Cathy McMorris Rodgers Will Give GOP State of the Union Response

First woman to deliver the official Republican response in over a decade

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House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R- Wash.) will deliver the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday.

A five-term congresswoman from Washington’s fifth district, McMorris Rodgers will be the first woman to deliver the official Republican response since Sen. Susan Collins (R—Maine) spoke along with then Sen. Bill Frist (R—Tenn.) in 2000.

In 2011, conservative icon Rep. Michele Bachmann (R—Minn.) delivered a State of the Union response on behalf of the Tea Party movement. This year’s Tea Party response will be offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R—Utah).

The selection of McMorris Rodgers, a Republican leader since 2009, could represent a tactical choice for a party that has drawn criticism in recent years over insensitive comments made about women.