“Nikki Haley has led an economic turnaround and set a bold agenda for her state, getting things done and becoming one of the most popular governors in America,” Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement.
“In a year when the country is crying out for a positive vision and alternative to the status quo, Governor Haley is the exact right choice to deliver the Republican Address to the Nation,” Ryan added.
“Not only has Governor Haley fought to bring opportunity and prosperity to the people of her state, but she’s also demonstrated how bringing people together can bring real results,” he said in a statement.
Haley said she was honored to be asked to give the speech.
“This is a time of great challenges for our country, but also of great opportunities. I intend to speak about both,” she said in a statement.
Obama’s State of the Union speech is expected to hit on the topic of gun control in the wake of high-profile shootings last year in Charleston, Oregon and San Bernardino, Calif. Obama unveiled steps he plans to take unilaterally earlier in the day Tuesday at the White House.