Mary Barra Will Sit Next to Michelle Obama at the Sate of the Union

U.S. President Barack Obama gives his high-profile State of the Union address tonight. The event is one of the few times the president gets to speak to a live primetime audience (barring some history-making event, of course).

Many high profile members of the government are entitled to invite guests to accompany them to the speech. Seated next to First lady Michelle Obama will be new General Motors CEO Mary Barra, the first woman to lead a major automotive manufacturer.

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These high-profile guests can hint at what the President might be covering in his speech. The presence of Barra signifies he’ll likely highlight his government’s role is saving the company from going under during the financial crisis in 2008.

Last December, the U.S. government sold all of its shares in General Motors for a net loss of about $12 billion US dollars. The bailout ended up saving 1.2 million jobs and about $40 billion in tax revenue the US federal government would have otherwise lost.

Chrysler was also bailed out by the U.S. government during the financial crisis. In 2011 the company was sold to Fiat at a net loss of 1.2 billion US dollars, but the move ensured the company remained operational.