Alabama Sen. Katie Britt to deliver Republican response to Biden's State of the Union address

Washington — Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, will deliver the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address next week, Republican Congressional leaders announced Thursday.

Britt, 42, became the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate, and the first woman from Alabama, when she won her seat in 2022. In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Britt's story stands in contrast to "a President not up to the task."

"She is a champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all," Johnson said. "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."

President Biden, 81, is set to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on March 7. The speech gives him a chance to frame the early stages of a likely general election rematch with former President Donald Trump, who is closing in on the Republican presidential nomination.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement that Britt's address will offer a "very different perspective" to Americans.

"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 said. 

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the response to Mr. Biden last year.

"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. 

The choice of a senator from Alabama comes at a time when the state is embroiled in controversy over a state Supreme Court decision that found frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The ruling led several health care facilities to pause in vitro fertilization treatments, and the state legislature has scrambled to shield fertility treatments in recent days. Britt, who opposes abortion rights, said in a statement to AL.com last week that she believes "defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive."

Alan He contributed reporting.