LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) 鈥 U.S. Sen. Katie Britt confided Tuesday that she counts some Democratic colleagues among her best friends in the Senate and said such cross-party relationships are essential to governing, especially as social media fuels widening political divisions.
During a visit to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's hometown, the first-term Alabama Republican also recounted how she carved out a unique role in the GOP conference as an adviser to McConnell and spoke about the need for U.S. strength to deter threats from foreign adversaries.
Nearly a month after of Democratic President Joe Biden for her party, Britt stressed the importance of treating people with respect 鈥 even when disagreeing with them on issues 鈥 in a speech at the University of Louisville.
鈥淗ow do we get back to that in this country, where you don鈥檛 actually have to agree with someone to show them respect?鈥 she said. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 society it is increasingly hard to have an open and honest dialogue with somebody else that maybe doesn鈥檛 share your viewpoint. I think it鈥檚 a disservice, both to our people as a nation and to the progress that we can make.鈥
McConnell introduced Britt to the audience and said she had 鈥渕astered a skill that still confounds some of my colleagues 鈥 you don鈥檛 have to agree with someone to work with them.鈥
Britt mentioned Democratic Sens. John Fetterman, Peter Welch and Cory Booker as among her 鈥済reatest friends鈥 in the Senate. And she pointed to the example set by her one-time boss, former Sen. Richard Shelby, and Democratic former Sen. Patrick Leahy.
鈥淭hey showed that you do not have to agree with someone to show them respect," Britt said, adding that social media has accelerated the divide, turning some people into more of a 鈥渟how horse than a workhorse.鈥
The country needs to have tough conversations to tackle a myriad of difficult issues, such as securing the nation's Southern border, reducing drug overdose deaths and making housing and child care more affordable, Britt said. Abroad, the country needs to confront threats from Russia, China and Iran 鈥 after the U.S.'s abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan 鈥渟ent shockwaves鈥 across the world, she said.
Britt didn't comment on the Republican rebuttal she gave in March to Biden's State of the Union that : She used a harrowing account of a young woman鈥檚 sexual abuse to attack Biden's border policies, but the rapes did not happen in the U.S. or during the Biden administration.
The 42 year-old mother of two, instead, recounted Tuesday how McConnell saw her discussions about motherhood as her strengths.
鈥淲hat I had seen as maybe a weakness -- not looking like everybody else, not being like everybody else, not having the pedigree of everyone else 鈥 was actually a strength,鈥 Britt said Tuesday.
The 82-year-old McConnell noted some things he has in common with the freshman senator 鈥 both are from Alabama, though the longtime Kentucky senator quipped he tries to 鈥渒eep that quiet up here.鈥 And both have been lampooned on 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥
鈥淚 know it's going to take a lot more than a few punches from the press to knock her down,鈥 he said.
