State of the Union

Why some lawmakers will wear yellow ribbons and dog tags to Biden's State of the Union address

The families of the hostages have sent a letter to all members of Congress asking them and their staffers to wear a yellow lapel ribbon or a “Bring them home” dog tag necklace

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Family members of several Americans still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza are expected to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address after being invited by a group of lawmakers.

With their attendance, the 17 relatives of the hostages have also sent a letter to all members of Congress asking them and their staffers to wear a yellow lapel ribbon or a “Bring them home” dog tag necklace as a sign of solidarity for those still working to bring their loved ones home.

“It’s a living hell. A living hell from the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, told NBC News. He plans to attend the address as a guest of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

The U.S. State Department believes there are six remaining Americans being held hostage in Gaza.

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