President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7.
Afterward, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., will give the GOP’s official response, according to a joint statement from several Republican leaders.
The opposition party tends to tap rising stars for this role. In 2016, the GOP enlisted Nikki Haley, then the governor of South Carolina and now a presidential candidate.
So far in Biden’s tenure, the GOP has tapped Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the latter of whom has been floated by pundits as a possible running mate for Donald Trump.
Britt, a former attorney, won her first Senate election in 2022. She replaced retiring Republican Richard Shelby.
At 42, Britt ranks as the youngest woman in the chamber, although Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff is even younger.
“It’s time for a new generation of Republican leadership,” Britt said in the statement. “The Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families, and I’m looking forward to putting this critical perspective front and center.”
Take a look at Britt’s announcement 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
Britt has made headlines recently for her stance on in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Last month in Alabama, a fertility doctor accidentally dropped a cold jar of frozen embryos, and in Alabama’s Supreme Court, the doctor was found liable for the wrongful death of a minor. IVF clinics paused their services across the state in order to protect themselves from liability.
Soon after the ruling, Britt made calls to fellow Republicans, including former President Trump, to argue for the importance of supporting IVF in her state. Britt described the practice as pro-life and pro-family, according to a person familiar with the calls.
“Defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive,” Britt said in a statement.
Before long, Trump released a statement urging Alabama lawmakers to pass a bill protecting these services.
Britt has won favor not only from Trump, but also from her colleagues in Congress. Only a year into her first term, she sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee (plus the Banking Committee).
In the joint statement, Senate Republican Leader McConnell called Britt an “unapologetic optimist.”
“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 said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that Britt is “the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate” and said she is a “champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all.”
Take a look at Britt’s announcement —
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.