Rep. Langevin invites Michael J. Fox to State of the Union

WARWICK, R.I. --Actor Michael J. Fox will attend President Bush's State of the Union address next week as a guest of Rep. Jim Langevin.

Both are staunch supporters of embryonic stem cell research.

Fox suffers from Parkinson's disease and has appeared in television campaign ads for political candidates who support the research.

"U.S. Rep. Langevin is a tireless champion for the advancement of medical research, and I am honored to join him next week at the State of the Union," Fox said in a statement.

Langevin, who has been confined to a wheelchair since an accidental shooting that occurred when he was a teenager, addressed his colleagues in the House of Representatives last week in support of a bill that would bolster embryonic stem cell research.

The Democratic-controlled House passed the legislation, but the White House has promised to veto it.

Langevin invited Dana Reeve, Christopher Reeve's widow, as his guest to the State of the Union address in 2005. She died of lung cancer last year.

"I am sure Michael will help to further Chris and Dana's legacy and underscore for the President just how serious I am about pursuing the promise of stem cell research," Langevin said in a statement Tuesday.