Here's what Democrats were chanting in protest during the State of the Union

Democratic members of congress gesture as US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2020. Democratic members of congress gesture as US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2020. Photo: Olivier Douliery, AFP Via Getty Images Photo: Olivier Douliery, AFP Via Getty Images Image 1 of / 55 Caption Close Here's what Democrats were chanting in protest during the State of the Union 1 / 55 Back to Gallery

There was much applause during President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union, but for at least a few seconds, Democrats interrupted the fanfare with chants of protest.

After Trump called on lawmakers to deliver him a piece of legislation to dramatically lower drug prices in order for him to sign it, many Democratic lawmakers stood, held up three fingers and chanted "H.R.3."

House Resolution 3, named the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act in the late congressman's honor, is a bill that would allow the government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for those covered under Medicare. Affected drugs would include insulin products and 25 of the most expensive brand-name drugs that don't have generic equivalents.

It passed the House with a 230-192 vote.

The bill was declared "dead on arrival" in the Senate, and the White House indicated the president would have vetoed the bill if it had landed on his desk, the Washington Post reported in December.

Democrats chant “HR 3” as Trump calls for bipartisan legislation to lower prescription drug prices.



More on HR 3 here: https://t.co/WnwZpnBIxJ pic.twitter.com/5cgGskpp6l — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) February 5, 2020

Many Democratic women in attendance also chose to protest silently with their choice of attire. Several lawmakers were wearing white Tuesday to align themselves with suffragettes a century after women won the right to vote. Some were also wearing green Equal Rights Amendment pins ahead of an expected House vote on the issue this month. Others sported red-white-and-blue-striped lapel pins to highlight climate change.

Two representatives boycotted the State of the Union altogether: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who are both front and center as members of "the Squad.” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that she would “not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution.” Pressley, meanwhile, said she's boycotting, because Trump “consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our Constitution.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alix Martichoux is an SFGATE digital editor. Read her latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com.