Republican leaders in Congress announced Thursday that Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) has been selected to lead the GOP response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address next week.
The speech, which will be broadcast after Biden's remarks to a joint session of Congress on March 7, gives Britt an opportunity to raise his 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, is a sharp contrast to Biden, 81.
“Americans are struggling with the devastation at the border, rising inflation, an increasingly dangerous world, and fear of a president who is ineffective. “With 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 mother of school-age children serving in the Senate, Katie is fighting to preserve the American dream for the next generation. She is a champion of strong families, secure borders, national defense, and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunity for all. “The American people will be delighted to see the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate turn the page on the oldest president in history.”
McConnell announced his plan to step down from his leadership role next year, saying, “For three years, President Biden has tried to convince the American people to step back and accept historic inflation, rampant crime, on the world stage… have tried." Functionally open borders as the new normal. Next week, working families will hear a very different perspective. Senator Katie Britt is a hopeful optimist, and as one of our nation's youngest senators, she wasted no time in becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and reverse years of Washington Democrats' failures. not done.
Britt, who served as chief of staff to former Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), won her first term in the upper chamber in the 2022 midterm elections. He was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who like Biden is now seeking another term in the White House.
“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 country. The Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families, and I look forward to keeping this important perspective front and center,” Britt said in a statement.
“There is no doubt that President Biden’s failed presidency has left America weaker and more vulnerable at every turn. At this defining moment in our nation's history, it is time to step forward for the next generation and preserve the American dream for our children and grandchildren,'' he said.
Britt shared a similar message in a post to her ex, along with a short video. The last three Republicans to provide a GOP response to Biden were Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in 2021, Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and Arkansas in 2022. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023.
Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey was among those cheering Britt after Thursday's announcement.
“Alabamians and Americans alike can look forward to this year's SOTU response by Senator Britt. I'm proud that this Alabama mom will be the first Alabamian to provide a rebuttal at a time when we desperately need common sense,” Ivey said in a post to X. “Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman!”