U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, is becoming more and more the GOP’s go-to guy as leaders seek to put a fresh face on the party after the 2012 election.

Rubio was named Wednesday to give the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address next Tuesday.

And the former Florida House speaker will give the pre-planned response in both English and Spanish.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to discuss how limited government and free enterprise have helped make my family’s dreams come true in America,” Rubio stated in a release.

“Limited government and free enterprise are the very foundation of what makes America special and separates us from the world, particularly through our strong middle class. I look forward to laying out the Republican case of how our ideas can help people close the gap between their dreams and the opportunities to realize them.”

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., tapped Rubio to give the Republican address.

“Marco Rubio is one of our party’s most dynamic and inspiring leaders. He carries our party’s banner of freedom, opportunity and prosperity in a way few others can. His family’s story is a testament to the promise and greatness of America,” Boehner stated in a release.

“He’ll deliver a GOP address that speaks from the heart to the hopes and dreams of the middle class; to our party’s commitment to life and liberty; and to the unlimited potential of America when government is limited and effective.”

McConnell stated that Rubio “embodies the optimism that lies at the heart of the Republican vision for America.”

The Republican address will be broadcast on most CSPAN, most major cable and broadcast networks, and live-streamed on GOP.gov/SOTU.



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