The State of the Union Address is an annual address in which the President of the United States addresses a joint session of Congress (consisting of both the Senate and the House of Representatives) on the status of the nation. The tradition stems from Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution: "He [the President] shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Typically, the Address is used as an opportunity to outline the President's policy proposals for the coming year.