Washington — Alabama Sen. Katie Britt is delivering the Republican response to President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address, a rebuttal that comes as the GOP seeks to draw a contrast to the president heading into the November general election and distinguish itself as the party that is better positioned to lead the nation.
Sworn into office in 2023, Britt made history as the first woman elected to represent Alabama in the Senate and youngest Republican woman ever elected to the upper chamber. Britt has already endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
Republican leaders announced last month that Britt would be delivering the GOP response to Mr. Biden’s State of the Union address and indicated that she is well-suited to show the American people why the president, at 81, should be limited to a single term in the White House.
In excerpts of Britt’s speech released by Republican leaders, the senator will say that Mr. Biden “is not in command,” and accuse him of being a “dithering and diminished leader.”
“America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation,” she will say.
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Britt is also expected to criticize Mr. Biden’s border and economic policies, and claim that the country’s standing has fallen on the world stage.
“Where I’m from, your word is your bond,” she will say, according to speech excerpts. “But for three years, this president has demonstrated that America’s word doesn’t mean what it used to. From abandoning allies in his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan … to desperately pushing another dangerous deal with Iran, President Biden has failed. We’ve become a nation in retreat. And the enemies of freedom see an opportunity.”
Britt will also express concerns that the next generation will inherit a weaker country.
“The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better,” the Alabama Republican will say.
Britt’s remarks come as Republicans seek to quell concerns that access to fertility treatments could be at risk after the high court in Britt’s home state found frozen embryos can be considered children under Alabama law.
The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision last month left the state mired in controversy after several clinics that provide in vitro fertilization services announced they would be halting or limiting treatments, and Republicans at the state and federal level have raced to express support for continued access to IVF services.
When is the Republican response to Biden’s State of the Union address?
Britt will deliver the GOP response after Mr. Biden’s remarks, which wrapped up just after 10:30 p.m. ET. The last three Republicans who delivered the official rebuttals to the president’s speeches spoke for less than 15 minutes.
How do they choose who gives the State of the Union rebuttal?
The Republican selected to deliver the rebuttal is typically considered a rising star in the party, and someone who can draw a clear distinction from Mr. Biden and Democrats. The top leaders of the party that doesn’t occupy the White House choose who will give the response.
In 2023, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the nation’s youngest governor, delivered the GOP response, and in 2022, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds provided the rebuttal.
Given the focus on Mr. Biden’s age heading into the November general election, which is poised to be a rematch of the 2020 race against Trump, GOP leaders selected the youngest Republican woman ever to serve in the upper chamber. Mr. Biden began his career in the Senate years before Britt was even born.
In fact, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement last month that “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.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell praised Britt as an “an unapologetic optimist.”
The GOP is working to convince voters that they are the better party to lead the country into the future and address key issues like immigration and the economy. McConnell said last month that Britt has become “a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats’ failures behind.”
A look at Senator Katie Britt’s political career
Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022 after defeating Rep. Mo Brooks in the GOP primary runoff. Trump initially endorsed Brooks, but the former president withdrew his support earlier in the race after polls showed Brooks struggling to gain support. Trump threw his weight behind Britt months later, after she received the most votes in the primary. She advanced to a runoff against Brooks.
Brooks and Britt were vying to succeed longtime GOP Sen. Richard Shelby after he announced his retirement. Britt served as Shelby’s chief of staff and as president of the Business Council of Alabama.
Before leading Shelby’s office, Britt served as deputy campaign manager for his 2016 re-election bid and was a practicing attorney.
