Republican leaders in Congress announced on Thursday that Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) has been chosen to deliver the GOP response to President Joe Biden‘s State of the Union address next week.
The speech, expected to air following Biden’s remarks to a joint session of Congress on March 7, gives Britt the opportunity to raise her profile within the party and help set the tone for the presidential election year. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) emphasized how Britt’s age, 42, makes for a stark contrast to 81-year-old Biden.
“Americans are struggling amid a border catastrophe, crushing inflation, an increasingly dangerous world, and fears about a President not up to the task. Against this backdrop, Senator Katie Britt will share her incredible story as the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the state of Alabama,” Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement.
“As the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate, Katie is fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation. She is a champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all. The American people will tune in as the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate turns the page on the oldest President in history,” he added.
McConnell, fresh off announcing his plan to step away from his leadership role in the next year, said, “For three years, President Biden has tried to convince the American people to accept historic inflation, rampant crime, retreat on the world stage, and functionally open borders as the new normal. Next week, working families will hear a very different perspective. Senator Katie Britt is an unapologetic optimist, and as one of our nation’s youngest Senators, she’s wasted no time becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats’ failures behind.”
Britt, who served as chief of staff to former Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), won her first term in the upper chamber in the 2022 midterm election. She was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who like Biden is now running another term in the White House.
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“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to speak directly to my fellow Americans and have a candid conversation about the future of our nation. The Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families, and I’m looking forward to putting this critical perspective front and center,” Britt said in a statement.
“There is no doubt that President Biden’s failed presidency has made America weaker and more vulnerable at every turn. At this decisive moment in our country’s history, it’s time for the next generation to step up and preserve the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren,” she added.
Britt shared a similar message in a post to X, along with a short video.
I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to speak directly to my fellow Americans on March 7.
We’ll have a candid conversation about the future of our nation—and I’ll outline the Republican vision to secure the American Dream for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/QN9q2eJUL1— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) February 29, 2024
The past three Republicans to deliver the GOP response to Biden were Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in 2021, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in 2022, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023.
Among those to cheer on Britt following the announcement on Thursday was Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey.
“Alabamians & Americans alike can look forward to Senator Britt delivering this year’s SOTU response. I’m proud this mom from Alabama will be the first Alabamian to provide the rebuttal at a time we so desperately need common sense,” Ivey said in a post to X. “Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman!”