AMNA NAWAZ: And now, for a Democrat's take, we're joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington.

She's also the chair emerita of the House Progressive Caucus.

Congresswoman, welcome back to the "News Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Thank you for having me, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: So we saw House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote to Democratic lawmakers.

And he said, for tonight, it's important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber.

We have heard from some of your colleagues in the Democratic Party that they're boycotting tonight.

Will you be attending, and why, if so?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL: Amna, I will be there, because I was there in the Gallery on January 6 when Donald Trump and insurrectionists tried to take over the people's house.

And, tonight, I feel that it's very important for us to reclaim our house, to reclaim our chamber, to sit there and be able to very seriously react to and hear what Donald Trump is going to say.

I believe that it's going to be a set of lies that he's going to be spreading that are completely divorced from reality.

And I believe that, once again, he will tell the American people that he's doing things for them, when, in fact, two-thirds of the American people know that he has done nothing to lower costs for the American people.

In fact, what he's doing with this indiscriminate trade war, he is levying taxes, because that's what a tariff is, is a tax on working families across this country, so that he can pay for the billionaire tax breaks that he wants to continue to give to his billionaire buddies.

And so I think this is devastating, what is happening to workers who are being fired, who are not being respected, to democracy, to our government, and, most of all, to people's pocketbooks.

He is -- people are seeing raised prices, the stock market's in a slump, because Donald Trump is once again destroying stability for working families across this country.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Congresswoman, with tens of millions of people potentially tuning in to watch tonight, you will be in attendance, what does it mean, in your own words, as you say, to seriously react to what he's saying?

Do we expect Democrats to be loudly booing to some of his remarks or sitting silently?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL: No, that is... (CROSSTALK) AMNA NAWAZ: I mean, with so many people watching, what's the message you're sending tonight?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL: I think we will be sitting silently.

It has always been Republicans who have tried to disrupt Democratic presidents.

That's the history of Joe Wilson, Representative Joe Wilson, yelling "You lie" at Barack Obama.

It's a history of Marjorie Taylor Greene yelling consistently at Joe Biden.

And I think what you will see tonight is Democrats reclaiming the chamber in a very appropriate, dignified way that says to the American people, here is the contrast.

Democrats are about protecting American families, about protecting working families' benefits, not slashing Medicaid, not slashing Social Security, making sure that our aviation safety is protected.

That's why my guest tonight is the fabulous president of the flight attendance union, 55,000 members across this country who work every day to take care of the public safety, even as Donald Trump is firing so many people within the aviation safety arena.

AMNA NAWAZ: And the choice of Elissa Slotkin, your former House colleague, now a first-term Michigan senator, to deliver the Democratic response, yes, she has a strong national security background.

She won an open seat in a state that President Trump won.

Why Slotkin and what's her message tonight?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL: Elissa is terrific.

She was a colleague of mine in the House.

And I think she has shown how you can absolutely win districts and states that Donald Trump won with a strong message that is about protecting the public, making sure that Republicans are not able to slash these incredible programs and benefits to deliver tax breaks for billionaires.

And so I'm glad that she's going to be doing it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what she has to say.

And, certainly, she knows how to win a swing state like Michigan.

AMNA NAWAZ: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington, thank you so much for joining us.

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL: Thank you, Amna.