Who is Katie Britt? What to know about senator who delivered State of the Union response

WASHINGTON – Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., is new to the U.S. Senate but her star is rapidly rising as evidenced by her rebuttal speech to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Thursday.

But who is the first-term lawmaker? Britt, 42, is the youngest Republican woman to ever be elected to the upper chamber and is considered a rising star among a party dominated by older men. On Thursday night, she'll also offer a contrast to President Joe Biden, the oldest sitting president in American history.

She has two children still in middle and high school and said in a statement ahead of the speech that the Republican Party is the party of "hard-working parents and families."

“President Biden is out of touch and off the pace — and the consequences are endangering America’s future,” she said. “I’m looking forward to sharing our positive vision to secure the American Dream for generations to come.”

Britt's response: GOP's Katie Britt on State of the Union: Biden a 'dithering and diminished leader'

Britt serves on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Rules Committee and the Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee.

"I think she represents the future of the Republican Party," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told USA TODAY. Asked why she was chosen to deliver the speech, he said: "She's got young children, she's a very articulate, optimistic kind of person. I think she's a great pick."

Britt's office declined an interview request from USA TODAY.

Sen. Katie Britt's rebuttal after State of the Union draws on political experience

Britt got her start in politics in former Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby's office as a press secretary, before going to law school and beginning work as an attorney. More than a decade after first working in Shelby's office, she rejoined his staff on his reelection campaign and then as his chief of staff. She also served as the president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama.

"I don't remember ever seeing somebody come into the Senate and hit the ground running faster than she has, both because of her innate abilities and because of her experience," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed her when she ran for Senate in 2022, after pulling his support for her Republican primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks. Trump initially opposed Britt, who had received funding from a super PAC aligned with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., but he threw his weight behind her campaign when polls indicated she had a huge lead over Brooks.

When she was sworn in to office in 2023, she became Alabama's first female senator, replacing her former boss.

And now, Britt is preparing to lay out Republican priorities following Biden's State of the Union address. The assignment of delivering the rebuttal to the president's annual speech is framed as a chance for rising stars to make their mark. Prominent current and former officials such as Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have all given the GOP response in the past.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that Britt's speech is even a "big audition" to be Trump's pick for vice president if she "rises to the occasion."

But it can also be an opportunity for public blunders that can make a lasting impression. For example, former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's reputation took a hit after a "cheesy" and awkward response to then-President Barack Obama's 2009 State of the Union speech.

The shadow of the Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling

Britt's speech will come just over two weeks after the Supreme Court in her home state issued a decision that rocked families across the country: The Alabama high court determined that frozen embryos used in IVF are children and have legal protections under state law.

The decision kicked off a frenzy among patients and doctors grappling with its implications for people attempting to conceive, often after years of struggling to have children. The University of Alabama at Birmingham and other facilities in the state quickly paused some infertility treatments after the ruling due to concerns about criminal liability surrounding the handling of embryos.

Republicans came out en masse to note their support for the procedure. They also called upon the Alabama state legislature to ensure families can continue to use IVF without fears of legal issues.

Britt, too, came out in support of IVF after the ruling. She has said she believes life begins at conception and identifies as "pro-life," but she said in the wake of the decision that "defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive."

It's not an argument her critics have bought. The Democratic National Committee called Britt "an anti-choice extremist" in a statement.

"Make no mistake: Britt and her fellow MAGA extremists are backing a cruel, dangerous, and unpopular anti-choice agenda that would outlaw abortion nationwide and risk access to IVF for Americans trying to grow their family," DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd said.

When Democrats in the Senate tried to advance a bill that would enact federal protections for the fertility procedure, Republicans largely would not commit to supporting it. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., blocked the proposal on the Senate floor.

But as Britt responds to the president on Thursday, IVF and concerns surrounding the procedure are widely expected to be part of the conservative lawmaker's remarks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Katie Britt? Meet the Alabama senator who gave SOTU response