Alabama Sen. Katie Britt will give the Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union address next week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Thursday.

Britt, the youngest sitting senator at 42 years old, is the first Alabama lawmaker selected to give the response to the president’s address since the practice began in 1966.

“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to speak directly to my fellow Americans and have a candid conversation about the future of our nation,” Britt said in a statement. “The Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families, and I’m looking forward to putting this critical perspective front and center. There is no doubt that President Biden’s failed presidency has made America weaker and more vulnerable at every turn. At this decisive moment in our country’s history, it’s time for the next generation to step up and preserve the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren.”

Gov. Kay Ivey pointed out the historic moment in a tweet congratulating Britt:

Johnson contrasted Britt’s youth with Biden, the oldest president in the country’s history.

“Americans are struggling amid a border catastrophe, crushing inflation, an increasingly dangerous world, and fears about a President not up to the task. Against this backdrop, Senator Katie Britt will share her incredible story as the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the state of Alabama. As the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate, Katie is fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation,” the speaker said. “She is a champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all. 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.”

McConnell said Britt is “a leading voice” in the Senate despite only being in her first term.

“For three years, President Biden has tried to convince the American people to accept historic inflation, rampant crime, retreat on the world stage, and functionally open borders as the new normal. Next week, working families will hear a very different perspective,” he said. “Sen. Katie Britt is an unapologetic optimist, and as one of our nation’s youngest Senators, she’s wasted no time becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats’ failures behind.”