Washington — Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan will deliver the Democratic response to President Trump’s joint address to Congress next week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday.
“Nothing short of a rising star in our party — she’s dedicated her life to our country,” Schumer said in a post on X announcing the move. “She will layout the fight to tackle the deep challenges we face and chart a path forward.”
The president is set to speak before House and Senate lawmakers on Tuesday, March 4.
Slotkin was elected in November after representing Michigan in the House since 2019, and replaced long-serving Sen. Debbie Stabenow in the Senate. The 48-year-old is a former CIA officer who worked in national security roles in both the Bush and Obama administrations. And in the House, she was well known for her work across the aisle, pledging on the campaign trail to bring her bipartisan approach to the upper chamber.
Slotkin has often touted a strong belief in maintaining access to the middle class, calling it the “existential issue of our time,” as Democrats work to win back voters on economic issues.
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After her victory in the 2024 elections, Slotkin acknowledged that the Michigan voters elected her — and Mr. Trump. And while she’s pledged to get things done for all of her constituents, she hasn’t backed away from drawing a line when it comes to what she’s called “fundamental issues of democracy” and checks and balances.
Presidents typically address a joint session of Congress early on in their tenure to outline a vision or agenda, similar to the State of the Union addresses they deliver to lawmakers in subsequent years. Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, delivered the response to President Biden’s State of the Union address last year.
Slotkin said in a post on X following Schumer’s announcement that she’s “looking forward to speaking directly to the American people next week,” saying Americans expect “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 improves people’s lives in the country we all love, I look forward to laying that out,” Slotkin added.
