Who Is Joe Kennedy III? Massachusetts Politician Rebuts Trump’s State Of The Union

Joe Kennedy III, a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, was chosen by the Democratic Party to deliver the rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The young politician’s surname comes from a famous family of politicians. Kennedy III is the grandson of former Attorney General and New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. He is the great-nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963 and long-time Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy. His father, Joe Kennedy II, also served in the House.

Kennedy III, 37, was elected to the House in 2012 and represents Massachusetts’ 4th district, stretching from the wealthy suburbs of Boston like Needham and Brookline down through more working and middle-class communities in Bristol County on the south coast.

“From health care to economic justice to civil rights, the Democratic agenda stands in powerful contrast to President Trump’s broken promises to American families. Deeply honored to be chosen to deliver the response to the State of the Union next week. Stay tuned for updates!” tweeted the Congressman after being asked to do the speech by Minority Leader of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“Congressman Kennedy is a relentless fighter for working Americans,” said Pelosi in a statement. “While President Trump has consistently broken his promises to the middle class, Congressman Kennedy profoundly understands the challenges facing hard-working men and women across the country. His leadership has been vital in educating a next-generation workforce, in creating good-paying manufacturing jobs and in expanding opportunities for the middle class.”

The Congressman, a vocal advocate for the LGBT community, invited transgender Army staff sergeant, Patricia King, to be his guest to the State of the Union. Kennedy III will not be there himself, however. He has chosen to give his rebuttal Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, according to the Herald News. The event will not be open to the public.

“My job in this is to try to articulate a Democratic vision for our country, one we can all share in,” Kennedy III said to the Herald News. “I’ll pose the question on whether this administration has been good for this country.”

Kennedy III has kept a relatively low profile since joining the House, lower than his last name might suggest. The rebuttal will be one his first debuts on a national stage. Kennedy III introduced his former Harvard law school professor Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, but his remarks were short.

Kennedy III has had some viral moments online — a speech he gave during attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year spread over the internet. He serves on the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Kennedy III attended Princeton and then joined the Peace Corps, he went to the Dominican Republic and is fluent in Spanish. He then received a law degree from Harvard University and became an assistant district attorney for the Massachusetts Cape and Islands Region and the Middlesex County before becoming a lawmaker.

Kennedy has indicated that he is not currently interested in running for any other office in a January interview with the Boston Globe before the rebuttal decision was announced.

“I don’t give a whole lot of thought or credence to questions about what comes on next, what goes on next,” he added. “My life is busy enough at the moment that I don’t even really know where I’m having lunch today.”

Kennedy III ranks as 22nd richest congressman, according to Roll Call with an estimated net worth of $18.64 million.

The representative resides in Newton, Massachusetts, with his wife Lauren Birchfield Kennedy and their two children.

Kennedy III was preceded by Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, who is most famous for the introducing a piece of legislation that became Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.