Youngest Female Senator Will Deliver SOTU Response

"She's young, female, and full of energy—opposite of everything Joe Biden is," Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin says of his colleague Sen. Katie Britt, who will deliver the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address. The 42-year-old from Alabama is the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate, and insiders tell the Hill that beyond the usual GOP talking points on issues including immigration, her response will have two main themes: that Biden is too old, and that he's out of touch with ordinary Americans.

• Katie who? Britt isn't well known outside her home state, and the response will be her "first national introduction to voters," per the Hill. She was endorsed by Trump in 2022 and there are rumors she could be a contender for his running mate.
• She says she's honored: In a statement, Britt said she was "truly honored and grateful for the opportunity" to deliver the speech, Fox News reports. She said she plans to make "hardworking parents and families" the focus of her remarks

• Background: Britt is in her first term, but she has a long history in the Senate, ABC News reports. She joined the staff of her predecessor, Sen. Richard Shelby in 2004 as deputy communications director and later worked as his chief of staff. Britt has also worked as a lawyer in private practice and was CEO of the Business Council of Alabama before she launched her Senate bid. She has two school-age children, a son and a daughter, with husband Wesley Britt, a former NFL player.
• Why she was picked: "I think she represents the future of the Republican Party," Sen. Lindsey Graham, tells USA Today. Asked why she was chosen for the SOTU response, he said: "She's got young children, she's a very articulate, optimistic kind of person. I think she's a great pick." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he and House Speaker Mike Johnson recommended Britt because they felt she would be "particularly effective" at pushing back against Biden on issues, including on the economy, per the Hill.
• Another GOP response: Donald Trump plans to deliver his response while Biden is speaking. "I am pleased to inform you that tomorrow night we will be doing a LIVE, Play by Play, of Crooked Joe Biden's State of the Union Address," he said in a post on Truth Social, promising to correct, "in rapid response, any and all inaccurate Statements."

(More State of the Union address stories.)