WASHINGTON — Alabama Sen. Katie Britt will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.
Britt, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump, was sworn into office last year. She is the first woman elected to the Senate from Alabama, and at 42, the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate.
“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,” Britt said in a statement.
Trump endorsed Britt in the 2022 Alabama Senate primary, a flip after he had first endorsed Rep. Mo Brooks. She’s seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, and her name has been tossed around as a potential vice presidential pick.
In a statement, Johnson noted that Britt is “the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate” and that she is “fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation.”
“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,” McConnell added.
Britt’s State of the Union response comes as her home state was plunged into controversy after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are children, leading to uncertainty over the future of in vitro fertilization in the state. Multiple IVF providers have already suspended services.
Britt, who has consistently described herself as “100%, unapologetically pro-life,” addressed the ruling soon after in a statement first shared with Alabama Local News.
“Make no mistake — defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive,” Britt said, defending the procedure.
Britt told NBC News on Tuesday that she believes “the Alabama legislature will act quickly” to protect access to IVF in the state following the ruling.
Britt briefed her Republican colleagues on IVF and the Alabama legislature’s next steps to shield the procedure during a closed-door lunch on Tuesday, two sources with knowledge told NBC News. The presentation went over well and was not contentious, according to the sources.
The freshman lawmaker serves as an informal adviser to McConnell’s leadership team. She sits on the Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee, the Rules and Administration Committee, as well as the Appropriations Committee, where she is the top Republican on the homeland security subcommittee.
Before running for Senate, Britt was a practicing attorney in Alabama. She has also previously served in multiple staff positions on former Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby’s team, including chief of staff, deputy campaign manager and communications director.
The president’s opposing party typically delivers a speech in response to the annual State of the Union address. In 1966, Republican leaders recorded a televised response for the first time to then-President Lyndon Johnson’s address, setting in motion the tradition of a televised response, according to Senate historical records. In 1982, the responses began to be delivered directly after the president’s speech, rather than in the following days, according to Senate records.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided the GOP response to Biden’s State of the Union address in 2023. Sanders previously served in the Trump White House as press secretary. The year before, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered the GOP response.
“Republicans couldn’t ask for a better juxtaposition,” a senior GOP Senate aide told NBC News. “The youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate versus the oldest president in history.”
Lori Rampani contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
