Eastern Washington congresswoman prepares for biggest speech of life

>>>The State of the Union will be broadcast and streamed online on KIRO Radio LIVE Tuesday starting at 6 p.m.

Washington is in the spotlight Tuesday night following the President’s State of the Union speech. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers will give the GOP response.

It’s a big honor to rebut the president’s speech and a calculated choice by the House speaker and the Senate minority leader.

“It is not an accident that she is the only women in leadership in either the House or Senate on the Republican side and they’ve chosen her at a time the Republican party is reaching out to women,” said CBS News Capitol Hill Correspondent Bob Fuss.

The 5th district congresswoman, 44, is chair of the House Republican Conference. Fuss said she’s considered a loyal conservative, if not a major party leader, as fourth in command. Her speech Tuesday night could sound a lot like her comments at the 2012 national convention in Tampa where she said, “Unlike President Obama, I know that small businesses are the true engine of our economy, not the government.”

McMorris-Rodgers didn’t get an advance copy of the State of the Union address. But Washington Republican party chair Susan Hutchison said she will still have a good idea of the highlights.

“I understand that the president’s speech will try to cover up the debacle we know as Obamacare and I think one of the key things that she can do is tell the truth about Obamacare.”

While the president will undoubtedly talk about the economy, Hutchison said McMorris-Rodgers must narrow the focus.

“What we need to do as Republicans is remind our constituents throughout the country that the Republican Party is the party for jobs.”

McMorris-Rodgers holds the unusual distinction of being the only member of Congress to give birth three times while in office. Fuss said the party circulated a photo of her holding her infant daughter while practicing her speech.

“The fact that they released that picture and are promoting that picture suggests that they want to sort of say that we’re picking somebody who is a woman, who is a mother, who maybe can relate to some of the voters who we’ve had trouble reaching.”

It won’t be easy to score a touchdown with the rebuttal speech.

“A lot of people have not done well, both Democrats and Republicans because it’s very tough,” said Fuss. “I mean, the president is speaking before a joint session of Congress and you have this entire structure that makes them look strong and powerful and then, you come on afterward, alone in a room,” laughed Fuss.

Referencing last year’s State of the Union response, in which Florida Senator Marco Rubio awkwardly reached off camera for a drink of water, Hutchison offered a piece of advice.

“Make sure she’s got her water bottle close by.”

It was 15 years ago that the late Washington Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, along with Oklahoma’s Steve Largent, the Seahawks Hall of Fame receiver, gave the Republican response to the State of the Union.