The proposal has elicited mounting opposition from tobacco companies, Black activists worried about police enforcement and small businesses, as President Biden moves into an election year.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which targeted racial bias and use of force, stalled in Congress during President Biden’s first year in office.
“It’s important for them to be here in the gallery that night to listen to the president,” said the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who invited them.
Representatives Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California were widely expected to seek the top three slots.