Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) renewed their push today for members of Congress to set aside partisanship and sit together during the president’s State of the Union address. This is the third year in a row the two have called on party leaders to embrace this bipartisan tradition. Tradition only requires that the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate gather together in the House chambers for the speech, but does not dictate where they sit.

"This year, as we begin a new Congress, we are again asking our colleagues to sit together as representatives of the American people and not just representatives of political parties. We believe that with your help, we can make this a permanent tradition," Udall and Murkowski wrote in the letter to Senate and House leaders. "Although our political discourse often falls short of what the country expects, we are all United States senators and congressmen. In these historically challenging times for our nation, we all share the goal of putting the United States back on the right track and getting Americans back to work. … We therefore continue to believe that permanent bipartisan seating at the State of the Union address would be one small way to bridge our partisan divide and to encourage Members to find solutions to our nation's problems."

Udall and Murkowski started working together in 2011 to urge their colleagues to set aside the well-worn partisan tradition of sitting by party affiliation.

The Udall-Murkowski letter can be found by clicking HERE or reading below:

Dear Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, and Minority Leaders McConnell and Pelosi:

For the past two years, we have called on our colleagues in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to sit interspersed - across party lines - at President Obama's State of the Union address. And for two years running, members have joined us. Although this gesture did not end Washington gridlock, we feel it has been a very important step in the right direction, symbolizing the importance of working together to solve the common challenges we face in securing a strong future for the United States.

This year, as we begin a new Congress, we are again asking our colleagues to sit together as representatives of the American people and not just representatives of political parties. We believe that with your help, we can make this a permanent tradition.

Although our political discourse often falls short of what the country expects, we are all United States senators and congressmen. In these historically challenging times for our nation, we all share the goal of putting the United States back on the right track and getting Americans back to work. Political differences will always generate a healthy debate, but too often these differences prevent each side from even coming to the table to work toward the compromises and common-sense solutions our constituents want. It's little wonder that the American people have such a low regard for Congress and a lack of confidence in their governmental institutions.

So, now more than ever, we have the obligation to show that there is a place for civility and comity on Capitol Hill. As we have seen over the past two years, bipartisan seating at the State of the Union Address has started to chip away at the decades-old tradition where Members traditionally took part in choreographed standing and clapping on one side of the Chamber while the other side sat in silent protest. This entrenched tradition was unbecoming of our institution, especially when we should be striving for ways to put aside our differences and stand united.

We therefore continue to believe that permanent bipartisan seating at the State of the Union address would be one small way to bridge our partisan divide and to encourage Members to find solutions to our nation's problems. Let us encourage members of this 113th Congress – particularly those members who are new to Capitol Hill – to move this tradition forward.

With respect,

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