President Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, January 25th.  The president is expected to report on the current condition of the nation and lay out a framework for his domestic and foreign policy plans and the FY2012 budget request.  In keeping with his recent public statements and those by Republican and Democrat congressional leaders, the president also will likely stress the need for stronger bipartisan efforts in the coming year.  This address will fulfill the constitutional requirement in Article II, Sec 3 that “The President shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union.”  This address will mark the 222nd time presidents have reported to Congress, either in person or in written form.  According to information from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) on the history of the State of the Union addresses, President George Washington gave the first address on January 8, 1790.  Washington and President John Adams delivered their statement in person, but President Thomas Jefferson sent his message to Congress in writing.  This practice of written submission only continued until President Woodrow Wilson, in 1913, decided to go before Congress to deliver his message.  Between 1913 and 1934 presidents held to no particular tradition, sometimes giving their statements in person and sometimes sending them to Congress only in writing.  However, since President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first State of the Union Address in 1934, most presidents have appeared in person.  Notable exceptions have been written statements by President Eisenhower after his heart attack and by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Carter in their final year in the presidency.  Also, some presidents have chosen not to send a message right after they delivered their first inaugural address.  The CRS report “The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications” provides a comprehensive review of the State of the Union Address.