U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotikin is giving the Democrat’s response to President Donald Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress on March 4.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called Slotkin “nothing short of a rising star” in the Democratic Party.
Schumer said she will “lay out the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face, and chart a path forward,” in response to Trump’s speech.
“I’m looking forward to speaking directly to the American people next week,” Slotkin said. “The public expects leaders to level with them on what’s actually happening in our country. From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that actually improves people’s lives in the country we all love, and I’m looking forward to laying that out.”
While Trump’s speech won’t be an official State of the Union address, the two speeches are almost identical and in keeping with U.S. presidential tradition. The first speech following inauguration is not called a State of the Union address because a president is unable to speak as to the “State of the Union” after being in office just a few weeks.
Slotkin, who represented Livingston County during her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, joins an impressive list of Michigan politicians who have delivered responses to the annual presidential speech.
2020 — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
1984 — Sen. Carl Levin
1982 — Sen. Donald Reigle
1970 — Sen. Phillip Hart
1972 — Rep. Martha Griffiths
1967 — Rep. Gerald Ford
1966 — Rep. Gerald Ford
