Senator Mike Lee will deliver the tea party’s response to the State of the Union address

◼ The Utah Republican will speak immediately after the traditional Republican response to the State of the Union, which begins after President Barack Obama’s address, the Tea Party Express said. - Politico

Lee was a key figure in last year’s government shutdown, when along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Lee advocated for a strategy on budget negotiations that would not pass a budget unless it defunded Obamacare. While the tactics drew criticism from Democrats and many mainstream Republicans, the pair became champions of the tea party movement.

The State of the Union is set for next Tuesday.