her office.
You two go on.
I've got to go check in with the boss.
He means the minority leader.
There you are.
I almost didn't recognize you, Fina, in your fabulous finery.
Abuelita made it.
It's scratchy.
And if you don't keep your hands off the ruffle, I'll cut it off.
The ruffle, I mean.
No, not your hands.
And this must be Mrs. Mendoza.
Claudia, this is my abuelita.
A pleasure.
I've heard so much about Fina's grandmother.
Do not believe a word of it.
And you are the owl woman who makes my son even smarter.
I don't know about that.
Owl woman?
I think it's because of your glasses.
Owl woman?
Can I get you something to drink?
A glass of wine?
Some lemonade?
Lemonade for two would be very nice.
Two lemonades coming right up.
Canapé.
Canapé?
Must have been a democratic bird.
Canapé.
Guess the speech laid an egg.
Maybe they should call it the State of the Omelette speech.
Canapé.
What is it?
Smells like fish.
Fish on toast.
Would you care for a canapé, young lady?
No thanks.
I'm not a big fish fan.
And I'll probably drop it on my new dress.
Well, we wouldn't want that.
Canapé.
No thanks.
Here you are, ladies.
Lemonade from the finest lemons on Capitol Hill.
Canapé.
I didn't know there were lemon trees in Washington.
No, just cherry trees.
And even they don't grow actual cherries.
It's lemonade from the carryout.
She means the snack bar.
Who is this skinny lady?
She's the minority leader.
But Bob's party didn't win enough seats in the last election to be in charge of Congress.
So he's in the minority party.
If we do better next time, that lady could be the Speaker of the House.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight the President delivered a report card on how he thinks we're doing as a nation.
If I were grading the president, I would give him a D minus.
Is that a joke?
I do not understand.
I guess they have to laugh.
Oh, she's their boss, too.
I want to introduce you to the gentleman who delivered our excellent response in Espanol, the Honorable Arturo Mendoza, from my home state of California.
Tutu!
Tutu!
Tutu!
Tutu!
Thank you all.
Let's save up some of the energy in this room to fight for an immigration bill in this Congress.
I'm tired, and Papa's got to talk to every single person in this room.
Mija, why don't you go over to that Las Dulces que está en la mesa ahí?
Okay.
See if there's something you think I might like.
Okay.
Excuse me.
Hmm.
Would Abuelita like the cake pumps on a stick or the cookie in the shape of a donkey?
Hey, Fina.
Michael, what are you doing here?
My dad's a reporter.
That's him over there, next to the TV camera.
Did they catch it?
Catch what?
The bird.
The one that pooped on the president.
It's a great story.
Nobody will remember anything the president said in his speech.
Tomorrow, everybody will be talking about that bird.
Michael, what do you think the Secret Service or the Capitol Police will do to that bird if they catch it?
Shoot it, probably.
Shoot it?
That poor bird!
And if they kill the bird, Monica will never hear its message.
And neither will I. I need to talk to my partner.
I need to talk to Senator something.
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries are written and produced by Kitty Felde.
Our cast includes Amy Solano as Fina Mendoza, Cristina Avila as Abuelita, Stephen Cuevas as Papa and Linda Graves as Claudia.
Mark Branhall plays the President of the United States.
Rosalie Huntington plays the Minority Leader.
Wenzel Jones plays the waiter, and Ian Carnithia plays Michael.
And Didi Chappelle appears as the rebuttal speech stage manager.
Music in the party is composed and performed by Kevin Pike.
Andrea Felix-Cervantes is our stage manager.
Our theme music is written and performed by Andrew Barkin, and our logo designer is Imelda Hinojosa.
State of the Union is book two in the Fina Mendoza Mystery Series.
The Spanish version of State of the Union, Estado de la Unión, will be released by Chesapeake Press this summer.
The podcast and the books are designed to teach civics education to elementary school students.
You can get an autographed copy of any of the Fina Mendoza books by clicking the link in the show notes.
Or check out the Chesapeake Press website, chesapeakepress.org.
That's where you can also sign up for our Facts Behind the Fiction newsletter.
This week, it's more information about the rebuttal speech.
And when you sign up for the newsletter you will also get a free download of the 56-page teacher's guide to State of the Union.
I hope you'll tune in to Wednesday's State of the Union speech and the rebuttals.
You never know when a bird might just poop on somebody's head.
I'm Kitty Felde.
Thanks so much for listening.
