Connecticut lawmakers are announcing who they will bring to Washington as guests for the upcoming State of the Union address. 

Senator Chris Murphy has invited Mark Barden to be his guest for the State of the Union address on Tuesday. Mark Barden is the co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise.  Murphy said Barden's resolve and resilience after his 7-year-old son Daniel was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School inspires him every day.  He added that Barden turned crushing grief into empowerment in finding sensible solutions to prevent gun violence. 

At President Obama’s final State of the Union, Murphy said he hopes the President will challenge each member of Congress to stand up to the gun lobby and take action on the issue of gun violence.

Michael Zacchea of Brookfield will be a guest of Senator Richard Blumenthal.  The retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He currently serves as the Program Manager for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities at the UConn School of Business.  The program supports veterans in establishing and growing businesses. 

Blumenthal says Zacchea served and sacrificed for this country, and has continued to give back after medically retiring from the Marine Corps.