List of joint sessions of the United States Congress

As of April 2026, there have been 469 joint sessions and joint meetings of the United States Congress.

The record for the most addresses to Congress by a single foreign leader is held by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delivered four addresses.

1780s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking1stApril 6, 1789Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1789 presidential electionNoneApril 30, 1789Joint sessionInauguration of George Washington and church serviceGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesSamuel Provoost, Chaplain of the Senate

1790s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking1stJanuary 8, 1790Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesDecember 8, 1790Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United States2ndOctober 25, 1791Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesNovember 6, 1792Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesFebruary 13, 1793Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1792 presidential electionNone3rdMarch 4, 1793InaugurationInauguration of George WashingtonGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesDecember 3, 1793Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesNovember 19, 1794Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United States4thDecember 8, 1795Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesDecember 7, 1796Joint sessionState of the Union addressGeorge Washington, President of the United StatesFebruary 8, 1797Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1796 presidential electionNone5thMarch 4, 1797InaugurationInauguration of John AdamsJohn Adams, President of the United StatesMay 16, 1797Joint sessionDiscussing relations with FranceJohn Adams, President of the United StatesNovember 23, 1797Joint sessionState of the Union addressJohn Adams, President of the United StatesDecember 8, 1798Joint sessionState of the Union addressJohn Adams, President of the United States6thDecember 3, 1799Joint sessionState of the Union addressJohn Adams, President of the United StatesDecember 26, 1799Joint sessionFuneral of George WashingtonHenry Lee III, U.S. Representative

1800s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking6thNovember 22, 1800Joint sessionState of the Union addressJohn Adams, President of the United StatesFebruary 11, 1801Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1800 presidential electionNone7thMarch 4, 1801InaugurationInauguration of Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson, President of the United States8thFebruary 13, 1805Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1804 presidential electionNone9thMarch 5, 1805InaugurationInauguration of Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson, President of the United States10thFebruary 8, 1809Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1808 presidential electionNone11thMarch 4, 1809InaugurationInauguration of James MadisonJames Madison, President of the United States

1810s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking12thFebruary 10, 1813Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1812 presidential electionNone13thMarch 4, 1813InaugurationInauguration of James MadisonJames Madison, President of the United States14thFebruary 12, 1817Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1816 presidential electionNone15thMarch 4, 1817InaugurationInauguration of James MonroeJames Monroe, President of the United States

1820s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking16thFebruary 14, 1821Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1820 presidential electionNone17thMarch 5, 1821InaugurationInauguration of James MonroeJames Monroe, President of the United States18thDecember 10, 1824House address (this was a speech to the House, but several Senators were present as guests of the House; not a joint meeting)Message from LafayetteHenry Clay, Speaker of the HouseGilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, French GeneralFebruary 9, 1825Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1824 presidential electionNone19thMarch 4, 1825InaugurationInauguration of John Quincy AdamsJohn Quincy Adams, President of the United States20thFebruary 11, 1829Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1828 presidential electionNone21stMarch 4, 1829InaugurationInauguration of Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson, President of the United States

1830s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking22ndFebruary 13, 1833Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1832 presidential electionNone23rdMarch 4, 1833InaugurationInauguration of Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson, President of the United StatesDecember 31, 1834Joint sessionEulogy of LafayetteJohn Quincy Adams, U.S. RepresentativeAlso attended by Andrew Jackson, President of the United States24thFebruary 8, 1837Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1836 presidential electionNone25thMarch 4, 1837InaugurationInauguration of Martin Van BurenMartin Van Buren, President of the United States

1840s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking26thFebruary 10, 1841Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1840 presidential electionNone27thMarch 4, 1841InaugurationInauguration of William Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry Harrison, President of the United States28thFebruary 12, 1845Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1844 presidential electionNone29thMarch 4, 1845InaugurationInauguration of James K. PolkJames K. Polk, President of the United States30thFebruary 14, 1849Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1848 presidential electionNone31stMarch 5, 1849InaugurationInauguration of Zachary TaylorZachary Taylor, President of the United States

1850s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking31stJuly 10, 1850Joint sessionInauguration of Millard FillmoreNone32ndJanuary 7, 1852Joint sessionFormer leader of revolutionary Hungary (1848–1849), Lajos Kossuth (in exile), appeals to US Congress to help Hungary and other nations in their struggle against European (neo-)absolutismLajos Kossuth32ndFebruary 9, 1853Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1852 presidential electionNone33rdMarch 4, 1853InaugurationInauguration of Franklin PierceFranklin Pierce, President of the United States34thFebruary 11, 1857Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1856 presidential electionNone35thMarch 4, 1857InaugurationInauguration of James BuchananJames Buchanan, President of the United States

1860s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking36thFebruary 13, 1861Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1860 presidential electionNone37thMarch 4, 1861InaugurationInauguration of Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln, President of the United StatesFebruary 22, 1862Joint sessionReading of Washington's Farewell AddressJohn Weiss Forney, Secretary of the Senate38thFebruary 8, 1865Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1864 presidential electionNone39thMarch 4, 1865InaugurationInauguration of Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln, President of the United StatesFebruary 12, 1866Joint sessionMemorial for LincolnGeorge Bancroft, HistorianAlso attended by Andrew Johnson, President of the United States40thFebruary 10, 1869Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1868 presidential electionNone41stMarch 4, 1869InaugurationInauguration of Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant, President of the United States

1870s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking42ndFebruary 12, 1873Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1872 presidential electionNone43rdMarch 4, 1873InaugurationInauguration of Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant, President of the United StatesDecember 18, 1874Joint sessionReception of King KalakauaJames G. Blaine, Speaker of the HouseKalakaua, King of Hawaii44thFebruary 1, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 10, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 12, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 19, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 20, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 21, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 24, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 26, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneFebruary 28, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneMarch 1, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNoneMarch 2, 1877Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1876 presidential electionNone45thMarch 5, 1877InaugurationInauguration of Rutherford B. HayesRutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States

1880s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking46thFebruary 9, 1881Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1880 presidential electionNone47thMarch 4, 1881InaugurationInauguration of James A. GarfieldJames A. Garfield, President of the United StatesFebruary 27, 1882Joint sessionMemorial to GarfieldJames G. Blaine, Former Secretary of StateAlso attended by Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States48thFebruary 11, 1885Joint sessionCount electoral votes for the 1884 presidential electionNoneFebruary 21, 1885Joint sessionCompletion of Washington MonumentJohn Davis Long, U.S. RepresentativeJohn W. Daniel, U.S. Representative-electAlso attended by Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States49thMarch 4, 1885InaugurationInauguration of Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland, President of the United States50thFebruary 13, 1889Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1888 presidential electionNone51stMarch 4, 1889InaugurationInauguration of Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison, President of the United StatesDecember 11, 1889Joint sessionCentennial of Washington's first inaugurationMelville Fuller, Chief Justice of the United StatesAlso attended by Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States

1890s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking52ndFebruary 8, 1893Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1892 presidential electionNone53rdMarch 4, 1893InaugurationInauguration of Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland, President of the United States54thFebruary 10, 1897Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1896 presidential electionNone55thMarch 4, 1897InaugurationInauguration of William McKinleyWilliam McKinley, President of the United States

1900s

Congress Date Type Occasion Dignitary speaking56thDecember 12, 1900Joint meetingCentennial of Washington, D.C.James D. Richardson, U.S. RepresentativeSereno E. Payne, U.S. RepresentativeGeorge Frisbie Hoar, U.S. SenatorAlso attended by William McKinley, President of the United StatesFebruary 13, 1901Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1900 presidential electionNone57thMarch 4, 1901InaugurationInauguration of William McKinleyWilliam McKinley, President of the United StatesFebruary 27, 1902Joint sessionMemorial to McKinleyJohn Hay, Secretary of StateAlso attended by Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United Statesand Prince Heinrich of Prussia58thFebruary 8, 1905Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1904 presidential electionNone59thMarch 4, 1905InaugurationInauguration of Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt, President of the United States60thFebruary 10, 1909Joint sessionCounting electoral votes for the 1908 presidential electionNone61stMarch 4, 1909InaugurationInauguration of William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft, President of the United States

1910s