GOP women will wear red, white, blue to State of the Union to support troops

While Democrats will be wearing black, some female Republican lawmakers are being invited to dress in red, white and blue in support for the US military. USA Today previously reported the wardrobe choice.

Rep. Mimi Walters of California, wearing a red sweater, told CNN that female Republican lawmakers had decided to wear red, white and blue as a group.

"We want to show patriotism to our country," Walters said.

A Republican aide told CNN the idea first came from a constituent and there was a conversation among a small group of GOP female House members in recent days about dressing in the colors of the American flag "out of respect for the commander-in-chief and in the military."

They've invited some Republican women in the Senate to participate as well, but it was unclear how many would join in.

Other lawmakers participating so far include GOP Reps. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Mia Love of Utah and Martha McSally of Arizona, who is a retired Air Force colonel and the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat.

There is no absence of statements being made at this year's address by lawmakers' attire.

House Democratic women are wearing black to show solidarity with the "#MeToo" movement raising awareness about sexual harassment. Many members have been sporting "Time's Up" pins and wearing red pins in honor of Recy Taylor. Taylor, an African-American woman from Alabama, was raped by a group of white men in the 1940s, and her decision to speak out about what happened despite death threats made her a towering civil rights figure.

Republican Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana will be wearing a black dress to honor victims of sexual abuse paired with a red jacket to honor the men and women who serve in the military.

There are 22 House Republican women, compared with over 60 women in the House Democratic caucus.

Along with their outfits as a way to show support, a number of lawmakers have invited members of the military and sexual harassment survivors to be their guests for President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address.