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Sen. Katie Britt, the first woman elected to the Senate from Alabama and the youngest woman ever elected to the chamber, delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday.
The speech is a boost for Britt’s national profile and gave Republicans the chance to make their case to America with a young woman lawmaker — a stark contrast with an aging Biden, whose advantage among women voters is in the double digits.
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Notably, it is the third year in a row that Republicans have chosen a woman to deliver the Republican response to Biden’s State of the Union address.
Britt’s home state was thrown into the spotlight last month when the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling granting personhood rights to embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF), immediately impacting access to this fertility treatment. It also sent Republicans across the party’s ranks scrambling to take a position on the issue as Americans — who overwhelmingly support access to the treatment — looked on.
Her selection to deliver the Republican response — and newly passed legislation in Alabama to protect IVF — threw the issue back in the political spotlight.
Who is Katie Britt?
Britt, now 42, had never run for office before when she was elected to the Senate in 2022. She had held a powerful position representing Alabama businesses and had worked in Washington as chief of staff to Sen. Richard Shelby, helping with the confirmation of conservative judges.
Britt ran as a Christian conservative and during her campaign supported Alabama’s version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, arguing that “we need to get God back in our classrooms.” Britt also pledged to “finish President Trump’s wall,” at the southern border.
She is part of a cadre of young Republicans closely aligned with Trump — he called Britt a “fearless America First Warrior,” when he endorsed her in 2022. (Trump had originally endorsed her rival, but changed his mind as she outpaced her opponent in the polls.)
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Britt is the only Republican mom of school-aged kids in the Senate and, after she was elected, promised to be a “mama on a mission” in Washington. Britt talked about being a mom to two teenagers when advocating for a bill that she introduced alongside Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and two other lawmakers that would ban all children under the age of 13 from using social media and would require guardian consent for teens under the age of 18 to create an account.
Britt is one of dozens of Republicans who didn’t respond to a request for comment and repeated follow-ups from The 19th sent to every sitting member of Congress about where they stood on child care policy.
Reproductive rights
Abortion and reproductive rights took a prominent seat in the chamber this year, as Democrats center the fall elections on the impact of the Dobbs decision at the state and federal level. That impact includes IVF, which reproductive rights activists say is under threat due to abortion restrictions that could criminalize the destruction or even accidental loss of embryos created through IVF.
Democrats used the State of Union address to highlight the threat to IVF. First Lady Jill Biden brought Latorya Beasley, whose IVF treatment was disrupted by the Alabama court decision. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia was joined by Elizabeth Carr, the first person in the country to be born through IVF, as his guest. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s guest, Kate Farley, who is pregnant, credits IVF with helping her conceive.
Republicans’ choice of Britt could be the party’s attempt to counter Democrats’ messaging on IVF. Britt has described herself as “100 percent pro-life” and has described abortions in the later stages of pregnancy as murder. Britt also made headlines when Trump said during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he got a call from her about the issue following the Alabama court’s decision, leading him to later issue a statement supporting IVF and, implicitly, the destruction of frozen embryos.
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Her remarks
Britt delivered the Republican response from her kitchen, focusing on issues she said “real families are facing.” The Alabama senator quickly made mention of Biden’s age, saying he had “been in office longer than I’ve been alive.”
Britt spent a lot of time talking about the border and immigration, echoing Republican rhetoric about dangers posed by undocumented immigrants.
She spoke directly to fellow parents throughout her remarks — “in particular, to my fellow moms” — while highlighting concerns about the cost of living, foreign policy and public safety.
Britt briefly touched on reproductive rights and IVF, saying Republicans back nationwide access to the treatment, even as prominent GOP leaders say the issue is up to the states. “It’s why we strongly support continued nationwide access to in vitro fertilization,” she said. “We want to help loving moms and dads bring precious life into this world.”
Trump veepstakes
Britt is said to be a contender for Trump’s vice president, as some Trump allies encourage him to select a woman for the role. Thursday’s response could serve as an audition for the role.
“It will be interesting to see if Britt rises to the occasion. If she does, it will be a major step up in her potentially being Trump’s vice presidential candidate,” Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said during a talk radio interview Sunday.
