In the State of the Union address , the President traditionally outlines the administration 's accomplishments over the previous year , as well as the agenda for the coming year , often in upbeat and optimistic terms . It has become customary to use the phrase " The State of the Union is strong , " sometimes with slight variations , since President Ronald Reagan introduced it in his 1983 address . It has been repeated by every president in nearly every year since , with the exception of George H. W. Bush . Gerald Ford 's 1975 address had been the first to use the phrasing " The State of the Union is ... " , though Ford completed the sentence with " not good . " Since Reagan 's 1982 address , it has also become common for presidents of both parties to honor special guests sitting in the gallery , such as American citizens or visiting heads of state . During that 1982 address , Reagan acknowledged Lenny Skutnik for his act of heroism following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 . Since then , the term " Lenny Skutniks " has been used to refer to individuals invited to sit in the gallery , and then cited by the President , during the State of the Union
Air Florida Flight 90
Air Florida Flight 90
State of the Union