Britt talks border fears, economic woes in State of the Union rebuttal

(NewsNation) — Following the State of the Union, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., delivered the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s speech.

Britt isn’t well-known on the national stage, but the 42-year-old is the youngest female Republican elected to the Senate. The choice to have her give the address was, in part, to draw a contrast between Biden’s age and a younger, more energetic politician.

She took a folksy tone in her speech, saying “y’all” as she spoke seated in a kitchen to deliver the address.

She focused on key campaign issues Republicans have been pushing, including the border crisis, crime and the cost of living. She played on fears, especially addressing mothers and women directly, attempting to appeal from her own position as a mother.

Invoking traditional family values, Britt called her role as a wife and mother more important than her work as a senator and brought up the images of families around the kitchen table, a reference Biden also makes in his speeches.

“The country we know and love seems to be slipping away. It feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities – and less freedom – than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American dreams,” Britt said.

Britt spoke about Laken Riley, linking crime to the border crisis, calling America’s communities more dangerous and accusing Biden of defunding the police, though violent crime rates have dropped during the Biden administration.

 “Despite what he tells you, our communities are not safer. For years, the Left has coddled criminals and defunded the police — all while letting repeat offenders walk free,” Britt said.

Britt also called Biden’s economic plan a failure, hitting him with the classic Southern insult of “bless his heart” before pointing to the hurt of Americans who feel financial strain. While the Biden administration has made gains in reducing inflation and increasing jobs, many voters report their experiences of the economy don’t match the overall good outlook presented by economists. 

On foreign policy, Britt attacked Biden for failures during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, an effort first set in motion by former President Donald Trump during the end of his term. Britt also spoke strongly about supporting allies and decried actions from Iran and Russia, the latter a departure from Trump’s recent comments on Russian aggression.

Britt also accused Biden of failing to be in charge as the commander in chief, pointing to aggressive actions from Iran’s proxies and China’s efforts to undercut U.S. businesses and spy on the country.

She also called for support of in vitro fertilization, as the GOP has been working to combat the unexpected ramifications of an Alabama court decision that declared embryos were alive, leading some IVF clinics in the state to restrict services. 

Britt closed her speech with more appeals to parents and families, a reminder of America’s history and a call on voters to protect America from the Democrats.