{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"AL\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/bam-fight-americas-republic-senator-josh-hawley-r-mo-joins-congressman-mo", "Bam! The Fight for America's Republic is On! Senator Josh Hawley (R, MO) Joins Congressman Mo Brooks' Effort to Block Untrustworthy Electoral College Votes!", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCWednesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised Senator Josh Hawley's (R, MO) announcement to object to untrustworthy electoral college submissions on January 6th.\nCongressman Brooks said, \"I thankSenator Hawley for joining dozens of Congressmen's fight for an honest and accurate election system that is the underpinning of America's Republic! With America's Republicat stake,we are fortunate to have leaders like Senator Hawley stand up and do what is right to ensure America remains the greatest nation in world history.\"\nBrooks continued,\"AsMissouri's former Attorney General,an experiencedlitigator,and renowned legal and constitutional scholar,Senator Hawley understands that Congress (not federal courts) is the final and ultimate judge, jury and arbiter of all contested federal elections.\"\nBrooks concluded,\"Too many states have blatantly violated Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, violated federal election statutes, or willfully failed to obey their own state election laws, thereby opening the door to massive voter fraud, casting of illegal ballots, and election theft. These combined failures render some states' election results untrustworthy. With a Senatecosponsornowjoiningthis fight, Congressmen and Senators will face an easy vote: you can either acquiesce to and support voter fraud and election theft, or you can stand and fight for an honest and accurate election system that is the underpinning of America's Republic. On January 6, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I choose to fight!!!\"\nSenator Hawley's December 30th statement follows:\n\"Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they were entitled to do so. But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same.\nI cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act.\nFor these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues.\"\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-votes-favor-cash-act-provide-2000-direct-stimulus-payments", "Rep. Sewell Votes in Favor of the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 in Direct Stimulus Payments", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020 to increase the amount of money struggling Americans receive in a second round of direct payments, from $600 to $2,000.\nSince May, House Democrats have worked diligently to pass several consecutive coronavirus relief packages to put money directly in the pockets of American families who are suffering because of this pandemic, said Rep. Terri Sewell. After months of obstruction, President Trump has finally indicated support for Democrats' proposal of a $2,000 direct payment per person. We now have an opportunity to deliver meaningful stimulus payments that will help support American families through this public health and economic crisis. Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans must now pass this legislation immediately. To ignore the needs of the American people during this great time of need would be shameful.\nThe CASH Act:\n \n\t\tIncreases the value of the economic impact payments (EIPs) provided in the end-of-year COVID relief package so that each eligible family member receives $2,000, up from $600.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tApplies the same, broader eligibility established in the end-of-year package to mixed-status families where one spouse has a Social Security Number (SSN). As specified in the latest COVID relief legislation, these families are eligible for the EIP amount for each family member with an SSN, and can claim the corresponding amount for the first round of economic impact payments when they file their 2020 taxes.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tBroadens eligibility for adult dependents, allowing more Americans to qualify for economic impact payments. Retroactively qualifies adult dependents for the CARES Act economic impact payments, which can be claimed on their 2020 tax filings.\n\t\n Text of the legislation is available HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-votes-house-democrats-and-republicans-override-president", "Rep. Sewell Votes with House Democrats and Republicans to Override President Trumps Veto of 2021 National Defense Authorization Act", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Chair of the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support, voted to override President Trump's veto of the William M (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA). The bipartisan, bicameral bill complies with the bipartisan budget agreement and authorizes $732 billion in discretionary spending for our national defense for FY 2021.\nIt is unconscionable that President Trump would oppose a bipartisan, bicameral bill that provides critical funding necessary to support our troops during this unprecedented time in our nation's history, said Rep. Terri Sewell. Today I voted with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to override the President's reckless veto and protect the lives and livelihoods of our brave military men and women, especially those in Alabama. Senate Democrats and Republicans must work together to override his veto and ensure Americans remain safe at home and abroad.\nRep. Sewell was selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in November  for the second time in a row  to serve on the conference committee tasked with working out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the NDAA. She worked diligently with her fellow conferees to secure key wins in the bill that include:\n \n\t\tAltering or Removing All Names and Symbols Honoring the Confederacy or Those Who Served Voluntarily With the Confederacy From All DOD Assets: The conference report establishes an independent commission to make binding recommendations to the Secretary of Defense for the modification or removal of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederacy from all assets of the Department of Defense.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tProviding A Pay Raise to the Troops: The conference report authorizes a 3.0 percent increase in basic pay for service members.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tAuthorizing Hazardous Duty Pay for Service Members in Harm's Way: The conference report authorizes the Secretary of Defense to standardize payment of hazardous duty pay for the uniformed services, including the members of the Guard and National Reserve. It also increases Hazardous Duty Pay from $250 to $275 per month.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tNo Backfill of the Military Construction Funds Taken for President's Border Wall: The conference report does not authorize any backfill of military construction funds taken for the President's border wall.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequiring Improvements in Military Housing: The conference report takes several steps to improve military housing, including updating minimum health and safety standards for all military base housing, repealing a provision that currently allows DOD to place families in substandard housing units, and requiring DOD to implement Comptroller General recommendations for improvement of military family housing.\n\t\n The bill also includes several provisions authored by Sewell, and those important to the 7th Congressional District:\nProvision on Aircraft\n \n\t\tAuthorizes $8.73 billion for 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, for modernization of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter fleets. Montgomery's 115th 187th Fighter Wings are scheduled to receive the F-35A in 2023.\n\t\n Diversity Requirements for DOD\n \n\t\tEstablishes a Chief Diversity Officer of the DOD and a Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusions for each Military Service, including the Coast Guard.\n\t\n Countering Racism and Extremism\n \n\t\tRequires the DOD Inspector General to establish a mechanism to track and report supremacist, extremist, and criminal gang activity in the Armed Forces.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires questions regarding racism, anti-Semitism, and supremacism be incorporated into DOD surveys; and requires a briefing on which surveys they will be included in.\n\t\n Other Provisions\n \n\t\tIncludes the Elijah Cummings Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination Act, passed by the House in January 2019, which strengthens equal employment opportunity protections for federal employees and strengthens prohibitions against discrimination and retaliation against whistleblowers.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tAuthorizes $20 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires the Secretary of Defense to partner with minority institutions of higher education to diversify the participants in the DOD's Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tEstablishes a mentoring and career counseling program at DOD with the goal of having the diversity of the population of officers serving in each branch reflect the diversity of the population of each armed force as a whole.\n\t\n Sale or Donation of Excess Department of Defense Personal Property for Law Enforcement Activities\n \n\t\tIncludes disaster-related emergency preparedness activities among law enforcement activities eligible to participate in the program; provides preference for disaster-related emergency preparedness-type equipment requests, and highest preference for high-water vehicle requests.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tProhibits transfer of bayonets, grenades (other than stun and flash-ban), weaponized tracked vehicles, and weaponized drones.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires annual training by participating law enforcement agencies in de-escalation of force, and respect for the rights of citizens under the Constitution of the United States.\n\t\n Addressing Climate Change\n \n\t\tRequires a report on the implementation of provisions from the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act related to installation master planning, updates to the Unified Facilities Criteria (building codes), sea-level rise modeling, and climate assessment tools.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tEstablishes an alternative fuel vehicle pilot program that will require the military department to expand their use of alternative fuel non-tactical vehicles to increase the use of hybrid and EV vehicles.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires DOD to invest in research and development of advanced water harvesting technologies that would aid in addressing water security issues in areas impacted by drought due to climate change.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires the military services to assess their water use at installations in regions experiencing water scarcity, maximize use of landscaping practices that reduce water usage, and improve their water conservation.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires DOD to submit a report on its greenhouse gas emissions for the last 10 years within 180 days of enactment.\n\t\n Provisions on Partners and Allies\n \n\t\tExpresses the Sense of Congress strongly reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and urging further cooperation with NATO on shared challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tEnhances authorities for the DOD to engage with our closest allies and partners, including those in the National Technology and Industrial Base (United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia) to ensure secure sources of materials critical to U.S. national security.\n\t\n Provisions on Europe and Russia\n \n\t\tPrevents reduction in the number of U.S. forces stationed in Germany below 34,500 until 120 days after the Secretary of Defense submits an assessment and planning regarding the implications for allies, costs, military families, deterrence, and other key issues. Also expresses the sense of Congress emphasizing the value of U.S. forces in Germany and the U.S.-German alliance.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tFully funds the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), and invests in additional capabilities that support deterrence in the European Command area of operations.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tProvides $250 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tEstablishes yearly reporting on any bounties or other attempts by the Russian Federation, its agents, or proxies to encourage or support attacks against U.S. troops or personnel in named operations or combat.\n\t\n Intelligence\n \n\t\tIncreases accountability of funds expended for DOD clandestine activities to support operational preparation of the environment.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tRequires a report on foreign malign influence campaigns on social media platforms targeting elections for federal office.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-votes-favor-emergency-coronavirus-relief-package-and-fy2021", "Rep. Sewell Votes in Favor of Emergency Coronavirus Relief Package and FY2021 Government Spending Bill", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of H.R. 133 and the Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus funding bill Monday to provide hospitals, workers, and families relief from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the government is funded through fiscal year 2021.\n\nIt's been more than eight months since Republicans have met Democrats at the negotiating table to provide our families, small businesses, frontline health care workers, and schools with the resources they need to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. While this bipartisan agreement is a compromise on many issues, this emergency funding cannot come soon enough to those struggling in Alabama and across the country from the devastating fallout of this virus, Rep. Sewell said. This bill is far from perfect, but Alabamians cannot wait any longer for relief. Once President-Elect Joe Biden is sworn in, Congress must consider a further relief package that includes more support for families, as well as essential resources for state and local governments struggling to support frontline employees, including our firefighters and police, and provide vital community resources.\n\nI am also glad that the House passed the bipartisan FY2021 Omnibus Spending bill to fund the government for next year. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to keep the government funded and open, said Rep. Sewell. This legislation includes additional funding for issues important to the 7th Congressional District, including health care, wastewater infrastructure, civil rights historic preservation, and our HBCUs.\n\nCritically, the H.R. 133 will provide $166 billion for economic impact payments, providing $600 stimulus direct payments per adult and child. These payments will be given to individuals making up to $75,000 a year and couples making up to $150,000 a year. This means a family of four would receive a payment of $2,400.\n\nH.R. 133 also:\n\n Extends the eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021, and provides $25 billion for emergency rental assistance.\n Extension of Unemployment Assistance through March 14, 2021, including a supplemental $300 per week payment.\n Provides $13 billion for increased SNAP food assistance, child nutrition benefits, and support for food banks.\n\nAlso included in H.R. 133 and the omnibus funding bill are five pieces of legislation that Rep. Sewell has sponsored to improve health care delivery in rural and underserved areas and bring economic opportunity to the 7th District:\n\n H.R. 1052, the Physician Assistant Direct Payment Act, allows physician assistants to be directly compensated by Medicare in order to expand their role as medical providers in underserved communities. Not only will this increase access to health care in underserved communities, but it also saves money.\n H.R. 8892, the Rural-Urban Physician Workforce Act of 2020, helps rural and urban hospitals partner to help produce the next generation of doctors and meet our community's health care needs.\n H.R. 1763, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, is partially included in the bill. Today's bill will add 1,000 new medical residency slots in 2021, increasing the number of trained doctors to meet growing demand. It will also help provide hospitals and health centers the tools they need to increase access, lower wait times for patients and create a pipeline of qualified medical professionals to serve Americans' health needs. This is the first addition of residency slots since 1997.\n The partial inclusion of Rep. Sewell's H.R. 1680, the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act, to extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) for 5 years, at an allocation level of $5 billion. The NMTC spurs private investment in low-income rural communities and urban neighborhoods by providing tax credits for private investments made in underserved communities.\n H.R. 5156, the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Extension Act, expands incentives for businesses across a range of industries to invest in state-of-the-art technologies to lower carbon emissions from existing power plants by extending the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture.\n\nIn addition to those listed above, H.R. 133 also includes the following provisions:\n\nHealth Care Provisions\n $20 billion for the procurement of COVID vaccines and therapeutics, $9 billion to the Center for Disease Control and States for vaccine distribution, and $3 billion to improve the strategic national stockpile.\n $22 billion to the States for COVID testing, tracing, and mitigation programs. This includes $2.5 billion for grants targeted to underserved, minority, and rural communities.\n $9 billion to support healthcare providers, $1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID research, and $4.5 billion for mental healthcare.\n\nBusiness Support\n $284 billion for the Small Business Administration for first and second forgivable PPP loans for small businesses. The bill also expands PPP eligibility for nonprofits and modifies the PPP program to better serve the smallest businesses and independent restaurants.\n $9 billion in emergency capital investments in Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions to support lending in low-income and persistent poverty counties. An additional $3 billion to the Community Development Financial Institution Fund to alleviate the economic impact on underserved low-income and minority communities.\n $13 billion to support struggling farmers, ranchers, and fisheries.\n Much needed funding for our transportation section, including $45 billion for public transit, buses, airports, and airlines.\n\nEducation, Childcare, and Student Loan Relief\n An extension of student loan forbearance through April 1st of next year.\n Expansion of Pell Grants to 500,000 new recipients.\n $82 billion for education funding, including $54.3 billion dedicated to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, $22.7 billion dedicated to the Higher Education Relief Fund, and $4.05 billion for the Governor's Fund. This includes $1.7 billion for HBCUs, tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions.\n $10 billion to support childcare providers through the CCDBG program, and $20 million for the Head Start program.\n\nAdditional Provisions\n Extension of the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund until December 31st, 2021 to give states and localities more flexibility to allocate emergency resources.\n $7 billion for broadband, including $3.2 billion to help low-income families afford broadband connectivity, and $250 million for telehealth.\n\nAnd below are some provisions and funding included in the FY21 Omnibus Bill important to Alabama's 7th Congressional District, including:\n\nHealth Care\n Ends surprise billing by ensuring patients are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts when patients cannot choose an in-network provider. Also prohibits certain providers from balance billing patients, and creates a new framework that protects patients and allows providers and insurers to resolve payment disputes without involving the patients.\n Extension of key Medicare programs, including funding for low-income Medicare beneficiary outreach, enrollment, and education activities, the Independence at Home demonstration, Medicare patient IVIG access demonstration project, and transitional coverage and retroactive Medicare Part D coverage for certain low-income beneficiaries.\n Increases the use of real-time benefit tools to lower Medicare beneficiary costs and requires Part D plan sponsors to implement real-time benefit tools (RTBT) that are capable of integrating with provider electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) and electronic health record (EHR) systems.\n Simplifies Medicare beneficiary enrollment and eliminates coverage gaps in Medicare by requiring that Part B insurance coverage begin the first of the month following an individual's enrollment and provides for a Part A and Part B Special Enrollment Period for exceptional circumstances to mirror authority in Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D.\n Extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) by five years. The demonstration tests the feasibility and advisability of establishing rural community hospitals to furnish covered inpatient hospital services to Medicare beneficiaries in states with low population densities. Participating hospitals are mostly paid using reasonable cost-based methodology instead of the inpatient prospective payment system.\n Ensures that state Medicaid programs cover nonemergency medical transportation to necessary services.\n Eliminates Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts to our hospitals.\n Creation of new voluntary Medicare payment designation that provides more flexibility to rural hospitals to access funding.\n\nTax and Trade\n 5 year extension of the New Markets Tax Credit.\n Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) special provision to allow taxpayers to refer to earned income in 2019.\n Reforms Tax Extender process to provide certainty for small businesses.\n Fix to USMCA Merchandise Processing Fee to support automakers.\n Re-established NADBank status to promote environmental clean-up and conservation efforts in North America..\n\nWorker and Family Support\n Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program through FY2021.\n Includes the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act.\n\nAgriculture\n $1.45 billion for rural water and wastewater program loans, and $620 million in water and wastewater grants.\n $730 million in broadband expansion for rural education and healthcare services. $635 million for the ReConnect rural broadband program.\n $1.4 billion for rental assistance for affordable housing for elderly and low-income families in rural communities.\n $6 billion for the WIC nutrition program and $114 billion for the SNAP food program.\n $1.824 billion for farm programs, including $5 million to heirs property farmland issues.\n\nCommerce, Justice, and Science\n $346 million for the Economic Development Administration, including $2 million for STEM apprenticeships.\n $48 million for the Minority Business Development Agency to support minority businesses around the country.\n $13.5 million for the Emmitt Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act.\n The creation of a new Task Force on Law Enforcement Oversight to be composed of representatives from the DoJ, law enforcement, labor, and community-based organizations to address alleged law enforcement misconduct.\n $3.385 billion for grants to state and local law enforcement, including $484 million for Byrne JAG, and$386 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.\n $513 million for Violence Against Women Act programs.\n $23 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).\n\nDefense\n 3% military pay raise for our service members.\n $335.5 million for the Department and Services' Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program.\n\nEnergy and Water\n $180 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission to promote economic development and critical infrastructure.\n\nFinancial Services\n $270 million for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) fund.\n $17 million for the Election Assistance Commission to increase support to state efforts to ensure security and accessibility of Federal elections.\n $33 million to the FCC to improve broadband mapping data.\n $778.9 million for the Small Business Administration.\n\nHomeland Security\n $2 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).\n $21.67 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including $17 billion for disaster response and recovery efforts.\n\nInterior\n $21.125 million to preserve the sites and stories of the Civil Rights Movement.\n $10 million to HBCUs for historic preservation.\n $9.24 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including $1.21 billion for the EPA Superfund and $12.5 million for Environment Justice Activities.\n\nLabor-HHS-Education\n $185 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $2.8 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants.\n $42.9 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including $80 million for research centers in minority institutions.\n $12.5 million for research on firearm violence prevention.\n $7.5 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), including $2.4 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program.\n $5.9 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, and $10.7 billion for the Head Start Program.\n $3.8 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).\n $62 million for the Office of Minority Health, and $35 million for the Office of Women's Health.\n $5 million for public-private partnerships to accelerate and improve the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease.\n $40.6 billion for K-12 education programs.\n An increase in the maximum Pell Grant to $6,495.\n $338 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including $2 million for the Center of Education Excellence.\n $1.1 billion for the TRIO Program.\n\nVeterans Affairs\n $90 billion for VA medical care, including $10.3 billion for mental healthcare, of which $313 million is for suicide prevention efforts.\n $3.18 billion to address the VA disability claims processing backlog.\n\nTransportation, Housing and Urban Development\n $1 billion for TIGER/BUILD grants and allows for cost-share waivers for grants in rural and persistent poverty areas.\n $49.6 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including $200 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.\n $3.5 billion for Community Development Block Grants.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-legislation-renaming-thomasville-post-office-honor-postmaster", "Rep. Sewell Legislation Renaming Thomasville Post Office in Honor of Postmaster Robert Ingram Signed Into Law", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced today that legislation she sponsored to honor the legacy of former Postmaster Robert Ingram by renaming the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 Nicol Avenue in Thomasville, Alabama, as the Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office was signed into law.\nPostmaster Ingram served the Thomasville community for over 30 years, first as a Marine and later as Postmaster, Rep. Sewell said. He was a beloved public servant who not only dedicated himself to his own job, but also to the training of new postmasters. The Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office is a fitting reminder of Mr. Ingram's immense impact on the community.\nThe family is deeply grateful for the recognition of Bob Ingram's commitment to and love for his community, said Mr. Ingram's son, Bobby Ingram. This acknowledgement will allow his legacy to continue for years to come.\nBob was a fixture in our community. Every man, woman, and child knew him, his warm smile and happy greeting every time he entered the Thomasville post office, said Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day. Bob was a true example of what it means to be a public servant, and this is a fitting tribute to the legacy of his humble and dedicated service to our city.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=27578223-EF81-48EE-88A0-A5704AB43EC0", "Shelby: Congress Passes FY21 Omnibus Appropriations Package to Fund Government and Provide COVID Relief", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on defense, today voted to pass a comprehensive appropriations package containing all 12 Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) spending bills and roughly $900 billion in additional COVID-19 relief for struggling Americans and businesses. The legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, was passed in the Senate by a vote of 92-6. The package was passed by the House of Representatives earlier today and will now head to the President's desk for his signature.\r\n\r\nThis is great news. I am pleased we swiftly advanced this package through Congress and on to the President's desk. The American people expect us to do our job, and funding the government, including the military, is our fundamental responsibility. This package not only includes FY21 appropriations bills, but it also provides COVID relief for struggling American families, workers, and businesses. This is paramount as our nation works to recover from the pandemic. This year has been unprecedented in a number of ways. Completing our work is all the more important, said Senator Shelby.\r\n\r\nThe COVID-relief portion of the package includes an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, funding for vaccine production and distribution, stimulus checks, and a temporary extension of a number of unemployment programs created by the CARES Act. Further, the legislation includes $7 billion for broadband development, including access to rural broadband and telehealth. A total of $13 billion is also provided to support farmers and agriculture impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, the legislation contains FY21 funding that supports Alabama in the areas of defense, aerospace, medical research, agriculture, and more.\r\n\r\nAlabama's skilled workforce has a far-reaching impact on the entire nation. The funding in this appropriations package shows just that  that Alabama remains at the forefront and leads in many areas, such as missile defense, space exploration, medical research, and manufacturing, to name a few, said Senator Shelby. This legislation makes certain that Alabama will remain a major player on the national stage. I look forward to its lasting influence on our state and our nation. \r\n\r\nThe package contains the following provisions impacting Alabama from the respective Appropriations subcommittees:\r\n\r\nAgriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies:\r\n\r\n \r\n$175 million for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations; including language to exempt watershed projects that impact areas greater than 250,000 acres, which helps expand irrigation agriculture projects in Alabama.\r\nProvides funding to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which supports current research initiatives at Auburn University:\r\n\r\n$4 million for aquaponics system development;\r\n$5 million to combat cotton blue disease;\r\n$3 million for advanced poultry production technology development;\r\n$2 million for advancing efficiency of forage-based beef production;\r\n$1.5 million for alternative technologies for poultry waste utilization;\r\n$1.2 million to study harmful algal bloom impact on aquaculture;\r\n$1 million for dietary manipulation to improve gut health in broiler production;\r\nMaintains funding for foodborne pathogens and shrimp production research; and\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n$1.5 million for the establishment of a center of excellence for Animal Health and Agro-Bio Defense science, which Auburn University supports through the development of the National Bio and Agro-Defense facility.\r\n \r\n \r\n$3 million in grant funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to develop a new pilot program to assist statewide departments of agriculture and forestry commissions, including the Alabama Forestry Commission, in controlling the spread of cogongrass.\r\n$1 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop research, education, and outreach partnerships with academic institutions to study and promote seafood safety, which will benefit ongoing research at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.\r\n$5 million for Rural Development to coordinate with Southeastern universities on a pilot program to develop innovative rural wastewater treatment solutions for communities with untreated sewage issues, such as the Black Belt region of Alabama.\r\n \r\n\r\nCommerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies:\r\n\r\nDepartment of Commerce:\r\n \r\n$34.5 million to support staffing and operations at the National Water Center (NWC), which is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.\r\n$15 million for the establishment of a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute to help NOAA and the National Water Center address the nation's growing water-related challenges.\r\n$2.5 million to conduct an independent population assessment of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico.\r\n$7 million to ensure successful implementation of Reef Fish Amendment 50, which delegates the federal management of red snapper to the Gulf Coast states.\r\n$2.6 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement and enforce the Seafood Import Monitoring Program.\r\n \r\n\r\nDepartment of Justice:\r\n \r\n$566 million for FBI construction, which supports ongoing and growing efforts in Huntsville.\r\n \r\n\r\nNASA:\r\n \r\n$6.5 billion for space exploration, which includes $2.6 billion for the Space Launch System (SLS) program and $850 million for the Human Landing System, both of which are managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and are critical to the development and sustainment of the nation's human exploration goals.\r\n \r\n\r\nEnergy and Water Development:\r\n\r\nArmy Corps of Engineers:\r\n \r\n$50 million for the operations and maintenance of Donor and Energy Transfer Ports, which benefits the Port of Mobile.\r\n$5 million for the Regional Sediment Management Program, which benefits research conducted at the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa related to enhancing forecasting capabilities and coastal resilience.\r\n$8.55 million for the Coastal Inlet Research Program, which supports collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Water Center to address coastal resilience needs, measure coastal forces, and improve terrestrial and coastal modeling.\r\n$6.2 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to continue research on the impact of reduced lock operations on riverine fish, which is in collaboration with Auburn University.\r\n \r\n\r\nDepartment of Energy:\r\n \r\n$25 million for EPSCoR program, which provides federal support for sustainable and competitive energy research in eligible states and territories.\r\nProvides funding for the National Carbon Capture Center, which is located in Wilsonville, Alabama.\r\n \r\n\r\nIndependent Agencies:\r\n \r\n$30 million for the Delta Regional Authority, including $15 million for flood control projects, basic public infrastructure development, and transportation improvements.\r\n$180 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, including $55 million for the POWER Initiative that provides federal funding to help communities and regions affected by job losses in coal mining and coal power plant operations.\r\n \r\n\r\nInterior, Environment, and Related Agencies:\r\n\r\n \r\n$25 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service to combat Asian Carp and enhance efforts in sub-basins of the Mississippi River, which includes key areas of Alabama in the Tennessee and Cumberland basins.\r\n$2 million for downed timber research, which supports work conducted at Auburn University.\r\n$25.5 million increase for U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources for staffing related to the Hydrologic Instrumentation facility, which is co-located at the University of Alabama.\r\n \r\n\r\nLabor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies:\r\n\r\n \r\n$42.9 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $1.25 billion above FY20 funding level. This funding will help increase and build on the $350 million that Alabama universities received in FY20 for medical research.\r\n$6.56 billion for the National Cancer Institute(NCI), an increase of $119.4 million from FY20.\r\n$45 million to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIHMD) for chronic disease centers, which supports research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).\r\n$855.4 million for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), an increase of $22.5 million.\r\n$586.8 million for Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), an increase of $18.8 million from FY20, which continues funding for a $50 million CTSA award at UAB.\r\n$10 million in grant funding for Regional Pediatric Pandemic Network for Children's Hospitals.\r\n$40 million in targeted funding for Regional Biocontainment Laboratories to test FDA-approved drugs.\r\n$1.68 billion in funding for Community Health Centers, an increase of $57.3 million, which will help fund 126 community health centers in rural areas across Alabama.\r\n$350 million in grant funding for Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education, an increase of $10 million, which will increase Pediatric residencies at Children's & Women's Hospital in Mobile and Children's of Alabama in Birmingham.\r\n$24.8 million for Poison Control Centers, an increase of $2 million, which supports Alabama's Poison Control Center located in Birmingham and is affiliated with Children's of Alabama.\r\n$35 million in continued funding for Department of Labor Workforce Opportunities in the Delta Regional Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission regions, an increase of $5 million, which funds workforce development initiatives throughout the state.\r\n$185 million for industry recognized apprenticeship grants, an increase of $10 million, allowing Alabama's Community College system the ability to tailor programs directly with employers for enhanced training and certifications.\r\n$440 million for charter schools, which continues to fund University Charter School in Livingston, Alabama,and could potentially expand charter schools throughout the state.\r\n \r\n\r\nTransportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies:\r\n\r\n \r\n$30 million for Alabama's Northern Beltline of the Appalachian Development Highway System.\r\n$1 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, which provides federal investment to support road, rail, transit, and port projects.\r\n$1 billion for the INFRA grant program, which provides federal funding for highway and freight projects of national and regional significance.\r\n$18 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provides assistance for Alabama airports, including:\r\n\r\nGrants-in-aid for airports;\r\nContract towers;\r\nResearch for advanced materials and structural safety;\r\nResearch on airfield pavement; and\r\nAviation workforce grants.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDefense / Homeland Security / Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: \r\n\r\nImpacting the Wiregrass region:\r\n \r\n$1.2 billion for flight training at Fort Rucker to address the Army pilot shortage.\r\n \r\n$717.9 million for Future Vertical Lift research, which will accelerate the development of helicopters flown at Fort Rucker, and an additional $90.5 million to accelerate the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft.\r\n \r\n$48 million for United States Coast Guard MH-60T sustainment.\r\n$131 million to upgrade the MH-60 series helicopters.\r\n$578 million for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles.\r\n$196 million for Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGMs).\r\n$470 million for Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSMs) and $134 million for Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs).\r\n$91 million for Hellfire missiles, which are made in Troy and used for training at Fort Rucker.\r\n$200 million for Javelin missiles for the Army and Marine Corps.\r\n \r\n\r\nImpacting North Alabama:\r\n \r\nArmy Research  $13.9 billion, an increase of $1.4 billion from FY20, for investments in transformational technologies to address modern and future Army warfighting needs.\r\nMissile Defense  $10.46 billion for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which is located in Huntsville, to ensure support for urgent MDA unfunded priorities such as space sensors, hypersonic defense, and cybersecurity.\r\nHypersonic weapons fully funds Army hypersonic research, which is an increase of $461.4 million above the FY20 enacted level, as well as an additional $60 million to develop a common hypersonic glide body and $47 million to advance hypersonic testing infrastructure.\r\nCyber  $430 million to support the Department of Defense's 5G program.\r\n \r\n\r\nImpacting Anniston:\r\n \r\n$19 million for Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness for capital improvements and infrastructure modernization, including $10.6 million for high priority maintenance and operational requirements for the Federal Incident Workforce Academy.\r\n \r\n \r\n$125 million for Hydra rockets, which are built in Anniston and fired from Army and Marine Corps helicopters.\r\nFunding for Army vehicles overhauled and maintained at Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), including:\r\n\r\n$968 million to continue upgrading and modernizing the M1 Abrams tanks;\r\n$1.1 billion for Stryker vehicle upgrades;\r\n$463 million for Paladin Integrated Management artillery vehicles; and\r\n$188 million for a Demilitarization Facility at Anniston Army Depot.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nImpacting Mobile's shipbuilding industry:\r\n \r\nOne additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship with increased medical capabilities, as well as $50 million to explore autonomous proficiencies for existing EPF ships.\r\nAn additional $500 million for LHA-9, an amphibious assault ship.\r\n \r\n\r\nOther miscellaneous items: \r\n \r\n$11.6 million for a new F-35 Simulator Facility at Montgomery Regional Airport Base.\r\n$18 million for a Demilitarization Facility at Anniston Army Depot.\r\n$34 million for the Secret Service's National Computer Forensics Institute, located in Hoover, to expand training opportunities for state and local law enforcement and legal and judicial professionals in computer forensics and cyber investigations.\r\n$15 million for the Department of Homeland Security's Explosive Detection Canine Program, which was developed in collaboration with Auburn University.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-floor-speech-quotes-2005-jimmy-carter-james-baker", "Congressman Mo Brooks Floor Speech Quotes 2005 Jimmy Carter & James Baker Report Forewarning America of the 3 Systemic Election Flaws that 2020 Socialist Democrats Exploited to Steal Elections", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) gave his eighth House Floor speech in his series on the presidential election, voter fraud, and election theft. In today's remarks, Congressman Brooks focused on the 105 page report of the bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform co-chaired by Democrat President Jimmy Carter and Reagan White House Chief of Staff James Baker that specifically forewarned America of the very same systemic election flaws the Socialist Democrats used in 2020 to steal elections.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my 8th speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft and the presidential election.\nThere are three majorflaws in America's elections that Socialist Democrats exploit to steal elections.\nFirst, voting by illegal aliens and other noncitizens is rampant because Socialist Democrats made it illegal to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens demand to be registered to vote.\nIn 2020, hundreds of thousands, and more likely, millions, of illegal aliens and other noncitizens illegally voted for Joe Biden after he promised them amnesty and citizenship if he is elected president.\nSecond, vote by mail schemes are both horribly prone to voter fraud and are illegal because they violate Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution and Congress's ensuing designation (with minor exceptions) of one 24-hour day as the Election Day during which citizens can vote.\nYet, in 2020, Socialist Democrats foisted vote by mail schemes on America in order to more easily engage in voter fraud and election theft.\nThird, the lack of photo ID voter requirements makes it easier for paid Socialist Democrat election thieves to steal elections with voter impersonators.\nWhile Socialist Democrats and the Fake News Media repeatedly and falsely claim there was no voter fraud in 2020, what is most startling is this: America was warned 15 years ago that this would happen!\nIn 2005, a bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform co-chaired by Democrat President Jimmy Carter and Reagan White House Chief of Staff James Baker issued a 105 page report specifically warning about the very same systemic flaws the Socialist Democrats used in 2020 to steal elections.\nThe Commission's report warns, Elections are the heart of democracy. If elections are defective, the entire democratic system is at risk.\nConcerning noncitizen voting, the Commission warned of a growing non-citizen voting threat, citing 784 noncitizen votes in a contested California Congressional race.\nThe Commission recommended that, all states should use their best efforts to obtain proof of citizenship before registering voters. Of course, that means repealing the Socialist Democrat law that makes it illegal for voter registrars to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens demand to be registered to vote.\nConcerning vote by mail schemes, the Commission warned that Vote by mail is  likely to increase the risks of fraud and of contested election, adding that it remain(s) the largest source of potential voter fraud [because it] is vulnerable to abuse in several ways: Blank ballots mailed to the wrong address or to large residential buildings might get intercepted. Vote buying schemes are far more difficult to detect when citizens vote by mail.\nThe Commission recommended minimizing voting by mail.\nOn voter ID, the Commission warned that the lack of photo ID opens the door to voter fraud and strongly recommended a photo ID requirement for voters, noting that Photo IDs currently are needed to board a plane, enter federal buildings, and cash a check, [that] [v]oting is equally important, [and that] [v]oters in nearly 100 democracies use a photo identification card without fear of infringement on their rights.\nThe Commission recommended that, [C]itizens should identify themselves as the correct person on the registration list when they vote.  The problemis not the magnitude of the fraud. In close or disputed elections, and there are many, a small amount of fraud could make the margin of difference.\nHow prophetic!\nMr. Speaker, America's republic is only as good as its election system.\nOn January 6, 2021, I have a choice. I can ignore truth, surrender to Socialism, and accept electoral college submissions from states with election systems so badly flawed as to render their vote submissions unreliable, untrustworthy, and unworthy of acceptance.\nOr I can fight for America and move to reject them.\nI can't speak for anyone else but, as for me, Mo Brooks of Alabama's 5th Congressional District, I choose to fight for America!\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-leads-18-colleagues-sending-letter-house-senate", "Congressman Mo Brooks Leads 18 Colleagues in Sending Letter to House & Senate Leadership Seeking Election Fraud Hearings Ahead of January 6th Electoral College Vote Submissions", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05), joined by 18 House Conservative colleagues, sent an investigation and hearings request letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and various House and Senate committee chairs. Under the Constitution and federal statutes, Congress is responsible for resolving all federal election contests for President, the Senate and the House. The letter requests the recipients do their jobs and conduct voter fraud and election theft hearings and investigations so that Congressmen and Senators will be better informed when Congress faces contests and questions about the legitimacy and validity of various federal elections held on November 3, 2020.\nSigners of the letter: Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05), Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-03), Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07), Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Congressman Ted Budd (NC-13), Congressman Lance Gooden (TX-05), Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Congressman Bob Gibbs (OH-07),Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05), Congressman Gregory Steube (FL-17), Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10), Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-16), Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Congressman Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Congressman Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-25).\nClick HERE to view the letter.\nFull text of the letter follows:\nDecember 16, 2020\n\n\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell\nSenate Majority Leader\n317 Russell Senate Office Building\nWashington, DC 20510\n\nThe Honorable Lindsey Graham\nChairman\nCommittee on the Judiciary\nUnited States Senate\n224 Dirksen Senate Office Building\nWashington, DC 20510\n\nThe Honorable Roy Blunt\nChairman\nCommittee on Rules and Administration\nUnited States Senate\n260 Russell Senate Office Building\nWashington, DC 20510\n\nThe Honorable Ron Johnson\nChairman\nHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee\nUnited States Senate\n340 Dirksen Senate Office Building\nWashington, DC 20510\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi\nSpeaker of the House of Representatives\n1236 Longworth House Office Building\nWashington, DC 20515\n\nThe Honorable Jerrold L. Nadler\nChairman\nCommittee on the Judiciary\nU.S. House of Representatives\n2138 Rayburn House Office Building\nWashington, DC 20515\n\nThe Honorable Zoe Lofgren\nChairperson\nCommittee on House Administration\nU.S. House of Representatives\n1309 Longworth House Office Building\nWashington, DC 20515\n\nThe Honorable Carolyn Maloney\nChairwoman\nOversight and Reform Committee\nU.S. House of Representatives\n2157 Rayburn House Office Building\nWashington, DC 20515\n\nDear Leader McConnell, Chairman Blunt, Chairman Graham, Chairman Johnson, Speaker Pelosi, Chairperson Lofgren, Chairman Nadler, and Chairwoman Maloney:\nConstitution Article I, Section 4 (the Election Clause) empowers Congress to set the times, places and manner of elections involving federal elected officials. State legislatures are similarly empowered to set the times, places and manner of elections provided they do not conflict with the laws of Congress.\nThere are countless incontestable examples wherein governors, election officials, and judges altered states' election procedures in violation of the Constitution's Election Clause, in conflict with Congressional acts setting the times, places and manner of elections, and in conflict with legislative acts similarly setting the times, places and manner of elections.\nWhat is unknown is the exact extent to which these violations of Article I, Section 4 illegally affected and altered federal elections within various states.\nConstitution Article 1, Section 5 empowers the House and Senate to be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members.\nUnited States Code Title 3, Chapter 1 states the process by which electoral college electors' votes are communicated to Congress and the procedures by which Congress accepts or rejects states' electoral college vote submissions (3 U.S.C. 15).\nThe sum and substance of the above Constitutional and statutory provisions is that Congress is the final and ultimate judge, jury and arbiter of all contested Congressional, Senatorial, and Presidential elections.\nThe House of Representatives has already received notice of, and shall be the Judge of, an election contest in Iowa.\nSimilarly, the presidential election has been the subject of dozens of lawsuits alleging voter fraud, illegal voting, and election theft which, on January 6, 2021, may or will be the subject of extensive floor debate as Congress determines whether to accept or reject various states' electoral college vote submissions.\nTo date, and as would be expected because federal elected office contest duties lie with Congress, federal courts and the Supreme Court have had no trials on, no substantive evidentiary hearings on, and declined to rule on the merits of numerous voter fraud, illegal voting and election theft allegations in dozens of lawsuits.\nAmerica's republic is dependent on the actual and perceived honesty and accuracy of the elections which are the underpinning of all republics.\nInasmuch as it is inevitable that Congress will face one or more election contests, likely to include that for President of the United States, we, the undersigned, request that your committees do their jobs on behalf of our country and immediately and without delay hold all evidentiary and other hearings necessary to fully investigate and probe the anomalies of the 2020 general election so that Congressmen and Senators will be fully informed as we face contests and questions about the legitimacy and validity of all federal elections held on November 3, 2020.\nThis request has particular urgency due to federal law mandating that all objections to the receipt of various state electoral college vote submissions be made on January 6, 2021.\nTherefore, we ask that you immediately convene and hold hearings that:\n1. probe all allegations of illegal conduct concerning the November 3, 2020 elections.\n2. investigate systemic problems affecting our elections.\n3. hear from election experts to explore legislative solutions that lessen the impact of fraudulent and illegal votes and restores faith that America can hold a free and fair election.\nWe look forward to your prompt action on these matters that are critical to America's continued existence as a republic.\nSincerely,\n\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-7th-floor-speech-election-theft-quotes-election", "Congressman Mo Brooks 7th Floor Speech on Election Theft Quotes Election Theft Expert Detailing How He Steals Elections", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Wednesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) gave his seventh House Floor speech in his series on the presidential election, voter fraud, and election theft. In today's remarks, Congressman Brooks expands on quotes by a professional Democrat election theft expert's description of how he steals elections by paying for votes at homeless shelters, paying his theft team to fill out ballots at elder care facilities, and paying imposters to cast counterfeit votes at poll locations that do not require photo ID.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\n\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my seventh speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft and the presidential election.\nToday, I continue citing an August 29, 2020 New York Post expose that reveals the sordid underbelly of voter fraud and election theft that plague American elections.\nThe New York Post, after confirming a Democrat election thief expert's rap sheet and long history working as a consultant to various campaigns, reveals his stunning election theft strategies and view that (election) fraud is more the rule than the exception.\nThe Democrat election theft expert steals elections at nursing homes, stating: Hitting up assisted-living facilities and helping the elderly fill out their absentee ballots was a gold mine of votes  There are nursing homes where the nurse is actually a paid operative.  [They] literally fill (the ballot) out for them.\nThe Democrat election theft expert steals elections by exploiting weak voter identification laws.\n[T]he (Democrat election theft expert) would send operatives to vote  in polling stations, particularly in states like New Jersey and New York that do not require voter ID.\nThe Democrat election theft expert describes how he deploys his election theft team: You fill out these index cards with that person's name and district and you go around the city and say, You're going to be him, you're going to be him,'  At the polling place, the fake voter would sign in, and  vote, The impostors  recreate the signature that already appears in the voter roll as best they could. In the rare instance that a real voter had already signed in and cast a ballot, the impersonator would just chalk it up to an innocent mistake and bolt.\nThe Democrat election theft expert steals elections at homeless shelters, which (offer) a nearly inexhaustible pool of reliable  buyable  voters,  laughing at the roughly $174 per vote Mike Bloomberg spent to win his third mayoral term. He said he could have delivered the same result at a 70 percent discount.\nMr. Speaker, voter fraud and election theft increasingly rot at the foundation of America's republic: our elections.\nVoting by illegal aliens and other noncitizens is rampant and flipping elections because Socialist Democrats have made it illegal to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens demand to be registered to vote.\nThis year, at a minimum, hundreds of thousands, and more likely, millions, of illegal aliens and other noncitizens voted after Joe Biden openly promised amnesty and citizenship if elected president.\nVote by mail schemes are both horribly prone to voter fraud and illegal because they violate Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution and Congress's ensuing designation (with minor exceptions) of one 24-hour day as the Election Day during which citizens can vote. Congress could have but did not create an election week, an election month, or an election season.\nMr. Speaker, the overwhelming, compelling, and irrefutable evidence compels but one conclusion: if only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens are counted, Donald Trump won the electoral college.\nIn 1776 American patriot Thomas Paine said it best:\nTHESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.\nI urge all American patriots to join the fight for America and against dictatorial Socialism. Why? Because America is worth fighting for!\nAs such, on January 6, 2021, provided the required one senator joins me, I will move to reject electoral college submissions of all states whose election systems are so badly flawed as to render their vote submissions unreliable, untrustworthy, and unworthy of acceptance.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/tomorrow-rep-sewell-host-tele-town-hall-discuss-covid-19-unemployment", "TOMORROW: Rep. Sewell to Host Tele-Town Hall to Discuss COVID-19, Unemployment Claims, FEMA Benefits and More", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MEDIA ADVISORY for TOMORROW Tomorrow, Thursday, December 17 at 6:30 pm CT, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) will host state and local leaders for a tele-town hall to discuss the issues most important to Alabama's 7thCongressional District.\nJoining Rep. Sewell will be:\n \n\t\tDr. Mary McIntyre,Chief Medical Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health\n\t\n\t\n\t\tDavid Hicks,Deputy Director, Jefferson County Health Department\n\t\n\t\n\t\tFitzgerald Washington,Alabama Secretary of Labor\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSuzanne Darden,Finance Specialist, Small Business Development Center of Alabama\n\t\n\t\n\t\tAllan Jarvis,Federal Coordinating Officer, FEMA Region IV\n\t\n Rep. Sewell and her guests will discuss the most recent COVID-19 government relief bill, the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, unemployment claims, small business resources, FEMA resources available to Alabamians impacted by Hurricane Zeta. Rep. Sewell and participants will also answer questions directly from residents living in the 7th District.\nSign up to receive a free call atwww.sewell.house.govor by following thislink. If your call does not come through, you can call-in at this toll free number: 877-353-4701.\nDetails for Thursday, December 17, 2020:\nWHAT:Tele-Town Hall\nWHEN:6:30 p.m. CT\nWHERE:Sign up for a free call atwww.sewell.house.govor by following thislink", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/the-electoral-college", "The Electoral College", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "When the members of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 debated how to pick the executive, several options were considered. Some wanted the people to directly elect the president, while others distrusted the people to know enough about the candidates to make that important decision on their own. After all, the election would be held across the entire nation, and with the problems of communication in 18th century America it would be difficult for individual citizens to know enough to make an informed decision about candidates who lived nowhere near them.\nBut the Framers wanted the voters to play a role, and they compromised by giving the decision to electors equaling the number of representatives and senators for each state and empowering the legislatures of the states, whose members were and are popularly elected, to select the manner of appointing those electors. So you and I don't vote for the president directly. Our state's electors do. While early on several state legislatures opted to pick the electors themselves, in modern times all state legislatures have voted to have their electors chosen by popular vote.\nThis week those electors met in their respective states and casttheir votes. The press reports Vice President Joe Biden received 306 votes and President Trump, my candidate, received 232 votes. Press reports also indicate that in several states where the electors chose Biden, separate groups claimed to be the actual electors and voted for President Trump.\nThere has been a lot of discussion and dozens of audits, recounts, and lawsuits as to who were the legally chosen electors in those states. Despite the hype in the media that these efforts challenging the initial election calls in several states undermine our system, the Electoral Count Act of 1887 actually provides for a time period for such actions. Former Vice President Al Gore took advantage of this time period in 2000, challenging the election until mid-December. Democrats challenged the Ohio electors pledged to President Bush in 2004, and many Democrats fought through the counting of the vote before a joint session of Congress in 2017, when President Trump was elected. They even challenged the votes from Alabama. Democrats have normalized post general election fights over presidential results.\nI supported the Trump team's efforts to get a fair and accurate count of all legal votes. I joined in a friend of the court brief, along with 125 members of Congress, supporting the last ditch effort by Texas and other states, including Alabama, to get the Supreme Court to look into the fact that in several states a person or group other than the state legislature modified election laws ostensibly to accommodate voters in the middle of a pandemic. Whatever the motivation for those modifications, they couldn't be made by anyone other than the state legislatures; secretaries of state, state supreme courts, election commissions and even governors cannot do that under the Constitution. Rather than rule on the merits, the Court dismissed the case because, it said, the states didn't have standing to bring the suit. None of President Trump's Supreme Court appointees dissented.\nThe last step in the process, as spelled out by the Twelfth Amendment, is for the electors' votes to be counted formally in a joint session of the new Congress on January 6, presided over by Vice President Pence. The Electoral Count Act allows one or more members of the House or Senate to object to a given state's electors, but only if at least one member of the other house joins in the objection in writing. Then each house votes on the objection. Democrats tried that in 2000, 2004 and 2016 but failed. \nMy friend and colleague Mo Brooks from Huntsville has said he intends to object to the electoral votes of five states that voted for Biden, but he will have to convince a senator to join with him. So far, with only three weeks left, no senator or senator-elect has agreed to do so. The other hurdle he faces is a Democrat majority in the House that will not vote to take away Biden votes and at least ten Republican senators who have said Biden is the winner.\nAs I will no longer be a member of the House on January 6, I won't be voting on any objection. But I will be a citizen and I believe it's important for all of us to respect the system we follow in selecting a president, set in our Constitution and the Electoral Count Act. That system has served us well for over 200 years and will continue to do so. I will honor our system and our laws by accepting the election results as counted by Congress. I hope we all will.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pandemic-worsens-reps-sewell-reed-introduce-legislation-expand-new", "As Pandemic Worsens, Reps. Sewell, Reed Introduce Legislation to Expand New Markets Tax Credit to Spur Economic Investment", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Tom Reed (NY-23) introduced the New Markets Stabilization Act today, bipartisan legislation that will preserve access to the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) for underserved communities and ensure the credit continues to spur economic revitalization as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis continues.\nHistorically underserved communities have faced tremendous economic hardship this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. As the economic crisis continues, it's critical that we expand the New Markets Tax Credits to help ensure our rural and underserved communities are not left behind,Rep.Sewell said.The New Markets Stabilization Act expands the credit and improves market efficiency and liquidity, which will facilitate additional investments in local businesses and community development projects. Rural and persistent poverty areas have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and, now more than ever, it's critical that we incentivize investment in our communities that are struggling to hang on. The NMTC has a proven track record of creating jobs and opportunities in the 7th Congressional District, and I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to help ensure the credit can be utilized in our communities' economic recovery.\nCOVID-19 has impacted every corner of our economy, especially traditionally underserved communities and the financial organizations that support them. Given the critical role New Market Tax Credits can play in driving economic recovery and reducing poverty, it is only fair that we move to stabilize the program and provide investors with the additional flexibility they need to further incentivize emergency relief initiatives,said Rep. Reed.\nThe bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Sewell authorizes significant new assistance through the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) to low-income communities that are often left out of the economic mainstream and are now coping with the health and economic consequences of the pandemic,said New Markets Tax Credit Coalition Spokesperson Bob Rapoza.From rural communities and urban neighborhoods, and everywhere in between, the additional $4.5 billion in NMTC authority championed by Congresswoman Sewell in this pandemic relief legislation, including provisions to make it easier to serve businesses and projects hardest hit in this economic and health crisis, will help provide the investment and patient capital needed to rebuild and grow.\nTo be eligible for NMTC financing, businesses being financed must, at a minimum, be located in designated low-income communities, defined by U.S. Census data as census tracts with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent, or with median family incomes that do not exceed 80 percent of area median income.\nSpecifically, the New Markets Stabilization Act will:\n Increase the NMTC allocation by $4.5 billion over four years;\n\tAllow investors to carryback these credits for five years;\n\tExempt the NMTC from the 75 percent General Business Credit limitation;\n\tProvide relief from certain debt modification rules for NMTC issuers and borrowers; and\n\tPermanently exempt the credit from the alternative minimum tax.\n These provisions will ensure investor liquidity and strong demand for New Markets Tax Credits throughout our economic recovery, ultimately increasing investment and maximizing the benefit to low-income communities.\nReps. Sewell and Reed have also introduced legislation to make the NMTC permanent. Without congressional action, the NMTC will expire on December 31, 2020.\nAlabama's 7th District has experienced the power of the NMTC firsthand. In Aliceville, the credit helped transform the Huyck Felt brick plant into a new wood pellet manufacturing facility, creating 275 jobs and, in Selma, the program helped create 55 jobs at a biomass processing facility.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=5FBD62EC-282B-4F9A-AE5F-4E3C4856BFC9", "Shelby: Senate Passes 60th Annual NDAA", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on defense, today released the following statement regarding Senate passage of the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21). Following passage in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the authorizing legislation will now move to the President's desk for his signature.\r\n\r\nIn our world today, a robust national security is of the utmost importance. This legislation works to provide just that  protection for our country and care for our troops. The NDAA is a vital step in the process of funding America's defense, said Senator Shelby. By passing this bill  the 60th annual NDAA  the Senate is sending a strong message to our adversaries around the globe that we will remain the most powerful force in the world. Over the last four years, President Trump has worked to rebuild and modernize our Armed Forces. I am pleased we are on the path to continue that process and look forward to securing funding for the Department of Defense through our FY21 appropriations bills.\r\n\r\nThe FY21 NDAA Conference Report, which passed by a vote of 8413, authorizes a total of $740.5 billion for national defense priorities. The legislation unlocks a 3 percent pay raise for members of the Armed Forces for the second year in a row, accelerates the innovation of key capabilities and technologies, and encourages investments in the next generation of ships, planes, tanks, and weapons.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://aderholt.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/aderholt-support-texas-attorney-general-s-election-lawsuit-supreme-court", "Aderholt Support for Texas Attorney Generals Election Lawsuit Before the Supreme Court", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Robert Aderholt", "A000055", "aderholt.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. Today, Congressman Robert Aderholt, (AL-04) released the following statement to express his support for an amicus brief filed by members of Congress in support of the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's election lawsuit before the United States Supreme Court.\n\nI am proud to support this amicus brief filed with the United States Supreme Courtto ensure the 2020 Presidential election was conducted fairly and without voter fraud. I signed onto the brief but a technical snafu in the sponsor's office kept mine and several other members off the list. The sponsor is working to have my name and others officially added tomorrow. I support this lawsuit 100%.  Our democracy depends on free, fair and accurate elections. That is the bedrock of our democracy.\n\n\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-joins-amicus-brief-help-texas-stop-illegal-voting", "Congressman Mo Brooks Joins Amicus Brief to Help Texas Stop Illegal Voting", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks and 105 House Republicans filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of the Plaintiffs in Texas v. Pennsylvania, et al. The amicus affirms that Congress is the supreme Constitutional authority for prescribing the times, places, and manners for holding federal elections and that state legislatures are the only other Constitutional authority empowered to set election times, places, and manner of holding elections and, even then, only to the extent that legislatures do not pass laws that conflict with the standards set by Congress. Non-legislative actors in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan violated Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution when they changed election processes without the authority to do so.\nClick HERE for the Texas v. Pennsylvania, et al. amicus brief.\nCongressman Brooks said, Reliable, honest and accurate elections are the bedrock of any functioning republic. Unfortunately, America's republic has been badly undermined by officials who illegally violated the U.S. Constitution.\nBrooks continued The United States Constitution's Election Clause unequivocally states that Congress is the supreme authority for prescribing the times, places, and manners for holding federal elections and that state legislatures are the only other Constitutional authority empowered to set election times, places, and manner of holding elections and, even then, only to the extent that legislatures do not pass laws that conflict with acts of Congress. Governors, secretaries of state, other election officials, state courts, federal courts, and private parties in various states blatantly usurp the power of Congress and state legislatures, thereby violating the Constitution, when they change election procedures both without legal authority and in ways inconsistent with laws passed by Congress or their own state legislatures. Election tallies resulting from these unconstitutional processes are invalid and are one of many reasons why I will object to certifying the Electoral College votes from these states. For example, in Pennsylvania, the Secretary of State (under the guise of illegally settling an election lawsuit) usurped legislative power by removing a lawfully required signature mandate. Further, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court violated the U.S. Constitution when it illegally and unilaterally disregarded Pennsylvania statutes requiring that all mail-in ballots be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day. Similar instances invalidate Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan election results. Additional examples of illegal action by non-legislative actors in these states abound. \nBrooks concluded, I and the other signers of this important amicus brief request that the Supreme Court uphold the unambiguous language of Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution and determine the constitutional validity of any ballots cast under rules and procedures established by actors or public bodies other than state legislatures. The 2020 presidential election must comply with the Constitution and the results must accurately reflect the will of the American people. For emphasis, while the Supreme Court's ruling may bind the parties to the Texas legislation and may be of persuasive influence in Congress, the Supreme Court's ruling in no way, shape or form mitigates the finality of Congress's verdict on who wins the election contest between former Vice-President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-byrne-s-bill-renaming-fairhope-post-office-for-jack-edwards", "House Passes Byrnes Bill Renaming Fairhope Post Office for Jack Edwards", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) issued the following statement after the House passed his bill to rename the Fairhope post office the William JackJacksonEdwardsIII Post Office Building.\nCongressman Byrnesaid:Jack Edwards is one of Alabama's greatest public servants whose leadership in Washington and Alabama left an indelible mark. I thank my colleagues  many who remember Jack fondly for his service and remarkable accomplishments  for supporting my bill to bestow this honor to Jack's memory. I appreciate Senator Shelby and Senator Jones for their help to now push the bill through the Senate and hopefully on to President Trump for his signature.\nThe bill, H.R.6418, now goes to the Senate where it awaits passage before being signed into law.Last year, Byrne led a moment of silence of the House floor for Congressman Edwards where he praised Edwards' principles of unquestioned integrity, commitment to others, and respect for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/roby-delivers-final-remarks-house-floor", "Roby Delivers Final Remarks on House Floor", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-AL) on Tuesday gave her final speech on the floor of the House of Representatives to commemorate her time in Congress and service to Alabama's Second Congressional District:\nMr. Speaker, I rise before you and my colleagues here today to speak for my final time on the House floor.\nSeventeen years ago, my husband, Riley, and I prayerfully decided I would put my name on the ballot for the first time. Never could we have imagined the original decision to run for the Montgomery City Council would lead us to serve five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. We are so grateful that God allowed us to serve our country in this way, and we give all honor and glory to Him.\nI count it a great privilege to have served the people of Alabama's Second Congressional District over the past decade, and I cannot adequately express how deeply thankful I am for the confidence my constituents have placed in me over the years.\nEach of you sitting here before me knows the responsibility that comes along with being a Member of Congress. Yes, we are required to vote and to be the conscience of those we represent, but serving our constituents back home truly changes lives and our communities for the better.\nAs I look back on the wonderful things Team Roby was able to accomplish, along with the help of my colleagues in the Alabama delegation, I realize that our most significant duty is to help those who need us.\nWhether it is requesting assistance with the VA or another federal agency, assisting with clean up following a large-scale weather event, voicing an opinion, or booking tours of the U.S. Capitol, my doors have always remained open to each person I represent.\nI am thankful for the unique opportunities given to me by those who came before me, especially the chance to serve on several impactful committees including Appropriations, Judiciary, Agriculture, Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, and the Select Committee on Benghazi. Much work has been done in each of these revered committees to impact the lives of my constituents, and for that I am forever grateful.\nI have been asked many times over the past few months what I will miss the most upon my departure, and my answer has remained the same  the relationships. The genuine friendships formed with my colleagues, my constituents, and so many others over the years and interacting with these individuals on a daily basis is what I will truly miss most.\nFor many, this past year was and continues to be very challenging. We have all experienced plenty of unfamiliar hardships. Not only has a global health pandemic taken center stage, but America is marked by intense division and polarization. Every time you turn on the television, you see a depiction of disunity among the American people. I imagine many Americans struggle to believe that friendship can actually exist within the halls of Congress.\nIt is incumbent upon us, Members of Congress, to join forces and work together to get things done for the good of the American people. When we reach across the aisle and work with the other side to arrive at a compromise for the benefit of those we serve, we are truly at our best.\nI believe the American people are starving to see bipartisanship in action, especially during this time of much suffering and uncertainty. People want to know their leaders are working together for the common good and not just shouting each other down.\nMy greatest hope and prayer moving forward is that all Members of Congress  new and old, regardless of party identification, beliefs, or opinions  will come together and work toward a common goal to deliver real results for the American people. I have faith in this institution, and I have faith in each of you.\nNow, I want to especially thank the people of the Second District. It is your faith and trust in me as your representative that helped me every step of the way. I am honored to have been given this incredibly unique opportunity, and I thank you for letting me be your voice in Congress.\nTogether, we have been able to deliver some incredible results for our military, veterans, agricultural community, and the unborn. While we made much progress together, the fight is not finished.\nI want to thank my congressional colleagues for your kindness and friendship throughout the years. Not too far into my time in Congress, I woke up realizing the people I served with had become some of my very best friends. I am confident these relationships will continue. I will certainly miss our time spent together, having conversations about our families and encouraging one another.\nI want to thank my incredible staff, all former and present members of Team Roby for your hard work on behalf of the people of Alabama and our country. I know all Members say this, but I truly believe I have the greatest staff in the world. I would never be able to execute this job without the dedication and support of my staff. They have worked tirelessly to serve the people of the Second District. We have a special saying on our team, once Team Roby, always Team Roby.\nAnd lastly, I want to thank my husband, Riley, and our two children, Margaret and George, my parents, the Robys, and our entire village for supporting our decision to serve our country. Your steadfast love and constant support have carried us through the easy and the hard times, and I love each of you dearly.\nOn behalf of Riley, Margaret, George, and myself, we sincerely thank all those who made our service to our country and the great State of Alabama possible and those who offered their services along the way.\nThank you, and for the very last time, I yield back.\n###\n[Watch Representative Roby give her speech on the House floor here.]", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-floor-speech-quotes-democrat-election-theft-expert", "Congressman Mo Brooks Floor Speech Quotes Democrat Election Theft Expert Describing His \"How to Steal an Election\" Tactics", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCTuesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) gave his sixth House Floor speech in his series on the presidential election, voter fraud, and election theft. In today's speech Congressman Brooks quotes extensively a professional New Jersey Democrat election theft expert's description of how he steals elections using the en masse mailed ballot voting system.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my sixth speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft and the presidential election.\nToday, I cite an August 29, 2020 New York Post article that quotes extensively from a New Jersey professional Democrat election theft expert's description of how he steals elections using the en masse mailed ballot voting system.\nThe election theft expert states, he puts a real ballot into \"the copy machine and it comes out the same way.  But the return envelopes are more secure than the ballot. You could never recreate the envelope.  So envelopes had to be collected from real voters.\nThe election theft expert adds, He would have his operatives fan out, going house to house, convincing voters to let them mail completed ballots on their behalf as a public service. The fraudster and his minions would then take the sealed envelopes home and hold them over boiling water.\nFor those unaware, the process of collecting ballots from voters is called ballot harvesting and is legal in some states and illegal in others.\nThe election theft expert continues, You have to steam it to loosen the glue.  He then would remove the real ballot, place the counterfeit ballot inside the signed certificate, and reseal the envelope. Five minutes per ballot tops. Is how long he says it takes to steal a vote.\nThe election theft expert adds that Sometimes postal employees are in on the scam. You have a postman who is a rabid anti-Trump guy and he's working in Bedminster or some Republican stronghold  He can take those [filled-out] ballots, and knowing 95% are going to a Republican, he can just throw those in the garbage. In some cases, mail carriers were members of his work crew, and would sift ballots from the mail and hand them over to the operative.\nThe election theft expert continues, With mail-in ballots, partisans from both parties hash out and count ballots at the local board of elections  debating which ballots make the cut and which need to be thrown out because of irregularities.  Any ballots offered up by him or his operation would come with a bent corner along the voter certificate  which contains the voter signature  so Democratic Board of Election counters would know the fix was in and not to object.\nThe New York Post describes his vote theft methods as, Organizationally  his voter-fraud schemes in the Garden State and elsewhere resembled Mafia organizations, with a boss (usually the campaign manager) handing off the day-to-day managing of the mob soldiers to the underboss (him). The actual candidate was usually kept in the dark deliberately so they could maintain plausible deniability.\nThis Democrat election theft expert stunningly helps expose the sordid underbelly of voter fraud and election theft that riddles America's election system and too often makes official election results inaccurate and unreliable.\nAs my prior speeches have detailed, voting in American elections by illegal aliens and other noncitizens is so out of control that Joe Biden openly solicited the illegal alien block vote and support with a promise of amnesty and citizenship if they helped him get elected president.\nFurther, en masse ballot mailout schemes are illegal because they violate Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution and Congress's ensuing legislation that designates one 24-hour day as the Election Day. More to the point, Congress could have but did not create an election week, election month, or election season.\nMr. Speaker, the overwhelming, compelling, and irrefutable evidence leads me to but one conclusion: if only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens are counted, President Trump handily won the electoral college and reelection.\nHence, on January 6, 2021, provided the required one senator joins me, I will object to and vote to reject electoral college submissions of Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania and all other states whose election systems are so badly flawed as to render their vote submissions unreliable, untrustworthy, and unworthy of acceptance.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-gives-farewell-speech-to-house-of-representatives", "Byrne Gives Farewell Speech to House of Representatives", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) gave his farewell speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. Byrne spoke of his hope and optimism for the direction of our nation, what the American people have said in recent elections, and his thankfulness for the people of Southwest Alabama and other friends and supporters. Some highlights from his speech are below.\nCongressman Byrnesaid:There are people on both sides of the House who want to say this country is in a bad place and headed in the wrong direction. I believe that view ignores two very important things. One is our history, and the other is what I hear the people of America telling us I think if the people of America knew their history better, they would be more hopeful, they would be more optimistic\nDivision in our country is the greatest internal threat we've got, and I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, it's the greatest threat of all, because there is nothing that this great nation can't accomplish when we are united, when we are e pluribus unum, one out of many. That is who America is, that's who the American people want us to be, and that's the great challenge before this House.\nI want to thank my long suffering family. They loved me and they supported me, even when I wasn't so lovable, and even when it wasn't so easy to support me. I could not have done it without them.\nByrne's service in the House of Representatives will end at the conclusion of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-en-masse-vote-mail-schemes-are-illegal-contribute", "Congressman Mo Brooks: En Masse Vote by Mail Schemes are Illegal & Contribute to Voter Fraud & Election Theft", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCTuesday, Congressman Mo Brooks gave a House Floor speech on yet another systemic flaw in America's election process that promotes voter fraud and election theft: en masse vote by mail schemes that are rife with voter fraud and expressly violate the Constitution's Election Clause and Congressional statutes that (with minor exceptions) limit 2020 citizen voting to one 24-hour period - November 3rd. In short, Congress set an Election Day, not an election week, an election month, or an election season.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my fifth speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft and the presidential election.\nFor emphasis, Congress is the judge, jury and final arbiter of the 2020 presidential election contest.\nFurther, America's election system is plagued by systemic flaws that promote voter fraud and election theft.\nJoe Biden exploited one such flaw when he brazenly promised more than 10 million illegal aliens that he will give them amnesty and citizenship if they help elect Joe Biden president.\nThe Constitution's Election Clause, Article I, Section 4, is very clear.\nCongress has absolute authority over the times, places and manner of holding elections for federal offices.\nPursuant to the Election Clause and Title 2 U.S. Code Section 7, Congress set November 3rd as the 2020 day for the election.[1]\nFor emphasis, Congress set a day for the election on which citizens vote. Congress did not set an election week, an election month, or an election season during which citizens can cast votes.\nAlso pursuant to the Elections Clause, Congress created limited exceptions to its vote within a 24-hour window mandate, to-wit:\nAlternative voting means may be established for persons with disabilities.[2]\nOverseas persons may vote by absentee ballot.[3]\nPersons who are expected to be absent from their voting location or state on election day may vote by absentee ballot.[4]\nAny voting schemes that allow voting outside of Congressionally mandated times and means are illegal under the Constitution and federal statute.\nCongress's reasons for limiting voting to one 24-hour period are described by the 2005 bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by Democrat President Jimmy Carter and formerRepublican White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of State James Baker. They strongly cautioned against overly broad absentee ballot and vote by mail schemes because they (increase) the risk of fraud.\nThe bipartisan Commission found that absentee voting has been one of the major sources of fraud in American elections and that vote by mail is vulnerable to abuse in several ways: Blank ballots mailed to the wrong address or to large residential buildings might get intercepted. Citizens who vote at home, at nursing homes, at the workplace or in church are more susceptible to pressure, overt and subtle, or to intimidation. Vote buying schemes are far more difficult to detect when citizens vote by mail.\nMr. Speaker, Congress passed laws to prevent voter fraud and election theft by establishing, with minor exceptions, a 24-hour window in which to vote. In contrast, Socialist Democrats use bureaucratic allies or engage in rigged lawsuits involving conspiratorial parties and inattentive judges to obtain sham settlement agreements that blatantly violate the Constitution and federal law to promote voter fraud and election theft with the singular goal of stealing the United States presidency.\nIn particular, all en masse vote by mail schemes promote voter fraud and election theft and are illegal because they violate Congress's election procedures and 24-hour voting mandate. As such, all votes cast pursuant to these vote by mail schemes are illegal, void, and should not be counted.\nMr. Speaker, the evidence is overwhelming, compelling, and irrefutable.\nIf only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens are counted, President Trump won the electoral college and a second term as president.\nCongress can either support illegal voting, voter fraud, and election theft . . . or not.\nBecause I believe in the Rule of Law and our Republic, it is my duty as a Member of Congress, to, on January the 6th, object to and vote to reject the electoral college submissions of all states whose election systems are so badly flawed as to render their vote submissions unreliable, untrustworthy, and unworthy of acceptance. And, Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what I intend to do.\n###\n[1] While 2 USC 7 is limited to elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, other federal statutes extend that same date for U.S. Senator and presidential elections.\n[2] See Generally 52 U.S.C. Section 20102\n[3] See Generally 52 U.S.C. Section 20303 and the Soldier Voting Act of 1942 (P.L. 77-712)\n[4] See Generally the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970 and 52 U.S.C. Section 10502(d)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-the-new-jobs-report", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in the New Jobs Report", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Last Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly jobs report covering November. It contained some good news, some bad news and some downright ugly news.\nFirst, let's look at the good news. The economy added 245,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate dropped to 6.7% from a high of 14.7% in April. We have gained back 12.3 million jobs since the shutdowns of last spring and the unemployment rate is less than half what it had risen to at that time. Over half of all Black people who lost their jobs have gone back to work as have two thirds of Hispanics. The greatest gains have come in the leisure and hospitality industry and in retail businesses, the hardest hit by the shutdowns. \nTo put this into perspective, the unemployment rate is now lower than at any point in President Obama's first term and the gains made in the last seven months are greater than in the first four years of the recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-9.\nThat's pretty good news, no matter how you look at it. So, what am I referring to when I talk about there being some bad news too? The rate at which we are gaining jobs has fallen significantly. Job growth in September (711,000) and October (610,000) was more than twice as large as November's. Our bounce back has really slowed.\nWhat's happened? To some extent we are witnessing the holes left in the American economy. Some places are doing better than others and some industries are still struggling to come back while others are doing well. For example, we know that Blue states have significantly higher unemployment rates than most Red states, the result of the differences in state leaders' responses to the pandemic. New York's unemployment rate in October was 9.6%, while Alabama's was 5.8%. Similarly, while the leisure and hospitality sector has made a comeback of sorts, it faces the strong headwinds of travel and dining restrictions ordered by many mayors and governors around the country. So, it lags the rest of the economy and will continue to do so until these restrictions are lifted. There are still 9.8 million fewer jobs than in February and every city, state and industry sector needs to return to normal for us to gain those jobs back.\nThat's pretty bad news, but at least it has the prospects of improving next year. The really ugly news was the labor force participation rate. This is an example of statistics needing more in-depth explanation. The labor force is the total of all people who have jobs and all people looking for jobs. It doesn't include adults 65 and under who aren't working or looking for work. Now some people aren't working or looking for work because they're in school or are substantially disabled, while others are caring for young children or an aging parent. Then there are the lucky ones who don't need to work. So, we never expect the labor force participation rate to be 100%.\nThe peak labor force participation rate was 67% at the beginning of 2000. During the Great Recession, when jobs were scarce, people became discouraged and just quit looking for work. By 2015, the labor force participation rate had fallen to 62%. As a result of the robust recovery of the last four years it rose again to 64.4%. These may seem like small changes, but each percentage point represents millions of people. So, when I tell you the labor force participation rate in November was just 61.5% you can see why I call this ugly. While that is an improvement from April's 60% rate, we still saw 400,000 people leave the job market in November alone. It's very difficult to re-enter the job market once you have left so this is a very troubling development.\nThere are three things we need to do as a nation to turn this around. \nFirst, mayors and governors around the nation need to be more discerning and judicious in their orders responding to the pandemic. Overly broad and heavy-handed orders are hurting people in their cities and states and are a major drag on the U.S. economy. Governor Ivey has been a good example of how to get it right and as a result our Alabama economy is faring better than most Blue states. \nSecond, we must speed the vaccine distribution and people should have the confidence in the FDA's approval and get the vaccine when it's available to them. The quicker we reach a high vaccination rate, the quicker our economy bounces back. In the meantime, we all need to wear masks inside buildings that aren't our homes, practice good hygiene and socially distance. \nAnd, third, Congress needs to pass another coronavirus stimulus bill.  After playing games this summer and fall, Speaker Pelosi has finally come to the bargaining table with what appears to be a sincere willingness to compromise on a new bill. I anticipate passage of such a bill, perhaps as part of our yearly spending bill, by Christmas. She's perfectly capable of pulling the ball back at the last minute so I can't guarantee anything. But there's some hope out there.\nAnd hope is something we all need right now.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-ndaa-with-byrne-amendment-authorizing-additional-austal", "House Passes NDAA with Byrne Amendment Authorizing Additional Austal Ship", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) issued the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report for H.R. 6395, the Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), by a vote of 335-78. The bill includes an amendment authored by Byrne authorizing $260 million to construct an additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel at Austal USA in Mobile.\nCongressman Byrnesaid:Passing the defense bill each year is among the most essential and challenging duties of Congress and requires not only countless hours of hard work but the ability to make compromises. While I don't agree with every provision in this conference report, the final product is a remarkable example of bipartisan teamwork to provide for the men and women of our Armed Forcesand ultimately to protect the American people.\nImportant to Southwest Alabama, the inclusion in the conference report of my amendment to authorize the construction of an additional EPF at the Austal shipyard in Mobile represents a significant endorsement of Austal and the EPF's continued importance to our national defense.The Navy has set an ambitious but achievable goal of a 355-ship fleet, and the hardworking men and women of Austal areindispensable in achieving that important milestone.\nThe work I have done on the Armed Services Committee is among my proudest accomplishments from my time in Congress. I am forever grateful for and proud of the key role so many Alabamians play in protecting the freedoms all Americans enjoy, and it has been my great honor to serve them.\nThe NDAA sets policy and authorizes funding for the entire United States military and has been passed by the House each year for the previous 59 years.The House Armed Services Committee, of which Byrne is a member, passed the NDAA with Byrne's amendment on July 1, 2020 by a vote of 56-0, and the bill passed the House on July 21.The Senate is expected to consider and pass the NDAA conference report as soon as this week.\nA summary of the conference report may be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-applauds-passage-2021-national-defense-authorization-act", "Rep. Sewell Applauds Passage of 2021 National Defense Authorization Act", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Chair of the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support, praised the House passage of the FY 2021 William M (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA). Sewell was also selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in November  for the second time in a row  to serve on the conference committee tasked with working out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the NDAA. This bipartisan, bicameral bill complies with the bipartisan budget agreement and authorizes $732 billion in discretionary spending for our national defense for FY 2021.\n\t\tAlabama is home to so many talented men and women who play a critical role in our national security, from Maxwell Air Force Base and the 187th Fighter Wing in Montgomery, to the shipbuilding industry in Mobile and missile defense in Huntsville,Sewell said.I am proud to have represented our state in conference between the House and Senate. The bill the House passed today is reflective of our American values and authorises numerous programs critical to our national defense. If President Trump follows through with his threat to veto this bipartisan, bicameral bill, I urge my colleagues in both the House and Senate to work together to override his veto to ensure Americans remain safe at home and abroad.\n\t\tIn the conference report, Democrats were successful in including numerous key priorities. Key wins in the conference report include:\n\t\t Altering or Removing All Names and Symbols Honoring the Confederacy or Those Who Served Voluntarily With the Confederacy From All DOD Assets:The conference report establishes an independent commission to make binding recommendations to the Secretary of Defense for the modification or removal of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederacy from all assets of the Department of Defense.\n\t\t\tProviding A Pay Raise to the Troops:The conference report authorizes a 3.0 percent increase in basic pay for service members.\n\t\t\tAuthorizing Hazardous Duty Pay for Service Members in Harm's Way:The conference report authorizes the Secretary of Defense to standardize payment of hazardous duty pay for the uniformed services, including the members of the Guard and National Reserve. It also increases Hazardous Duty Pay from $250 to $275 per month.\n\t\t\tNoBackfill of the Military Construction Funds Taken for President's Border Wall:The conference report doesnotauthorize any backfill of military construction funds taken for the President's border wall.\n\t\t\tRequiring Improvements in Military Housing:Theconference report takes several steps to improve military housing, including updating minimum health and safety standards for all military base housing, repealing a provision that currently allows DOD to place families in substandard housing units, and requiring DOD to implement Comptroller General recommendations for improvement of military family housing.\n\t\t The bill also includes several provisions authored by Sewell, and those important to the 7th Congressional District:\n\t\tProvision on Aircraft\n\t\t Authorizes $8.73 billion for 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, for modernization of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter fleets. Montgomery's 115th 187th Fighter Wings are scheduled to receive the F-35A in 2023.\n\t\t Diversity Requirements for DOD\n\t\t Establishesa Chief Diversity Officer of the DOD and a Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusions for each Military Service, including the Coast Guard.\n\t\t Countering Racism and Extremism\n\t\t Requires the DOD Inspector General to establish a mechanism to track and report supremacist, extremist, and criminal gang activity in the Armed Forces.\n\t\t\tRequires questions regarding racism, anti-Semitism, and supremacism be incorporated into DOD surveys; and requires a briefing on which surveys they will be included in.\n\t\t Other Provisions\n\t\t Includes the Elijah Cummings Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination Act, passed by the House in January 2019, which strengthens equal employment opportunity protections for federal employees and strengthens prohibitions against discrimination and retaliation against whistleblowers.\n\t\t\tAuthorizes $20 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions.\n\t\t\tRequires the Secretary of Defense to partner with minority institutions of higher education to diversify the participants in the DOD's Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program.\n\t\t\tEstablishes a mentoring and career counseling program at DOD with the goal of having the diversity of the population of officers serving in each branch reflect the diversity of the population of each armed force as a whole.\n\t\t Sale or Donation of Excess Department of Defense Personal Property for Law Enforcement Activities\n\t\t Includes disaster-related emergency preparedness activities among law enforcement activities eligible to participate in the program; provides preference for disaster-related emergency preparedness-type equipment requests, and highest preference for high-water vehicle requests.\n\t\t\tProhibits transfer of bayonets, grenades (other than stun and flash-ban), weaponized tracked vehicles, and weaponized drones.\n\t\t\tRequires annual training by participating law enforcement agencies in de-escalation of force, and respect for the rights of citizens under the Constitution of the United States.\n\t\t Addressing Climate Change\n\t\t Requiresa report on the implementation of provisions from the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act related to installation master planning, updates to the Unified Facilities Criteria (building codes), sea-level rise modeling, and climate assessment tools.\n\t\t\tEstablishesan alternative fuel vehicle pilot program that will require the military department to expand their use of alternative fuel non-tactical vehicles to increase the use of hybrid and EV vehicles.\n\t\t\tRequires DOD to invest in research and development of advanced water harvesting technologies that would aid in addressing water security issues in areas impacted by drought due to climate change.\n\t\t\tRequiresthe military services to assess their water use at installations in regions experiencing water scarcity, maximize use of landscaping practices that reduce water usage, and improve their water conservation.\n\t\t\tRequires DOD to submit a report on its greenhouse gas emissions for the last 10 years within 180 days of enactment.\n\t\t Provisions on Partners and Allies\n\t\t Expresses the Sense of Congress strongly reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and urging further cooperation with NATO on shared challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\t\t\tEnhances authorities for the DOD to engage with our closest allies and partners, including those in the National Technology and Industrial Base (United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia) to ensure secure sources of materials critical to U.S. national security.\n\t\t Provisions on Europe and Russia\n\t\t Prevents reduction in the number of U.S. forces stationed in Germany below 34,500 until 120 days after the Secretary of Defense submits an assessment and planning regarding the implications for allies, costs, military families, deterrence, and other key issues. Also expresses the sense of Congress emphasizing the value of U.S. forces in Germany and the U.S.-German alliance.\n\t\t\tFully funds the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), and invests in additional capabilities that support deterrence in the European Command area of operations.\n\t\t\tProvides $250 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.\n\t\t\tEstablishes yearly reporting on any bounties or other attempts by the Russian Federation, its agents, or proxies to encourage or support attacks against U.S. troops or personnel in named operations or combat.\n\t\t Intelligence\n\t\t Increases accountability of funds expended for DOD clandestine activities to support operational preparation of the environment.\n\t\t\tRequires a report on foreign malign influence campaigns on social media platforms targeting elections for federal office.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/remembering-our-troops-christmas-season", "Remembering Our Troops This Christmas Season", "2020-12-05", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While the holiday season brings family and friends together, it serves as a time to remember our military families and troops overseas. This year especially brings new challenges as we continue to navigate the holidays during a global pandemic. Data from the Alabama Department of Health shows that numbers are sharply rising across the state, and we are setting consecutive new records for daily number of new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The virus may alter how we spend this Christmas season, as well as the direct and indirect effects for our men and women in uniform serving around the world.\nEach year, Members of Congress participate in the American Red Cross' Holiday for Heroes program. This annual event provides an opportunity to express our gratitude and pass along holiday greetings and wishes to servicemembers, their families, and veterans. Like many other events this year, we were unable to gather and convey our appreciation in writing.\nThe Red Cross instead organized a virtual initiative for Members of Congress to send video messages wishing our servicemembers a happy holiday. I am grateful for the opportunity to send a special message to our deployed troops, and I encourage you this Christmas season to find a way to extend your appreciation to our military men and women for their daily sacrifices to preserve our freedom.\nI am honored to serve a district that many active duty military families and veterans call home. Our servicemembers go to great lengths to defend this nation and everything it stands for, especially during these challenging times. I want to give a special thank you to all members of the military and their families, as well as our veterans. I hope you all stay healthy and safe this holiday season. From the Roby family to yours, thank you for your service, and Merry Christmas!\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-leads-letter-attorney-general-barr-requesting-voter", "Congressman Mo Brooks Leads Letter to Attorney General Barr Requesting Voter Fraud Investigation & Injunction in Georgia", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Friday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05), 20 conservative House members, and 4 conservative House members-elect sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting he launch a U.S. Department of Justice investigation to complementGeorgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's investigation into multiple organizations' attempts to register illegal and invalid voters in Georgia. The letter also strongly urges Attorney General Barr to issue a restraining order or temporary injunction under federal law preventing organizations from registering illegal and invalid voters in the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff election.\nCongressman Brooks said, The evidence is overwhelming that Georgia's election process has been corrupted by voter fraud and election theft. The perpetrators of these heinous acts must be investigated, and, as appropriate, prosecuted to the fullest. Quite frankly, yesterday's Georgia Senate hearing video tape revelation was shocking and stunning. No one should ever be allowed to bring an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 ballots to a vote-counting facility in suitcases; hide those suitcases under a table before the vote-counting facility opens; at roughly 10:30 PM at night, declare that vote tabulation is finished for the night and will resume at 8:30 AM the next day; order all poll watchers and media to leave the facility; and then, once the facility is reduced to a bare minimum of five co-workers (and possibly criminal co-conspirators), with no poll watchers present; roll out the suitcases from their hiding place, withdraw thousands of ballots, and stuff the vote-counting machines with what appears to be, by the conduct observed, illegal and fraudulent ballots. Yet that is exactly what a newly released video of a polling location reveals. America's Attorney General must expedite its investigation of this and other matters, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all criminals who work to undermine the legitimacy of our Republic.\nClick HERE to download the letter.\nLetter signers: Jody Hice (GA-10), Randy Weber (TX-14), Ted Yoho (FL-03), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Andy Harris (MD-01), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Scott Perry (PA-10), Alex Mooney (WV-02), Tedd Budd (NC-13), Benjamin Cline (VA-06), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Jason Smith (MO-08), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), David Rouzer (NC-07), Russ Fulcher (ID-03), Fred Keller (PA-12), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Majorie Taylor Greene (member-elect, GA-14), Lauren Boebert (member-elect, CO-03), Barry Moore (member-elect, AL-02), Andrew Clyde (member-elect, GA-09).\nLetter text:\n\nDecember 4, 2020\n\nThe Honorable William Barr\nAttorney General U.S. Department of Justice\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\nWashington, D.C. 20530\n\nDear Attorney General Barr,\nTwo pillars of a successful republic are election integrity and confidence in our democratic processes. As Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger revealed Monday, his office is investigating multiple organizations attempting to register illegal and invalid voters in Georgia. [1] As the Georgia Secretary of State's office lacks prosecutorial power, we ask that the Department of Justice simultaneously investigate and prosecute this illegal behavior under federal law. Additionally, we ask that you use your authority as Attorney General to issue a preliminary order preventing any organization from registering illegal and invalid voters in the upcoming January 5th Georgia U.S. Senate Runoff Elections.\nBy way of background, these organizations stand accused of registering a deceased Alabama voter, encouraging illegal voting by out of state residents, as well as knowingly sending Georgia voter registration applications out of state - as far as New York.[2] Allegedly, Operation New Voter Registration Georgia encouraged college students to temporarily change their residency so that they could vote in the runoff election,[3] which is illegal under multiple federal statutes. See 252 U.S.C.  10307(c) & 18 U.S.C.  371. Reportedly, Vote Forward attempted to register a dead voter,[4] which is also illegal under federal statute. See 52 U.S.C.  10307(c), 10307(e), 20511(2). America Votes and the New Georgia Project, founded by Stacey Abrams, both are accused of sending voter registration application to invalid addresses.[5]\nFederal law gives the Attorney General the authority to issue preliminary relief when there are reasonable grounds to believe that any person is about to engage in any election offense. See 52 USC  10308(d). [6] We strongly urge you to use your authority as Attorney General to issue a restraining order or temporary injunction preventing organizations from registering illegal and invalid voters in the upcoming election. Swift action is needed to ensure that illegal votes do not dilute the rights of legal voters.\nThank you for your prompt attention to this matter.\nSincerely,\n\n###\n\n[1] Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner, Georgia investigating four liberal voter registration groups ahead of Senate runoffs | https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/georgia-investigating-four-liberal-voter-registration-groups-ahead-of-senate-runoffs/ar-BB1bvlJd?fbclid=IwAR1mwscVJmN2IfoHOY2kRKHfwOpq1MRgwVqGwxxBNgZJVSGtoMDjKVjYdLI\n[2] David Wickert, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia group allegedly tried to register dead Alabama woman to vote | Available at https://www.al.com/news/2020/11/georgia-group-allegedly-tried-to-register-dead-alabama-woman-to-vote.html?outputType=amp\n[3] David Wickert, supra\n[4] David Wickert, supra\n[5] David Wickert, supra\n[6] 52 USC  10308(d) (Whenever any person has engaged or there are reasonable grounds to believe that any person is about to engage in any [election offense], the Attorney General may institute for the United States, or in the name of the United States, an action for preventive relief, including an application for a temporary or permanent injunction, restraining order, or other order ...)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-highlights-systemic-election-flaw-lets-millions", "Congressman Mo Brooks Highlights Systemic Election Flaw that Lets Millions of Noncitizens Vote in American Elections", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) delivered a fiery House Floor speech addressing one of many systemic flaws in America's election process that promotes voter fraud and election theft, undermine America's election system, and threaten public trust in our Republic. This is the fourth House Floor speech in a series by Congressman Brooks concerning presidential election contest law, voter fraud and election theft. Today's speech focused on how Democrats have made it illegal for America's voter registrars to request information needed to prevent illegal voting by illegal aliens and all other noncitizens, thus prompting Joe Biden to brazenly promise amnesty and citizenship to 11+ million illegal aliens in hopes of enticing them to illegally register to vote, and vote, in America's presidential election.\nPresident Donald Trump viewed Congressman Brooks' floor speech and, within minutes, was inspired to tweet, Thank you to Representative Mo Brooks!\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my fourth speech in a series on voter fraud, election theft and the presidential election.\nFor emphasis, the Constitution mandates that Congress, not unelected federal judges, renders the final verdict on who won the 2020 presidential election.\nToday I begin addressing systemic flaws in America's election process that promote voter fraud and election theft, undermine America's election system, and threaten public trust in our Republic.\nIn America, only citizens are lawfully allowed to vote and control America's elections and destiny.\nYet, deplorably, in 1993, Democrats rammed through Congress the National Voter Registration Act that, incredibly, makes it illegal, illegal, to require proof of citizenship that prevents illegal aliens and noncitizens from registering to vote.[1]\nWhy do Democrats undermine our Republic to make illegal alien and non-citizen voting easier?\nTo win elections, of course.\nIt is no secret to Democrats or Republicans that, consistent with a 2014 study by Old Dominion University and George Mason University professors, noncitizens and illegal aliens vote 80% of the time for Democrats.[2]\nMr. Speaker, there are many tens of millions of illegal aliens and other noncitizens in America.[3]\nIn 2010, the Census found 11 million illegal aliens in America. A 2018 Yale study estimated as many as 22 million illegal aliens in America![4]\nThere are simply so many that no one can keep track of how many!\nSimilarly, no one knows how massive the illegal alien voting block is or how many voted in 2020. Hundreds of thousands? Almost certainly. Millions? Very likely.\nBut what we do know for sure is that the illegal alien voting block was large enough, and critical enough, to winning the presidential race that, at the October 22 Presidential Debate, Joe Biden openly and publicly solicited their illegal votes by promising, (Quote) Within 100 days, I'm going to send to the United States Congress a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people.[5] (End Quote)\nThink about that for a moment.\nA presidential candidate on national TV promises amnesty and citizenship to illegal aliens in hopes of inspiring them to illegally register to vote and vote for that candidate!\nIf that brazen solicitation of illegal voting by up to 22 million illegal aliens is not criminal solicitation of voter fraud and election theft, it darn well ought to be!\nAnd don't think for a moment that Joe Biden did not know exactly what he was doing.\nAfter all, on May 11, 1993, then Senator Joe Biden personally voted for the National Voter Registration Act that makes it illegal, illegal, to require proof of citizenship when illegal aliens and other noncitizens seek to register to vote!\nMr. Speaker, all Americans deserve an election system that stops voter fraud, prevents election theft, and accurately records only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens.\nUnfortunately, America's election system is so riddled with systemic flaws that far too many elections are stolen from candidates and the American people.\nIn my judgment, that is exactly what happened in the 2020 presidential election, where the election theft was so massive as to favorably compare to the old adage that you can't see the forest for the trees.\nAgain, in my judgment, if only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens are counted, President Trump handily won the electoral college and a second term as president.\nAs such, it is my duty, under the U.S. Constitution, on January 6, if the required one Senator will join me, to object to and later vote to reject electoral college submissions from states whose election systems are so badly flawed as to render their vote submissions unreliable, untrustworthy, and unworthy of acceptance.\n[1] Kansas challenged this Democrat abomination by requiring satisfactory evidence of United States Citizenship before registering someone to vote. Kan.Stat.Ann. 25 S2309(l)). Unfortunately, two Democrat-appointed 10th Circuit Court of Appeals judges held the National Voter Registration Act voids Kansas' common-sense, pro-America law. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca10/18-3133/18-3133-2020-04-29.html\n[2] Jesse T. Richman, Gulshan A. Chattha, David C. Earnest, Do Non-Citizens Vote In U.S. Elections?, December, 2014, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261379414000973\n[3] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/\n[4] https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/yale-study-finds-twice-as-many-undocumented-immigrants-as-previous-estimates\n[5] https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/joe-biden-promises-amnesty-to-illegal-immigrants-in-first-100-days/\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/grants/guide-grants/guide-2-grants-issue-372-december-1-2020", "Guide 2 Grants Issue 372-December 1, 2020", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "908 Alabama Avenue\nFederal Building, Suite 112", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-sewell-arrington-ruiz-and-hudson-introduce-bipartisan-legislation", "Reps. Sewell, Arrington, Ruiz, and Hudson Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Remove Barriers to Innovative Multi-Cancer Screening Technology for Medicare Beneficiaries", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (AL-07), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Raul Ruiz (CA-36), and Richard Hudson (NC-08) introduced H.R. 8845, the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, legislation to ensure timely Medicare coverage of groundbreaking early cancer detection tests for our nation's seniors. The bipartisan legislation recognizes emerging advances in our nation's fight against cancer by ensuring Medicare coverage for new, innovative tests that detect multiple types of cancer before symptoms develop.\nCancer survival rates are higher when detected early, but we are losing too many Americans to cancer simply because we do not catch it early enough. Too often, those who are most likely to be diagnosed at late stages are members of our most vulnerable communities: minority, economically fragile, and rural populations, said Rep. Sewell, the lead sponsor of the bill. Our transformative legislation will help ensureMedicare beneficiaries are able to benefit from breakthrough screening technologies. I look forward to working with my colleagues to modernize the Medicare coverage statute and ensure timely access to multi-cancer screening for beneficiaries.\nMulti-cancer early detection is an incredible example of the US leading in medical innovation, stated lead Republican cosponsor from the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Arrington. This type of screening has the potential to drastically improve quality of life for American cancer patients and their families, and early detection will save taxpayer dollars by treating cancer before it spreads. I am proud to support this legislation and pave the way for Medicare beneficiaries to access this life-changing technology.\"\nDetecting cancer early improves health outcomes and saves lives, said lead Democratic sponsor from the Energy and Commerce Committee Dr. Raul Ruiz. With innovative medical technologies, we can catch more cancers earlier than ever, but patients must be able to access these screenings. That's why it's very important for Medicare policy to keep pace with the development of multi-cancer screenings. I am glad to join my colleagues in introducing the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act of 2020 to modernize Medicare coverage so older Americans can access these screenings and improve their health outcomes.\nFamilies are devastated by a cancer diagnosis and as the second leading cause of death in the United States, it happens all too often, said lead Republican cosponsor from the Energy and Commerce Committee Rep. Richard Hudson. By increasing access to multi-cancer early detection screening tests through Medicare, we can save lives in North Carolina and around the country by catching more cancers sooner and allowing treatments to begin before cancers reach late stages. As a member of the Health Subcommittee, I look forward to advancing this bipartisan legislation.\nThis year has exposed the inequities in our nation's healthcare system, but we have known for some time that cancer has an outsized impact on communities of color, said Gary A. Puckerin, PhD, President and CEO of NMQF. We must be ready to take full advantage of new technologies that give us the chance to not only close the gap in cancer outcomes among racial and ethnic groups, but also reduce patient risk for everyone. New multi-cancer early detection tests hold that promise and this legislation is essential to helping us achieve it.\nWe know early detection of cancer saves lives, said Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). By creating a pathway for Medicare to cover new, innovative, FDA-approved screening tests, this legislation would help provide more individuals with access to additional tools they and their providers can utilize to detect cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.\n\"Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Prevent Cancer Foundation and today we are thrilled to celebrate the introduction of this important bill aimed at providing access to tests that will save lives through the early detection of cancer, said Carolyn R. Bo Aldig, Founder and CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation.\n\"As a community health center serving on the front lines in a region that's predominantly people of color, we see first-hand the inequities that exist related to cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes,\" said Anthony Gardner, CEO of Alabama Regional Medical Services. \"We know that late-stage cancer is extraordinarily deadly. This legislation will place another tool in our arsenal to detect cancer early when it is easiest to treat and survival is greatest.\"\nAs the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Health Medical Program, I see firsthand that the health of rural residents suffers because of where we live, said Keshee Dozier-Smith, CEO of the Rural Health Medical Program. The communities that we serve are underinsured and uninsured minorities that suffer from chronic health conditions, with cancer being one of the leading deaths that go undetected in rural communities in Alabama due to the lack of availability and affordability. Providing access to Multi-cancer Early Detection Screenings creates opportunities to make real progress in the individuals and families we serve sooner rather than later in closing this gap.\nThe Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act responds to a misalignment between advances in science and Medicare coverage by allowing for Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening. It would:\n \n\t\tCreate the authority for CMS to cover blood-based multi-cancer early detection tests and future test methods (like urine or hair tests), once approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Congress has acted before to create coverage for other cancer screenings including mammography and colorectal screenings.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tMaintain CMS' authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tState that these new tools will complement, not replace, existing screenings and coverage and cost sharing will not be impacted.\n\t\n Under current law, Medicare coverage of preventive services is limited to circumstances in which Congress has explicitly authorized coverage or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends the service with a grade of A or B. In the absence of this legislation, it could take several years after the FDA approval before Medicare beneficiaries could receive coverage for such tests. This bill would greatly reduce any such access delays for seniors while allowing CMS to use its evidence-based process to determine coverage. Accordingly, these new multi-cancer screening tools will complement existing screenings and dramatically improve our nation's cancer early detection capabilities.\nThe Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act has the support of a number of organizations, including the: National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), Prevent Cancer Foundation, Association of Community Cancer Centers, and Cancer Support Community.\nThe text of the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-selected-chief-deputy-whip-117th-congress", "Rep. Sewell Selected as Chief Deputy Whip for the 117th Congress", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn announced the selection of Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) as a Chief Deputy Whip for the 117th Congress. Rep. Sewell has served as a Chief Deputy Whip since she was appointed in the 113th Congress in 2013.\nI proudly accept the honor of serving as a Chief Deputy Whip under the leadership of Democratic Whip James Clyburn's for the 117th Congress, said Rep. Terri Sewell. I am thrilled to continue working with this dynamic team and Democratic Leadership in the House to advance an agenda focused on providing for the lives and livelihoods of the American people during this unprecedented time in our nation's history. As this public health crisis continues to disparage rural and underserved communities in Alabama across this country, I am confident we have the leadership necessary to meet the challenges for the American people that include crushing this virus, strengthening our economy, improving our nation's infrastructure, and putting Alabamians back to work.\nI am pleased that Terri will continue serving as Chief Deputy Whip in the 117th Congress, said Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn. Terri's experience and work ethic will continue to serve the Whip team well as we face historic challenges and opportunities next year. I look forward to working with her in collaboration with the incoming administration to advance our legislative priorities.\nRep. Clyburn announced ten total representatives who will serve as Chief Deputy Whips in the 116th Congress, including: Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), who will serve as Senior Chief Deputy Whips, and Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Rep. Dan Kildee (MI-05), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07),Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23),and Rep. Peter Welch (VT-AL) as Chief Deputy Whips.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/thanksgiving-greetings-2020", "Thanksgiving Greetings 2020", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Gary Palmer", "P000609", "palmer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,  Each year at Thanksgiving, I write a letter that goes out to the constituents of the 6th Congressional District that is more about faith, family, and tradition than politics. This year, Elizabeth Hance, my Communications Director, gets the honor of having an article she wrote become \"our\" Thanksgiving message. It is beautifully written and touches the very points that we all need to hear and embrace. I hope you will read it and share it with your families and that it will remind you that, despite all our nation has been through this year, we all truly have much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, Gary Palmer\n  \nDear Friends,This Thanksgiving season, I'm struck by the fact that this year is the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' 1620 landing on the Massachusetts shore and their signing of the Mayflower Compact, one of the first documents that recognized the inherent right to self-government, a right that our Founding Fathers would later affirm in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. After a difficult year of struggling for survival, the Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving feast in November 1621.It's inspiring to consider the hardships the Pilgrims faced that led to that feast and early attempt at self-governance that would go on to influence America in ways they could never have imagined. Many of those travelers to the new world were seeking refuge from religious restrictions that prevented them from living out their convictions in their European homelands. The sea voyage was long and filled with dangers, and once the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, they had to work hard to keep their new community from starving or dying in the harsh elements. But the hardships they faced make their determination and early experiment in self-governing an even more powerful example for us today.\n\nTo read entire newsletter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/a-national-compact", "A National Compact", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Four hundred years ago this month, a group of just over 100 people arrived off the shores of Cape Cod after a two-month sail from England. They were dissenters from the Church of England like the Puritans but went further by formally separating from the established church they considered to be corrupt beyond repair. We call them Pilgrims although there is only one instance when anyone of them used that word to describe themselves. That person was William Bradford, the longtime governor of the Plymouth Colony, who borrowed the word from the 11th Chapter of the Book of Hebrews.\nTheir arrival that November was not the occasion of the first Thanksgiving. That came the next year when they had built their homes and brought in their first harvest. In fact, they spent their first few months in a harsh winter still on their ship, the Mayflower, while their settlement was built.\nTheir original destination wasn't Plymouth but the mouth of the Hudson River where New York City is today, then the northern part of the Virginia Colony, but they were weary after a long journey, running low on provisions and determined to begin the long work of establishing their new home. That meant they weren't on land covered by Virginia's royal charter and so there were no colonial government or laws. Some on the ship weren't separatists like the Pilgrims, remaining true to the Church of England, and talked about using their own liberty. These Strangers, as the Pilgrims called them, thus threatened the order of the new community.\nSo, before they landed, all of the adult male settlers on the ships, Pilgrim and Stranger, reached an agreement we know as the Mayflower Compact under which they organized themselves as a Civil Body Politic by which they could frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices from time to time, as shall be thought meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony. They weren't declaring independence from England but laid out a basis for people to govern themselves in America. Their example was an inspiration for those who 150 years later would indeed seek independence to form a new American nation with a government based on the consent of the people.\nThe Compact was also firmly based on the settlers' religious beliefs. It begins with the words In the Name of God, Amen, and states frankly that their voyage to America wasundertaken for the Glory of God, and the Advancement of the Christian Faith. Yet, as they differed on exactly what their faith meant, they established not a theocracy but a civil government based on the laws made by the settlers themselves. Their settlement was risky, and their path filled with hard work, privation and danger, but their faith sustained them. That faith would indeed inspire them to hold a three-day time of thanksgiving a year later after a successful harvest.\nPerhaps, in this time of political polarization, we should renew our compact with each other as members of a great nation. Understanding our differences, we can yet agree to work with each other through those differences and achieve a successful consensus based upon shared principles and the value of sacrifice and hard work. As President Lincoln observed, we are the last best hope of earth, a nation founded by and beholden to the people. We should, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. In the Name of God, Amen.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/giving-thanks-and-staying-safe", "Giving Thanks and Staying Safe", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thanksgiving is a special holiday because it provides us an entire day each year to pause and give thanks for the many blessings we have received. Particularly amid a global pandemic, the stress and craziness of life often make it easy to lose sight of just how much we have to be thankful for. Although this holiday season will look different for us all due to the current health pandemic, we must remember the countless ways in which we are blessed. Whether you are gathering with loved ones or remaining in the comfort of your own home, I hope we all take time to celebrate gratitude  something we may not do enough of these days.\nThis year, it is especially important we remember those who have been impacted by the Coronavirus. This horrific virus we continue to battle has stolen the lives of over 250,000 Americans and 3,400 Alabamians. During this season of Thanksgiving, I hope you will join me in prayerfully remembering those who have lost a loved one to this virus as well as those who are suffering from it. My prayers are with those who are missing a family member or friend this holiday season.\nAs we've learned to adjust our daily routines and activities throughout the course of this pandemic, we know this Thanksgiving will not look like those of the past. Please be mindful of any safety measures and precautions that have been put in place to help protect your family and those around you. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) released guidance that includes a list of low, moderate, and high-risk activities in order to help Alabamians have a safer holiday season. ADPH suggests a few lower risk activities such as having a small dinner with members of your household, preparing and safely delivering meals to family and neighbors who are at high-risk, or hosting a virtual dinner with friends. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends hosting an outdoor gathering and limiting the number of guests.\nWhile the road to recovery is not always easy, I am confident that we will get through this health crisis together, and we will be better because of it. The American people are resilient, and we will not let this virus knock us down. In the spirit of the holiday, I want to take this opportunity to tell you that I am thankful for the responsibility to serve our state and country in the United States Congress. I am honored to be in a position to make a difference on behalf of Alabama's Second District, so thank you for allowing me to serve you. From the Roby family to yours, we hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-votes-favor-national-apprenticeship-act", "Rep. Sewell Votes in Favor of National Apprenticeship Act", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, legislation to reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act for the first time since its enactment in 1937 and create one million new apprenticeship opportunities in five years. Registered apprenticeships provide workers with paid, on-the-job, training and are the nation's most successful federal workforce training program.\nAs a long-time supporter of expanding registered apprenticeships, I am thrilled to support today's legislation to provide 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities over five years, said Rep. Sewell. Our Nation is facing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and estimates show that more than 7 million of the pandemic's job losses will be permanent. We need bold investments like those in the National Apprenticeship Act to accelerate the economy and help get the American people back to work in stable, good-paying jobs of the future.\nThe National Apprenticeship Act of 2020:\n \nInvests more than $3.5 billion to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities over the next five years.\n\tEstablishes a $400 million grant program to support the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities, including pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships, which will increase $100 million annually to reach $800 million by 2025.\n\tCodifies and streamlines standards for Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to make it easier for both apprentices and employers to participate in high-quality apprenticeships.\n\tCodifies the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship and directs the office to convene industry leaders, labor organizations, educators, and others to expand apprenticeships into new occupations and sectors.\n\tYields 10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased tax revenue and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance.\n \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=270D7DBD-9048-41FF-9D28-FF165891A869", "Shelby: Air Force Selects Maxwell for MH-139 Grey Wolf", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today applauded the Air Force's decision to base a Flight Training Unit of MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.\r\n\r\nThis long-awaited news regarding the MH-139 Grey Wolf is excellent for Maxwell, the Montgomery area, and the entire state. It comes as no surprise that the 908th Airlift Wing has again been chosen to receive advanced, state-of-the-art aircraft for our Air Force. I am pleased that Maxwell will continue this tradition with this next generation aircraft. The decision highlights and reinforces our state's success in supporting a robust national defense. Not only does this support jobs for reservists and experts in the area, but it also enables economic development and future opportunities for Maxwell.\r\n\r\nThe new MH-139 Grey Wolf will serve as an update to the Air Force's UH-1N Huey, advancing the helicopter in the areas of speed, range, endurance, payload, and survivability in support of the command's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile mission. Additional capabilities include civil search and rescue, airlift support, National Capital Region missions, along with survival school and test support.\r\n\r\nThe first MH-139 aircraft, which will replace the aging C-130 mission currently based at Maxwell's 908th Airlift Wing, is expected to arrive in 2023. Those airmen currently supporting the C-130 mission in Montgomery will transition to support the MH-139. The 908th Airlift Wing consists of over 1,198 individuals and boasts an annual economic impact of more than $60 million annually. Maxwell's close proximity to the Undergraduate Helicopter Pilot Training at Fort Rucker allows for increased efficiency for the Air Force.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-house-floor-speech-voter-fraud-describes-when-he", "Congressman Mo Brooks House Floor Speech on Voter Fraud Describes When He Was Election Theft Target", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) delivered a House Floor speech detailing his 1982 experience as a Republican candidate for Alabama House District 18 when Democrats sought to steal his election by rigging voting machines. This is the third House Floor speech in a series by Congressman Brooks concerning presidential election contest law, voter fraud and election theft.\n\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\n\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nMr. Speaker, this is my third speech in a series. Earlier, I cited Constitutional and federal law mandating that Congress, not the Supreme Court, determines whether to accept or reject state electoral college votes and Congress, not the Supreme Court, has the final verdict on presidential elections.\nMy remaining speeches describe voting system failures that threaten our Republic.\nFor emphasis, all republics depend on election processes that give candidates and citizens confidence that results accurately reflect voter will.\nUnfortunately, America's election process has systemic weaknesses that too often allow voter fraud and election theft . . . and fail America.\nToday, I share my personal experience as a voter fraud and election theft target.\nIn 1982, Democrats dominated Alabama.\nAll Alabama statewide elected officials were Democrats!\nThe legislature had 136 Democrats to only 4 Republicans!\nDemocrats held every single partisan elected office in Alabama's Tennessee Valley, from Mississippi on the west to Georgia on the east.\nIn 1982, I ran as a Republican in Alabama House District 18.\nOn Election Day morning, angry voters called me nonstop about voting machines blocking them from voting for Mo Brooks.\nAt first, I blew these phone calls off as isolated problems, naively trusting America's election system. That trust was soon shattered.\nI am a former prosecutor. After the election, another attorney and I investigated. We questioned witnesses, examined documents and inspected voting machines.\nOur investigation revealed that 11 of 45 voting machines 25% of all voting machines in my district  were rigged to block votes for Mo Brooks.\nIn contrast, not a single machine blocked voting for my opponent or any other candidate on the ballot!\nAt one voting precinct with five rigged voting machines, poll workers told voters that, to vote for Mo Brooks, they had to give up their secret ballot right and sign a sheet on a wall for all to see!\nAfter the election, Democrat officials declared the voting machine problem was possibly caused by jostling in transit that somehow affected me but nobody else.\nWhat bunk!\nMy hometown is the birthplace of America's space program. We know math.\nMathematically, if there are 26 candidates, and a machine blocks 1 candidate's votes, the odds of that candidate being blocked are 1 in 26. If there are two machines and each block only one candidate, the odds of that candidate being blocked both times are 1 in 26 squared, or 1 chance out of 676 chances.\nSimilarly, if there are 11 machines and each block a single candidate's vote, the odds that all 11 blocked out candidates are Mo Brooks, and no one else, are 1 chance in 26 to the 11th power, which equals 1 chance out of 3.6 quadrillion chances.\nHence, the probability these 11 voting machines were rigged is an overwhelming 3.6 quadrillion to one.\nSo, the question becomes, Who rigged the voting machines?\nIn 1982, Democrats totally controlled Madison County voting machines.\nI was in a hotly contested race to be the only Republican legislator elected in the northern third of Alabama. I threatened Democrat dominance. I was the potential breach in the Democrat Party dam.\nDemocrats had motive. Democrats had opportunity. Democrats had control. Democrats rigged the voting machines.\nFortunately, despite the attempted election theft, we still won with 57% of the vote.\nMr. Speaker, every candidate and every American has an absolute right to an election system that stops voter fraud, prevents election theft, and accurately records only lawful votes cast by eligible American citizens.\nAs this speech and ensuing speeches will reveal, America's election system is riddled with systemic problems that too often render our official election results unreliable.\nEach of these election deficiencies must be fixed and eliminated.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-house-not-supreme-court-decides-presidential", "Congressman Mo Brooks: House, Not Supreme Court, Decides Presidential Elections", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCWednesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) delivered a House floor speech on Constitutional and federal statutory law that gives Congress (NOT the Supreme Court) final and total control over who wins, and who loses, presidential elections. This is the second speech in a series of speeches on the recent presidential election that Congressman Brooks will deliver on the House floor in the upcoming days and weeks.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nThis is the second in a series of House Floor Speeches by me on the recent presidential election.\nPreviously, I covered Constitutional and federal statutory law mandating that Congress, NOT the Supreme Court, decides whether to accept or reject states' electoral college vote submissions.\nToday's remarks focus on who decides a presidential election if no candidate receives an electoral college majority vote, because of a tie, because multiple candidates split the electoral college vote, or because Congress rejected state electoral college votes.\nPer the U.S. Constitution's 12th Amendment, Congress, NOT the Supreme Court, elects the next President and Vice-President of the United States if no candidate wins an electoral college vote majority.\nCongress's decision is final, determinative, and non-reviewable.\nThe 12th Amendment states, that, if no candidate has a majority of the electoral college vote, then, from the three hgiest vote-getters for President (Quote):\nthe House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote;  and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.\nAs an aside, the 12th Amendment requires the Senate to elect the Vice-President.\nThere is a twist in the House vote for president. A majority of Congressmen does not elect the president. Rather, the House votes by state delegations to elect the next President of the United States.\nAmerica has 50 states. After the 2020 elections, 26 state delegations have a Republican majority. Twenty states have a Democrat majority. The remaining state delegations are tied, 50/50, with Iowa undecided pending an uncalled election.\nHence, if Congress rejects electoral college votes from states with election processes that are so badly flawed as to be unreliable and unworthy of acceptance, House Republicans control the election of the next President of the United States.\nLet me repeat that for emphasis,House Republicans control the election of the next President of the United States.\nFor emphasis, the 12th Amendment has, on occasion, resulted in Congress electing the next President of the United States.\nFor example, in 1824, Andrew Jackson led the electoral college with 99 votes, to 85 votes for John Quincy Adams, to 41 votes for William Crawford, to 37 votes for House Speaker Henry Clay.\nThe House elected 2nd place finisher John Quincy Adams President of the United States over 1st place finisher Andrew Jackson, prompting Andrew Jackson to famously declare (quote) [T]he Judas of the West has closed the contract and will receive the thirty pieces of silver . . . Was there ever witnessed such a bare faced corruption in any country before?\nAnother example is the 1876 election, wherein Democrat Samuel Tilden won the popular vote and amassed 184 electoral college votes, one shy of Ohio Republican Rutherford B. Hayes' 185 electoral college votes.\nLouisiana, Florida and South Carolina's electoral college votes were disputed because it strained credibility to believe these states voted Republican while still suffering from the effects of a Republican led invasion during the Civil War.\nCongress appointed a 15-member commission to study the matter, which split on party lines, 8 Republicans for Hayes to 7 Democrats for Tilden.\nCongress then elected Hayes President of the United States in a deal that gave Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina's disputed electoral college votes to Hayes in exchange for removing occupying Union troops from the South and ending Reconstruction.\nIn sum, the history and law are clear. Congress, NOT the Supreme Court, determines who wins, or loses, presidential elections.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-named-conferee-national-defense-authorization-act-0", "Rep. Sewell Named Conferee to the National Defense Authorization Act Conference for Fiscal Year 2021", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi named U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) to serve on a conference committee of the House and Senate versions of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). NDAA conferees from the House and Senate will work together to resolve differences between the distinct defense authorization bills passed by each chamber in June 2020. This will be the second year that Rep. Sewell has been selected as an NDAA conferee.\nThe NDAA authorizes funding to equip, supply and train U.S. troops and support military families. The bill has been passed by Congress for 58 continuous years. Sewell, a senior Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Chair of the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support, is committed to continuing this bipartisan tradition of passing a smart defense bill that provides servicemembers with the resources they need to address and counter today's increasingly complex national security challenges. As an FY2020 NDAA Conferee, Rep. Sewell was successful in securing language to improve federal campaign election security, increase intelligence funding, and promote increased diversity in the Intelligence Community's workforce. She also worked closely with Senator Doug Jones to successfully repeal the Military Widow's Tax, which unfairly taxed military widows and widowers' survivor benefits.\nThe House and Senate have historically put politics aside on behalf of the American people to pass the NDAA. This critically important legislation authorizes our national defense priorities for the year and provides our brave men and women with the resources needed to carry out their missions across the world, Sewell said. I am committed to continuing this tradition and working to exclude any partisan provisions that threaten the defense and wellbeing of our nation. As a Representative from a state that plays such a major part in our national security, I am honored to be able to play such a significant role as a conferee for the second consecutive year.\nThe House Democratic Conferees to the conference committee are:\nHouse Committee on Armed Services\n Congressman Adam Smith of Washington, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Susan Davis of California\n\tCongressman James Langevin of Rhode Island\n\tCongressman Rick Larsen of Washington\n\tCongressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee\n\tCongressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut\n\tCongressman John Garamendi of California\n\tCongresswoman Jackie Speier of California\n\tCongressman Donald Norcross of New Jersey\n\tCongressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona\n\tCongressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts\n\tCongressman Salud Carbajal of California\n\tCongressman Anthony Brown of Maryland\n\tCongressman Ro Khanna of California\n\tCongressman Bill Keating of Massachusetts\n\tCongressman Filemon Vela of Texas\n\tCongressman Andy Kim of New Jersey\n\tCongresswoman Kendra Horn of Oklahoma\n\tCongressman Gil Cisneros of California\n House Committee on Agriculture\n Congressman Collin Peterson of Minnesota\n\tCongresswoman Abigail Spanberger of Virginia\n House Committee on Budget\n Congressman Joseph Morelle of New York\n\tCongressman Steven Horsford of Nevada\n House Committee on Education and Labor\n Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia\n\tCongresswoman Lori Trahan of Massachusetts\n House Committee on Energy and Commerce\n Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey\n\tCongresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado\n House Committee on Financial Services\n Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, Chair\n\tCongressman Juan Vargas of California\n House Committee on Foreign Affairs\n Congressman Eliot Engel of New York, Chair\n\tCongressman Brad Sherman of California\n House Committee on Homeland Security\n Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico\n\tCongresswoman Elissa Slotkin of Michigan\n House Committee on Administration\n Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California\n\tCongresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio\n House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence\n Congressman Adam Schiff of California, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Terri Sewell of Alabama\n House Committee on Judiciary\n Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida\n House Committee on Natural Resources\n Congressman Ral Grijalva of Arizona, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Deb Haaland of New Mexico\n House Committee on Oversight and Reform\n Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, Chair\n\tCongressman Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts\n House Committee on Science, Space and Technology\n Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Chair\n\tCongressman Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey\n House Committee on Small Business\n Congresswoman Nydia Velzquez of New York, Chair\n\tCongressman Jared Golden of Maine\n House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure\n Congressman Jared Huffman of California\n\tCongressman Harley Rouda of California\n House Committee on Veterans' Affairs\n Congressman Mark Takano of California, Chair\n\tCongressman Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania\n House Committee on Ways and Means\n Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, Chair\n\tCongressman Jimmy Panetta of California", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-kicks-house-floor-speech-series-election-integritys", "Congressman Mo Brooks Kicks Off House Floor Speech Series on Election Integrity's Importance to a Properly Functioning Republic", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCTuesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) delivered a House floor speech on Congress's decisive role in determining the outcome of presidential elections. This is the first speech in a series Congressman Brooks will deliver on election integrity's importance to a properly functioning republic.\nClick on the image above or HERE for video of Congressman Brooks' speech\n\nFull text of Congressman Brooks' speech:\nThis is the first in a series of House Floor Speeches by me on the recent presidential election.\nSome believe the Supreme Court decides who wins presidential elections.That is wrong. While the Supreme Court has a significantjudicialrole in the presidential election process, the U.S. Constitution and federal law make Congress,NOTthe Supreme Court, the judge of who wins presidential elections.\nCongress must first accept or reject states' submissions of electoral college votes.\nThereafter, if no candidate wins an electoral college vote majority, Congress,NOTthe Supreme Court, votes on and elects the next President and Vice-President of the United States.\nThe Constitution's 12th Amendment requires states to submit their electoral college votes to Congress, thereby triggering U.S. Code Title 3, Section 15, which requires that:\nFirst, Congress shall meet January 6 following the election, at 1:00 PM, to receive states' electoral college vote submissions.\nSecond, the Senate President presides over all proceedings.\nThird, each state's electoral college submissions shall be opened, presented, and acted upon in alphabetical order, beginning with the letter A.\nFourth, the Senate President shall receive and publicly announce each state's electoral college vote.\nFifth, the Senate President shall call for objections, if any. Objections must be in writing and clearly and concisely state, without argument, the objection grounds. Further, each objection must be signed by at least one Senator and one Congressman or be disallowed.\nSixth, the Senate and House shall then separate, and each body shall then decide whether to accept or reject electoral college votes that have been properly objected to.\nFinally, if the House and Senate both vote to reject a state's electoral college vote submission, those electoral college votes shall not be counted in the election of the president and vice-president.\nUnited States Code Title 3, Section 17 adds that the Senate and House votes to accept or reject electoral college votes must occur immediately after no more than two hours of floor debate.\nThis process has been used in the past to challenge states' electoral college votes.\nFor example, in 2005,DemocratCongressman Stephanie Tubbs andDemocratSenator Barbara Boxer jointly objected to acceptance of Ohio's electoral college votes forRepublicanPresident George Bush after Ohio election officials certified that George Bush won Ohio by almost 120,000 votes.\nSimilarly, in 2017, numerousDemocratCongressmen objected to all electoral college votes for Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These objectionsallfailed for lack of a Senate cosponsor.\nIn sum, the U.S. Constitution and federal law mandate that, on January 6, 2021, Congress must decide whether to accept or reject states' submissions of electoral college votes for president.\nIf a Congressman and Senator jointly object, then the full House and full Senate must each vote on whether to accept or reject a state's electoral college vote submission. That vote by Congress is final, determinative, and non-reviewable.\nIf a state's electoral college votes are rejected, then those electoral college votes are excluded from candidate totals.\nMy second speech in this series covers what happens if, because of rejected electoral college votes, neither candidate has the majority of electoral college votes needed to be elected president.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-supports-bill-to-increase-fema-public-assistance-disaster-relief", "Byrne Supports Bill to Increase FEMA Public Assistance Disaster Relief", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) spoke today on the floor of the House of Representatives offering his support for the FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020. This bill would raise the federal cost share of COVID-19 pandemic-related disaster relief to 100 percent and all other disaster relief for disasters in this calendar year to a minimum of 90 percent.\nCongressman Byrne said: I rise today in support of H.R. 8266, the FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020. This year has been difficult for everyone, but our small local governments have been some of the hardest hit due to extreme losses in tax revenue. This is especially true in Southwest Alabama. In September, Hurricane Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores, bringing record-breaking rainfall and winds over 100 miles per hour. Just weeks later, Hurricane Zeta passed through our state, causing further devastation, especially in rural parts of Mobile, Washington, and Clarke counties.\nThese storms caused millions of dollars in damage and left significant amounts of debris. This would be difficult on a small town's budget in a normal year, but pandemic-related issues coupled with unexpected costs from severe storm damage will further stretch the already limited budgets of many of our communities. \nAlready, a local government in South Alabama has made the difficult decision not to purchase a much-needed new police vehicle due to the impacts of COVID-19 and Hurricane Sally on their budget. \nThe current 75% - 25% FEMA federal/state cost-share is simply unworkable in this challenging year. This important legislation will raise the federal cost share of pandemic-related disaster relief to 100 percent and all other relief for disasters this year, including the hurricanes that devastated the Gulf Coast, to a minimum of 90 percent. Making this adjustment will help reduce the burden on our local communities and help strengthen the recovery process.\nI hope that Members from both sides will join me in supporting this critical legislation. I yield back.\nByrne has worked closely with the White House, FEMA, and state and local officials to ensure eligible Alabama municipalities and individuals receive disaster assistance.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/much-to-do", "Much To Do", "2020-11-16", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress returns to Washington this week after a six-week hiatus for the election. Since the end of July, we have only met for a few weeks, and the work we need to complete has piled up. This Congress ends at noon on Sunday, January 3 when the new Congress will be sworn in and start all over again as any bills pending from the old Congress die. Let's look at what needs to be done between now and then.\nEvery year since the Kennedy Administration, Congress passes a National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which authorizes the operations of the U.S. military and our national defense, an obligation of Congress under Article One of the Constitution. This year's bill passed out of the House Armed Services Committee on which I sit by a unanimous vote and out of the full House by a huge bipartisan vote. A Conference Committee will iron out our differences with the Senate bill, and I hope we will vote on the Committee's report in the next few weeks. The NDAA is one of the few examples this Congress when we have come together to meet our Constitutional duties.\nI also anticipate that we will vote on the Water Resources Development Act, another bill we regularly pass and which authorizes much of what the Corps of Engineers does for navigation, flood protection and the like.\nBut the big two are the funding of the government and a new COVID bill.\nBack in September, Congress passed a bill continuing government spending for the fiscal year that began on October 1 but using the numbers from the previous year. I wasn't present for the vote on the bill as I was in the district working on our response to Hurricane Sally. Had I been there, I would have voted against it because these continuing resolutions are punts as we fail to meet our Constitutional requirement to fund the government. That bill only runs through December 11, however, and there will be substantial pressure to pass something funding the government beyond that date.\nThis has been a source of failure in the past. You may remember it happened at the end of 2017. Will we produce an actual appropriations bill or will we pass another continuing resolution taking us into 2021 and the new Congress? Or, will we have a shutdown? The appropriations process, like virtually every other legislative endeavor this Congress, is badly broken because Speaker Pelosi refuses to let it work. There is little effort to work across the aisle or the Capitol, despite good people on both sides and both houses being involved, as the Speaker insists on calling the shots and bypassing the capable leadership on the Appropriations Committee.\nI am pessimistic that we can get a true appropriations bill this Congress and anticipate another continuing resolution will be proposed on or shortly before December 11. The question is whether that will pass and whether President Trump would sign it if it does. It's likely to go down to the wire that week.\nAnd the outlook for another COVID response bill this Congress looks even worse. You would think that with the elections out of the way, and having suffered significant election losses among her membership, the Speaker would settle into serious negotiations. Not so. In fact after pushing a $2 trillion bill this summer and fall even as the Senate told her that figure was far too high, she has now come back post-election with a bill for spendingover $3 trillion. She is effectively expecting Senator McConnell and the Republican Senate, which seems to be retaining their majority, to bid against themselves. I don't know what about Senator McConnell's leadership of the Senate these last six years would give anyone the thought he would cave into that.\nIndeed, the Speaker's COVID proposal is really just her way of postponing the discussion until after Inauguration Day when she expects to have a President Biden to help her instead of President Trump. Once again, her goal is less about helping the American people and more about her own power. Here we are at the beginning of the worst part of the year for viral diseases and she is punting the passage of a much-needed bill for at least two more months.\nI hope I'm wrong about the Speaker's posture on these bills, but her performance as Speaker so far has been depressingly consistent.  When the choice is between the needs of the country and her own power, she always chooses the latter.\nWe have much to do this Congress and not much time to do it. I wish we'd break the mold of this Congress, learn from the election results and actually do the jobs we are required to do under the Constitution. It just doesn't look like the Speaker wants us to fulfill our responsibilities under the Constitution.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/coronavirus-cases-continue-rise", "Coronavirus Cases Continue to Rise", "2020-11-13", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, which means the Christmas holiday season will be here before we know it. The holidays bring many exciting opportunities to gather and celebrate with family and friends, and this holiday season, it's important to remember that the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to progress across our communities.\nThe United States surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the first ten days of November, and several states broke their record for the daily number of new COVID-19 cases reported. Health officials earlier this year warned Americans of the probability of a second wave as winter approached, and it is evident that we are entering this predicted phase of the pandemic.\nGovernor Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris recently announced an extension to the current Safer at Home order which is now set to expire on Friday, December 11. The updated order keeps the statewide mask mandate in place, and I encourage you to become familiar with the rest of the current guidelines. Public health orders are only as successful as the public's awareness and adherence to them. This is a time for everyone to recognize the ongoing changes from the climb in cases to updated health and safety measures in place.\nThe number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and daily deaths across the state are on the rise. Although it may not be as sharp an increase in Alabama as we are seeing in other areas of the country, it is still imperative Alabamians take this virus seriously and adhere to all guidelines implemented by our public officials.\nI know we are all desperate to get back to our normal routines, but as the holidays approach, please be mindful of your health and the health of those around you. We have already lost over 3,200 precious lives across Alabama throughout the course of this pandemic, and we must remain responsible and diligent to ensure this virus does not continue to rapidly claim the lives of Alabamians.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/grants/guide-grants/guide-2-grants-issue-368-september-15-2020", "Guide 2 Grants Issue 368-September 15, 2020", "2020-11-12", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "908 Alabama Avenue\nFederal Building, Suite 112", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/grants/guide-grants/guide-2-grants-issue-370-october-15-2020", "Guide 2 Grants Issue 370-October 15, 2020", "2020-11-12", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "908 Alabama Avenue\nFederal Building, Suite 112", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/grants/guide-grants/guide-2-grants-issue-371-november-1-2020", "Guide 2 Grants Issue 371-November 1, 2020", "2020-11-12", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "908 Alabama Avenue\nFederal Building, Suite 112", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=9D5A01CD-E021-4380-9419-B425B45E009D", "Shelby Unveils FY2021 Appropriations Bills", "2020-11-10", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today unveiled all twelve Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) funding measures and the FY21 subcommittee allocations. Senator Shelby issued the following statement regarding the legislation:\r\n\r\nBy and large, these bills are the product of bipartisan cooperation among members of the committee. As negotiations with the House begin in earnest, I look forward to working with Chairwoman Lowey, Vice Chairman Leahy, and Ranking Member Granger to resolve our differences in a bipartisan manner. Time after time, we have demonstrated our willingness to work together and get the job done. We have before us the opportunity to deliver for the American people once again.\r\n\r\nSenator Shelby, who also chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, applauded the committee's work on the FY21 defense appropriations bill:\r\n\r\nIt is absolutely critical that we work to strengthen our military and provide the funding needed by our Armed Forces to maintain our military advantage. This bill includes significant resources to advance and modernize capabilities for our men and women in uniform, and also works to ensure that Alabama continues to play an important role in our national defense.\r\n\r\nVarious Alabama priorities were included in the FY21 defense funding measure, such as:\r\n \r\nShipbuilding  includes funding for one additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship with an increased medical capability, as well as $50 million to explore autonomy capabilities for existing EPF ships\r\nArmy research  $12.8 billion, an increase of $270 million from last year, for investments in transformational technologies to address modern and future Army warfighting needs\r\nMissile Defense  $10.2 billion for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), an increase of $1.1 billion from the request to ensure support to urgent MDA unfunded priorities such as space sensors, hypersonic defense, and cybersecurity\r\nHypersonic weapons  fully funds Army hypersonics research, which is an increase of $461.4 million above the FY20 enacted level, and as well as an additional $60.0 million to develop a common hypersonic glide body and $47.0 million to advance hypersonics test infrastructure\r\nCyber  includes funding within Defense-Wide accounts for the budget request of $449.0 million to support the Department of Defense's 5G program\r\n \r\n\r\nIn addition to the defense appropriations bill, the Senate's FY21 appropriations measures recommend funding for the following:\r\n \r\nSpace Launch System (SLS)  $6.7 billion provided for Space Exploration, including $2.6 billion for SLS which is critical to support the development and sustainment of the nation's human exploration goals\r\nFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  $566 million included for FBI construction, which supports ongoing and growing efforts in Huntsville\r\nMilitary Construction  $11.6 million included for F-35 Simulator Facility at Montgomery Regional Airport Base\r\nApproximately $30 million is provided for Alabama's Appalachian Development Highway System\r\nU.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility  an increase of $30 million is provided throughout Water Resources for staffing and grants\r\n$40 million is included for the National Water Center located in Tuscaloosa\r\nU.S. Coast Guard (USCG)  includes an additional $48 million for the recapitalization and upgrade of the USCG MH-60T helicopter fleet, which is completed in Troy\r\n \r\n\r\nThe bill text and explanatory statements released are funding measures for the Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Defense; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/what-america-said", "What America Said", "2020-11-09", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Election Day has come and gone. Despite the fact that multiple national news sites have called the presidential election, court cases and recounts are going forward in severalstates where the margin is less than 1%, and we don't yet know who was elected president. By Federal law, all election disputes must be resolved by December 8 and presidential electors must meet and cast their votes for president on December 14. The ballots will be counted in Congress on January 6. These are the key dates when we will know who will become president on Inauguration Day, January 20. So, let's not jump to a conclusion about who won this very closepresidential election just yet.\nBut, we already know some important things about America from the votes last week.\nPerhaps the most important thing we witnessed was a free and open democracy working. We take for granted our system for choosing our leaders, but if you look around the world, we shouldn't. Even in a very politically divided nation, we held peaceful elections, and even where there are election disputes, we have legal processes for resolving them. For the most part things have been handled peacefully, except in a few places like Oregon where they apparently don't need an excuse to riot.\nAnd, while we are divided for sure, there are some things we have agreement on. Despite the now predictable assurances from media analysts and other so called experts, there was no Blue wave, no generational realignment of our body politic. The media discovered what the rest of us knew: America is not a left leaning nation. And demographics aren't destiny. That's why an increasing proportion of Blacks and Hispanics are voting their relatively conservative beliefs. As a nation, we don't want a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, or defunded law enforcement agencies. We aren't socialists or even socialist leaning.\nThe elections for the two houses of Congress showed a narrowing majority in each. With two special elections for Senate pending in Georgia on January 5, it looks likely that Republicans will hold a very narrow majority in the upper body. That alone guarantees that tax increases, court packing, climate change, government ordered health care, and other far left proposals of a potential Biden-Harris Administration would go nowhere, an accurate reflection of the national mood.\nIn the House, the Democrats apparently held their majority, but it will be much reduced as Republicans flipped as many as 15 seats and have net gains of 8 to 12. During a post-election conference call last week with her members, Speaker Nancy Pelosi proclaimed that the shrunken Democrat conference had a mandate even as Democrats on the call excoriated their party's policies and messages of the last two years. Don't let the national media fool you. This isn't a struggle between moderate Democrats and liberals because there aren't any moderate Democrats left in Congress after this year's primaries. This is a fight between liberals and socialists, the two groups that now make up Congressional Democrats.\nThe Republican side is a very different story. Though disappointed that we didn't retake the majority, we are heartened by our gains and believe we will succeed in the 2022 midterms. Many governorships and state houses were also elected last week, and they will reapportion their states next year with the census numbers from this year, thus determining the makeup of House districts for a decade. Even though President Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, spent enormous amounts of money to get Democrat control of these state houses nationally, his effort failed and Republicans will be in control of states with far more House seats than the Democrats will. By Election Day 2022, the map for House elections will be more favorable to Republican candidates than was the case last week. That Blue wave is actually a firmly rising Red sea in the House.\nI woke up the day after the election both pleased and disappointed. I wish Republicans had taken the House and had a larger majority in the Senate. And I truly wish we had a clear victory for President Trump, who may still win in the states with recounts and lawsuits. But, America once again proved the experts wrong by saying loudly who we are and who we aren't.\nWe aren't socialists or even liberals. We don't want massive change to our Republic. We won't let gender, race, religion or any other demographic category define us, because we are a people free to decide for ourselves what we believe and who we will vote for. We have spoken as a people and we don't need the news media and entertainment industry to act as if they speak for us. \nAnd it's the job of those who are elected to listen to the people of this country and not the out of touch elites on TV and the internet. Once again, they were wrong. By their votes the people of America said so.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/god-bless-our-veterans", "God Bless Our Veterans", "2020-11-06", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed. Originally known as Armistice Day, Congress later passed a resolution signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which officially designated November 11th as Veterans Day. Americans now pause on this special day each year to recognize all those, young and old, who have served our country in uniform.\nMy highest honor as a Member of Congress is representing and fighting for the men and women who serve us all. One of my top priorities is working on behalf of our servicemembers and veterans. Alabama's Second Congressional District is home to a notable amount of veterans and thousands of active duty and reserve personnel.\nMy office consistently provides our veterans with assistance because they deserve the utmost care and attention, and I recognize our local VA facilities have not always provided this to them. There is certainly much more work to do, but I am encouraged by the progress that has been made throughout my time in Congress and am hopeful our leaders will continue to fight for our veteran population. \nWhile we should honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans every day, Veterans Day provides a unique opportunity for us to come together as a nation and pay tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom. There are typically several parades and celebrations across the Second District to praise our veterans, but due to the current health pandemic, this year's activities look a little different. If you are interested in finding an opportunity to show your appreciation for our men and women who have served in uniform, I encourage you to look into these virtual COVID-friendly recommendations from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.\nThere are 17.4 million veterans living in the United States and nearly 400,000 in Alabama. I want to extend my most sincere gratitude to everyone who has served this country and to their families. Our country is great because of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice on our behalf. Please join me in saying thank you to all those who have served our nation.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-host-virtual-2020-grants-workshop-funding-department-justice", "Rep. Sewell to Host Virtual 2020 Grants Workshop on Funding from the Department of Justice", "2020-11-06", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Birmingham, AL- On Thursday, November 12th from 10:00-11:30 A.M. CST, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) will host a virtual Grants Workshop LIVE via Zoom focused on funding opportunities at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) entitled--Navigating Justice Department Grants: Bridging the Gap Between Community & Police. This virtual event is FREE and open to the public. Registration is required via Eventbrite found on the home page of Rep. Sewell's official website at Sewell.house.gov.\n\"I am excited to host this virtual grants workshop focused on the many funding opportunities available at the Justice Department. Participants will receive critical information about how to apply and win DOJ grants that support programs and initiatives like crime prevention, child abuse, youth engagement, domestic violence, drug abuse & prevention, mental health, human trafficking, and greater community and police cooperation. Applications for many of these DOJ grants can be made by community-based & faith-based organizations, non-profits, legal aid groups as well as state, city and county law enforcement, said Rep. Sewell. This year, DOJ has made changes to their grant application process, so it is imperative that all applicants understand the new system. Too often communities and organizations are unaware of the grant opportunities that are available. This virtual workshop will provide detailed information on the funding opportunities at DOJ that can assist in creating safer, more informed and healthier communities.\nThe virtual workshop will feature representatives from Alabama law enforcement, legal aid, nonprofits, grant writers as well DOJ officials to provide participants with an overview of Justice Department Grants and important application deadlines.\nFor additional information, visit Sewell.house.gov and for questions regarding the 2020 Justice Department Grants Workshop you can contact our Grants Coordinator Yolanda Clayton at the Birmingham office at (205) 254-1960. Registration is required via Eventbrite. Stay updated by following Rep. Sewell's official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.\nWHAT: Rep. Sewell's virtual workshop on Navigating Justice Department Grants: \"Bridging the Gap Between Community & Police\"\nWHEN: November 12, 2020\nTIME: 10:00-11:30 A.M. CST\nWHERE: Registration REQUIRED via Eventbrite, Broadcast via Zoom\nWHO: FREE & open to the public.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-icymi-rep-sewell-hosts-military-service-academy-preview-day-2020", "VIDEO: *ICYMI* Rep. Sewell Hosts Military Service Academy Preview Day 2020", "2020-11-06", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Birmingham, AL  Yesterday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07) hosted the first virtual Military Service Academy Preview day via Facebook Live with representatives from all 5 Military Service Academies and the Marion Military Institute. The panelists provided presentations about the admissions process, resources and scholarships available for students, and their personal experiences as U.S. Military Service Academy students or graduates.\n\"I hope all graduating seniors in Alabama's 7th District will consider applying to a U.S. Military Service Academy for college. I can attest to and hope all were able to witness during our presentations that it's a great way to get a scholarship for a great education, but also is a wonderful way to learn, see the world and serve your country,\" said Rep. Sewell. \"It is a requirement that you serve a minimum of 5 years in our nation's military. What a wonderful opportunity the U.S. Military Service Academies provide. Remember, the deadline is FRIDAY, November 6 to apply by mail through my Birmingham office!\"\nMilitary Service academy nomination applications are being accepted by Rep. Sewell's Birmingham office by MAIL until the November 6, 2020 deadline.\nOffice of Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell\nTwo 20th Street North, Suite 1130\nBirmingham, AL, 35203\n205.254.1960\nFor more information visit Rep. Sewell's official website at Sewell.house.gov to access the Military Service Academy Nomination checklist and application.\nNominating interviews for students will be conducted via Zoom on Saturday, November 21, 2020. For more information on Military Service Academy Nominations for 2020 please visit Rep. Sewell's website at Sewell.house.gov.\nBackground on Service Academies\nThere are five Service Academies: The United States Air Force (USAFA), Naval (USNA), Army at West Point (USMA), Merchant Marine (USMMA), and Coast Guard (USCGA) Academies. Nominations are required for all but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of their independent application process.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/yellowhammernewscom-brooks-byrne-aderholt-marshall-file-legal-briefs", "YELLOWHAMMERNEWS.COM: Brooks, Byrne, Aderholt, Marshall file legal briefs supporting exclusion of illegal aliens from congressional apportionment", "2020-10-31", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/alabama-congressmen-mo-brooks-bradley-byrne-robert-aderholt-file-amicus", "Alabama Congressmen Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne, & Robert Aderholt File Amicus Brief To U.S. Supreme Court to Protect Citizens' Equal Protection Voting Rights", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCFriday, Alabama Congressmen Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne & Robert Aderholt submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court inTrump v. New York, a case to resolve whether illegal aliens should be counted for the limited purpose of allocating Congressional seats and electoral college votes that determine the election of the President of the United States.\nBy way of background, a three-judge panel in the Southern District of New York issued a September 10, 2020 order blocking Trump Administration efforts to protect American citizen Equal Protection one-person, one vote rights from dilution caused by the counting of illegal aliens in the allocation of Congressional seats and electoral college votes. The Trump Administration sought review of the lower court's decision and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to that review request.\nCongressman Brooks' amicus brief supports President Trump's Memorandum and references the pending federal Northern District of Alabama case ofAlabama & Congressman Mo Brooks v. U.S. Census Bureau, which similarly challenges the Constitutionality of including illegal aliens in the 2020 Census count for the limited purpose of distributing political power among the states.\nOral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court inTrump v. New Yorkare scheduled for November 30, 2020.\nClick HERE to view the amicus brief\nSummary of theTrump v. New Yorkamicus brief submitted by Congressman Brooks:\n 14thAmendment Equal Protection, one-person, one-vote principles should be based on the population of persons lawfully in America, to specifically exclude illegal aliens.\n\tThe Southern District of New York's decision errs by gutting long-standing Equal Protection, one-person, one-vote principles by including illegal aliens whose very presence is prohibited by federal law.\n\tThe Southern District of New York's decision erroneously rewards sanctuary cities, counties and states that violate federal Immigration law by giving them disproportionate federal power in Congress and the election of presidents, to the detriment of law-abiding states like Alabama.\n Congressman Brooks said,Trump v. New Yorkis one of the most consequential cases to ever come before the U.S. Supreme Court. It quite literally will determine America's future for decades to come. Including illegal aliens (who, by definition, are transients and not residents of any state) in the census apportionment count undermines 14thAmendment Equal Protection, one-person, one-vote principles. That's why the State of Alabama (represented by Attorney General Steve Marshall) and I support President Trump's efforts to exclude illegal aliens from the 2020 Census count used to apportion political power among the states.\nBrooks continued,There are anywhere from eleven million (2010 Census estimate) to twenty-five million illegal aliens in America (no one knows for sure). Those numbers equate to roughly 15 to 33 Congressional seats and electoral college votes unconstitutionally taken from law-abiding, low-illegal alien population states like Alabama and shifted to high-illegal alien population, sanctuary states like California. Alabama is likely to lose a Congressional seat and electoral college vote after the 2020 census if the apportionment count includes illegal aliens, which, in turn, significantly diminishes Alabama's influence in Congress and presidential elections. Sanctuary states that flout federal law and therefore have high illegal alien populations should not be rewarded for their lawlessness.\nBrooks concluded,The U.S. Supreme Court has a consequential decision to make. Will it support lawlessness or will it support the Rule of Law and Equal Protection, one-person, one vote principles that have been the backbone of federal redistributing law for many decades? I hope our amicus brief helps the Court understand the ramifications of this case and persuades it to correctly decide this matter in favor of American citizens.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/covid-19-will-not-shake-our-democracy", "COVID-19 Will Not Shake Our Democracy", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Election Day is here, and it's safe to say that this year's election looks quite different than those of the past. As we continue to navigate the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, several protocols have been put in place nationwide to create cautious and healthy environments for in-person voting. A record-breaking number of Americans have already voted or plan to vote in the 2020 General Election, with over 75 million individuals having cast their ballots.\nAn estimated 4.9 million people live in the state of Alabama. In the 2020 March Primary Election, there was a total of 3,576,107 Alabamians registered to vote. Of those registered to vote, approximately 1,176,315 individuals  or 33 percent  actually exercised their right to vote in this year's primary. On Thursday, the Alabama Secretary of State's office announced that more than 259,200 Alabamians had voted by absentee, and Secretary of State John Merrill stated that 316,130 ballots had been requested.\nWhile the final statewide voter turnout will not be known until after Tuesday's election, it is vital we each take the time to exercise our right to vote as afforded to us by the U.S. Constitution. If you plan to vote in-person, please be sure to follow all local and statewide COVID-19 guidelines. Your participation is especially crucial as the number of daily new Coronavirus cases across the state are on the rise. For COVID-19 voting resources and information, visit sos.alabama.gov/covid-19-voting-resources.\nThe United States was founded on a strong set of principles that have shaped our nation and guided the American people for nearly 250 years. We will not allow a health pandemic to shake our democracy. We have been given the right to freely and openly express our beliefs and opinions, participate in civil public discourse, and vote to elect the individuals who lead our nation. If you have not already, I encourage you to exercise your right to vote and participate in the democratic process.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/alcom-rodney-smith-jr-alabama-politicians-want-keep-lawn-mowing-man-america", "AL.COM: Rodney Smith Jr.: Alabama politicians want to keep lawn mowing man in America", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/boom-331-annualized-gdp-growth-spurred-gop-governors-limiting-or-ending-0", "Boom! 33.1% Annualized GDP Growth Spurred by GOP Governors Limiting or Ending Shutdowns", "2020-10-29", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCThursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) celebrated the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' report that America's economy grew at a record 33.1% annualized rate in the 3rdquarter.[1]\nCongressman Brooks said,The American economy grew at an astounding 33.1% rate in the 3rd quarter, the best ever! That's huge! 33.1% is nearly twice America's 1950 quarterly economic growth record.[2] Per the White House Council of Economic Advisors, America has recovered two-thirds of the economic decline caused by dangerous city and state government shutdowns. It certainly has helped that the federal government has stopped paying people $600/week to NOT work!\nBrooks continued,President Trump said last month that the economic recovery from government-imposed economic shutdowns would be V-shaped.'[3] He's right! After a 31.4% GDP decrease in the 2ndquarter caused by the economic depressant effects of Mayor and Governor shutdowns, coupled with paying people more to stay home than work, the American economy took off like a rocket. It's encouraging to see such resilience in the American economy and the American people. But it's frightening that there are so many candidates across America who want to return to even more draconian government shutdowns and want to pay even more people more money not to work. Quite clearly, America's economic future is on the ballot this Tuesday. Prosperity or poverty. The voters will soon decide.\n###\n\n[1]https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product\n[2]https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/29/us-gdp-report-third-quarter-2020.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain\n[3]https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/16/trump-touts-v-shaped-economic-recovery-while-biden-sees-it-k-shaped.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/alpoliticalreporter-amy-coney-barrett-confirmed-supreme-court", "ALPOLITICALREPORTER: Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/waffcom-alabama-lawn-mowing-man-rodney-smith-jr-fighting-stay-us", "WAFF.COM: Alabama lawn mowing man, Rodney Smith Jr., fighting to stay in U.S.", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/whntcom-rodney-smith-jr-denied-green-card-launches-letter-campaign-hopes", "WHNT.COM: Rodney Smith Jr. denied green card, launches letter campaign in hopes to stay in America", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-stands-alabama-jobs-against-evil-communist-chinese", "Congressman Mo Brooks Stands Up for Alabama Jobs Against Evil Communist Chinese Trade Practices", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Tuesday, on behalf of Wellborn Cabinets in Ashland, Alabama, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) joined 34 of his House and Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan expressing concerns regarding evidence that Communist Chinese businesses may be engaged in transshipment, circumvention, and evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty orders on kitchen and bathroom cabinets.\nClick HERE to view the letter.\nCongressman Brooks said,According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, America's trade deficit for the month of August (the most recent data available) was $67.1 billion.[1] Of that $67.1 billion, America's trade deficit with Communist China was $26.4 billion.[2] This year to date, America's trade deficit with Communist China is $193.1 billion.[3] That's a $193.1 billion transfer to China, America's geopolitical foe, that they are using to build up their military and economic might. America cannot afford to hemorrhage money to Communist China. America needs to get tough on Communist China, and do it fast.\nBrooks concluded,When Communist China is found to engage in evil trade practices that harm American companies and threaten American jobs, we have to aggressively fight back. For too long, America rolled over and refused to confront Communist China's evil trade practices. That's why we have such huge deficits. That's why we are hemorrhaging money to our geopolitical foe that they're using against us. I urge Secretary Ross and Acting Commissioner Morgan to protect American jobs and aggressively pursue all options in stopping the outflow of money from America to Communist China.\n\nThe text of the letter to Ross and Morgan follows:\nDear Secretary Ross and Acting Commissioner Morgan,\nWe write to you on behalf of constituent businesses across the country that manufacture kitchen and bathroom cabinets. These companies are part of the United States' diverse manufacturing sector, providing good-paying jobs and bolstering local economies across our towns, cities, and states.\nWhile we recognize the benefits of global trade, we agree with these companies and their employees that trade must be conducted fairly. The industry filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against imports from China in 2019 to address concerns about unfair trade practices. The resulting investigation found material injury caused by unfairly-traded imports, and duties were imposed to level the playing field against these imports.\nIt is our understanding, however, that the domestic industry has found evidence that Chinese businesses may be engaged in transshipment, circumvention, and evasion of the AD/CVD orders. Our companies have availed themselves of the opportunity to file claims through the Customs e-allegation and Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) programs. These are serious allegations that, if true, undermine the recovery of our constituent companies as they attempt to reclaim lost U.S. market share, even after undertaking the time and expense of participating in the AD and CVD investigations. As such, we urge you to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of these claims and take swift action to address all attempts to evade these orders.\nThank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your response.\n\nSincerely,\n###\n\n[1] https://www.bea.gov/news/glance\n[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/06/us-trade-deficit-august-2020.html\n[3] https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-introduces-bill-to-protect-underwater-forest", "Byrne Introduces Bill to Protect Underwater Forest", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) today introduced the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act. His bill would designate the site, an ancient cypress forest found sixty feet underwater south of Gulf Shores, as a National Marine Sanctuary.\nByrne said:The underwater forest is another unique Alabama gem with global importance. As the only known site where a coastal ice age forest this old has been preserved in place, we must take action now to protect it. The Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act protects Alabamians ability to fish, dive, and recreate at the site while ensuring none of its invaluable artifacts can be removed or damaged. This designation will also open up further tourism opportunities along our Gulf Coast.\nI would like to thank Ben Raines, whose work with me after his discovery of the site has been instrumental in crafting this bill.\nNational Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) are areas of protected marine structures and ecosystems. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) defines NMSs as being areas of the marine environment which have special conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, archeological, scientific, educational, or esthetic qualities. An NMS can be designated either through administrative action by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or through legislative action by Congress. Byrne's bill would ensure protections to prevent restrictions on fishing, diving, and anchoring on the site.\nThe site, located in federal waters, was discovered by Ben Raines after the cypress trees were uncovered by waves associated with Hurricane Ivan.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-warns-of-hurricane-zeta-s-impact", "Byrne Warns of Hurricane Zetas Impact", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) issued the following statement after receiving briefings about Hurricane Zeta from FEMA, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (EMA), and the National Weather Service (NWS).\nByrne said:The Director of the National Hurricane Center has briefed me on Hurricane Zeta and its potential impact on southwest Alabama. It is projected to hit southeast Louisiana Wednesday night and move rapidly northeast. South Mobile County and Dauphin Island could see 5-8 feet of storm surge, and Mobile Bay, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach 3-5 feet. If you live in a low lying area you should evacuate before dark on Wednesday evening to a safer place. \nIf you live on higher ground in southwest Alabama please make your plans Wednesday to be wherever you plan to spend the night by dark Wednesday evening and do not leave until daylight Thursday as we will experience tropical storm force winds and 2-4 inches of rain which could cause flash flooding, downed trees or downed live power lines. This storm should pass through our area rapidly and be gone early Thursday. Let's all pray that this is the last storm of this hurricane season.\nAccording to NWS, Zeta will begin impacting Southwest Alabama Wednesday afternoon with the greatest impacts expected Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning. Information from NWS on hurricane preparation can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/yellowhammernewscom-nfib-names-alabamas-congressional-republicans-guardians", "YELLOWHAMMERNEWS.COM: NFIB names Alabama's congressional Republicans as 'Guardians of Small Business'", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "102 South Court Street\nSuite 310\n\n\nFlorence, AL 35630\n\n  Phone: (256) 718-5155  \n\tFax: (256) 718-5156", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-celebrates-confirmation-associate-justice-amy-coney", "Congressman Mo Brooks Celebrates Confirmation of Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCMonday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) released the following statement on the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett as associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.\nCongressman Brooks said, Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation today marks a huge win for those of us who believe judges must uphold the Constitution and federal law without inserting personal political views into decisions.\nBrooks continued, In her nomination acceptance speech, Amy Coney Barrett simply explained her judicial philosophy by saying, Judges are not policymakers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold.' This perfectly incapsulates the philosophy America needs more of on our federal courts.\nBrooks concluded, America's Founding Fathers brilliantly created three branches of government, with each being a check on the other two, and each having a defined role. Congress makes law, the Executive Branch implements law, and the Judiciary interprets and applies law. In my view, America is burdened with too many liberal, activist federal justices and judges who fail to abide by their role as limited by the Constitution. I am pleased President Trump nominated and the U.S. Senate confirmed a judge who understands the importance of limiting her role to that intended by America's founding fathers.\"\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-named-guardian-small-business-americas-leading", "Congressman Mo Brooks Named a \"Guardian of Small Business\" by America's Leading Small Business Advocacy Organization", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) has been named a Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), America's premier small business organization, for his 100% voting record in support of small business and job creation policies. The Guardian of Small Business is the NFIB's most prestigious legislative recognition.\nNFIB's Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners. Those who voted with small business on key issues 70% or more of the time during the 116th Congress earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. Congressman Brooks achieved a perfect 100% score on NFIB's How Congress Voted scorecard.\nClick HERE for NFIB's How They Voted scorecard.\nCongressman Brooks said, I appreciate the National Federation of Independent Business again honoring me as a Guardian of Small Business' for my 100% voting record on key issues important to America's small business job creators especially as America confronts COVID-19. To be clear, I support liberty-based, free enterprise economic policies that ensure prosperity. Conversely, I fight feel good' socialist policies that ultimately stifle economic growth and force poverty and economic destruction on every nation that recklessly succumbs to its siren song.\nBrooks concluded, With radical socialism gripping certain segments of America, it is more important now than ever to loudly speak out in defense of the foundational principles of freedom and liberty that have made America the greatest nation in world history. Patriotic Americans who understand the blessings of freedom and liberty must fight and win the war of ideas against those who embrace dictatorial socialism.\nThe NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is awarded to lawmakers who small businesses can truly count on,said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations. These Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are dedicated supporters of the key issues that our members are concerned about and have proven themselves to be real champions for small business. Our policy positions are driven by our members, and we report NFIB Key Votes back to our membership. We are proud to recognize the elected officials from the 116th Congress who earned this distinction by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and tax relief and opposing new regulations and increased labor costs. Small business owners across the country need their support now more than ever during these unprecedented times, and we are grateful to these lawmakers for their leadership.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/taking-a-vaccine-seriously", "Taking a Vaccine Seriously", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Since COVID-19 started to bare down on the U.S. in March we have been told that the ultimate solution would be an effective vaccine providing immunity to the vast majority who receive it. But, in almost the same breath we were told anti-viral vaccines take years to be developed and tested to show their safety and effectiveness. Indeed, the fastest a vaccine has ever been developed for widespread use has been four years. Four years!\nKnowing we couldn't wait that long, the Trump Administration launched Project Warp Speed, a federally funded and led public-private effort to develop an effective vaccine ready to be administered on a widespread basis in just one year  or even a little less than a year. Six manufacturers are currently working on their own individually developed vaccines and are in various stages of trials to assure their products are safe and effective.\nThe fact that six manufacturers using billions of federal dollars are all pushing for a vaccine at once is important for two reasons. First, the more making the effort, the greater the likelihood at least one will be successful. Second, if more than one are successful, then U.S. health care consumers will have options. As it is, the federal government has already ordered and these manufacturers are producing millions of doses so that when the testing is complete distribution will move very quickly so that we hasten the day we can return to the new normal.\nHow close are we? Manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer are in the final phase of their vaccines' trials involving tens of thousands of volunteers who are taking the vaccines or a placebo to determine safety and effectiveness. Public health authorities and leading scientists are cautiously optimistic that one or both of these, and perhaps a few of the others, will receive Federal Drug Administration approval by year's end. The first priority for administering the vaccine will be frontline health care providers, first responders, and senior citizens, the three groups most at risk from the disease. The hope is that they will be vaccinated by the end of next March and that the ramp up in production will allow widespread administration of one or more of the vaccines beginning in April, perhaps sooner.\nThis is dramatic, unparalleled progress. But there are those with their own political agenda undermining Operation Warp Speed by sowing distrust in the process. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom have been prominent in this regard, as has Democrat vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris. They are doing a disservice to the American people who need to have confidence the vaccine will be both safe and effective. I am particularly concerned that Black people will be reluctant to take the vaccine because of their bad experience with American health care in the past and because of this cynical pre-election messaging by prominent Democrats. Yet, the data is clear: Black people are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at relatively high rates. They need the vaccine, and injecting doubt into the process for purely political reasons is shameful.\nThe FDA will only approve one or more of these vaccines if the trial results and other data meet its appropriately high standards. That doesn't mean every person who gets the vaccine will develop complete immunity  that's not true for any vaccine. But the vast majority will become immune and those who don't and still come down with COVID-19 are likely to have a much less severe experience with the disease.\nI'm old enough to remember when everyone in the U.S. stood in line to get the polio vaccine in a sugar cube. As a result of that effort, annual new polio cases in the U.S. were reduced to 100 in the 1960s, and we have been polio free since 1979, eliminating the scourge of a disease which frightened everyone in the 1950s and 60s. And just think what it will mean for all of us to eliminate COVID-19. But that will happen only if the vast majority of us get the vaccine,\nSo, I want to be clear. I've already gotten my flu shot for the season and as soon as I can, I'm going to get vaccinated against COVID-19. I know the FDA will only approve a vaccine which has demonstrated through thorough trials and data that it is safe and effective, and you should have that confidence too. By the way, the vaccine will be free. At no cost, you will be able to protect yourself and those you love from this terrible disease and its dire effect on our economy and our very freedoms.\nDon't listen to the cynical politicians. Get vaccinated now for the flu and, when it's available, for COVID-19.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-usda-declares-additional-disaster-assistance-for-farmers", "Byrne: USDA Declares Additional Disaster Assistance for Farmers", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) released the following statement announcing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made an agricultural disaster designation for counties in Alabama affected by Hurricane Sally.\nByrne said:As farmers in Southwest Alabama continue to recover and rebuild after Hurricane Sally, USDA and the Trump administration continue to stand beside them and provide all the assistance possible. I am thankful for USDA's continued commitment to our farmers, and I encourage impacted farmers to apply for assistance.\nBaldwin and Mobile Counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas, and Clarke, Escambia, Monroe, and Washington were named contiguous counties in the declaration, making them eligible for assistance as well. Farmers should contact their local FSA office for information on how to apply for assistance. Additional information on USDA's disaster assistance program, including county lists and maps, can be found at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.\nOn September 28, Byrne hosted USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue in Baldwin County to hear firsthand from farmers impacted by Sally.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/palmer-applauds-confirmation-new-supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett", "Palmer Applauds Confirmation of New Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Gary Palmer", "P000609", "palmer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release  \n\tMedia Contact: Elizabeth Hance(202) 225-4921\nPalmer Applauds Confirmation of New Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett \nWashington, D.C.  Today, the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the newest Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06) released the following statement:\nI send my heartiest congratulations to the new Justice Barrett, Palmer said. President Trump could not have chosen a better candidate for the Supreme Court. Her impeccable legal record, faithfulness to the Constitution, and steady demeanor during her Senate hearings all indicate that she will serve our country with distinction and integrity. The confirmation of an eminently qualified, fair, and constitutionalist justice should instill confidence in the American people. I believe that Justice Barrett will refrain from being swayed by the political winds, and that she will enforce the laws as written, reserving the act of legislating to the Congress. I look forward to her service on our nation's highest court and extend my congratulations to her and her family.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-announces-9th-annual-and-first-virtual-job-fair-2020", "Rep. Sewell Announces 9th Annual and First Virtual Job Fair 2020", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Birmingham, AL- Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07) officially announced the opening of registration for Alabama's 7th District 9th Annual and first Virtual Job Fair. Job Fair 2020 will be a two-day event held virtually via Zoom on Wednesday & Thursday, November 18th & 19th from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. CST. Job Seekers will have the opportunity to connect with employers from 10 different industries. Registration is required via Eventbrite located on our website at Sewell.house.gov. Virtual Job Fair 2020 is FREE and open to the public.\n\"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I know so many jobs have been lost, and now more than ever our annual Job Fair is needed,\" said Rep. Sewell, \"For the past 8 years, the Job Fair has been a space for job seekers in Alabama's 7th Congressional District to connect directly with employers. We are very excited to continue our tradition with a robust 2020 virtual program! Over the course of two days, job seekers can learn about jobs available right NOW in Alabama.\"\nThis year's virtual event will feature employers from more than 10 types of industries, including:\n \nAutomotive\n\tRestaurant and Food Management\n\tTransportation and Construction\n\tHospitality and Retail\n\tHealth Services\n\tUtilities and Telecommunications\n\tManufacturing and Production\n\tStaffing Agencies\n\tGovernment Agencies\n\tLaw Enforcement", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=44770082-5961-4C24-8821-39E0F0A447D9", "Shelby: Senate Confirms Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court Justice", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today voted in support of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to serve as the next associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed Judge Barrett by a vote of 52-48.\r\n\r\nI am proud to have voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Throughout my career in the Senate, I have never seen a more eminently qualified judicial nominee. Not only has she demonstrated a deep commitment to the Constitution and its protections established by our Founding Fathers, but she has also displayed incredible integrity, humility, and impartiality. I am confident she will serve our country with honor on our nation's highest court.\r\n\r\nEarlier in the day, Senator Shelby delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding his backing of Judge Barrett's Supreme Court nomination.\r\n\r\nIn September, the Senator met with Judge Barrett following her nomination by President Trump to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Barrett currently serves as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and formerly clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to serving on the federal bench, she began teaching as a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, where she was awarded the Distinguished Professor of the Year award on three separate occasions.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=71D39C36-56D3-4D1E-AE60-1C5ED6B233ED", "Shelby Touts Amy Coney Barrett as Most Qualified Judicial Nominee in Senate Career", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) delivered remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett, describing her as the most qualified nominee he has encountered in his Senate career.\r\n\r\nDuring my time in the U.S. Senate, I have had the privilege of being a part of the confirmation process for each Justice currently sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court. As such, over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet with many of our nation's most talented jurists. At this time, I consider Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the most qualified Supreme Court nominee that I have encountered in my 34 years in the United States Senate, said Senator Shelby. \r\n\r\nAs a country, we should seek to have judges who are thoughtful, fair-minded, and respectful. Judge Barrett exemplifies all of these traits.  I have the utmost confidence that she will serve the Court and this country with honesty and integrity, Shelby continued.\r\n\r\nSenator Shelby met with Judge Barrett in September following her nomination by President Trump to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Barrett currently serves as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and formerly clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.\r\n\r\nThe Senator's full remarks, as prepared, are as follows:\r\n\r\nDuring my time in the U.S. Senate, I have had the privilege of being a part of the confirmation process for each Justice currently sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court.\r\n\r\nAs such, over the years, I have had the opportunity to meet with many of our nation's most talented jurists.\r\n\r\nAt this time, I consider Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the most qualified Supreme Court nominee that I have encountered in my 34 years in the United States Senate.\r\n\r\nJudge Barrett, born and raised in the New Orleans area, is the eldest of seven children.\r\n\r\nIf you take a look at her scholastic credentials, you know she was an exceptional student.\r\n\r\nJudge Barrett graduated magna cum laude from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.\r\n\r\nShe also graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where she was the executive editor of the Notre Dame Law Review and finished first in her class.\r\n\r\nJudge Barrett is no stranger to the courtroom. She has decades of exemplary professional legal experience that deem her well qualified to sit as a Supreme Court Justice.\r\n\r\nFollowing law school, Judge Barrett clerked for Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.\r\n\r\nOne year later, she clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Scalia  gaining fundamental legal experience that would help shape her future legal career.\r\n\r\nFrom there, she practiced law and taught as a visiting professor at George Washington University Law School. Judge Barrett went on to serve as a law professor for 15 years at her alma mater, Notre Dame Law School. In that span, she was awarded Notre Dame Law School's Distinguished Professor of the Year' award three separate times.\r\n\r\nMost recently, in 2017, Judge Barrett was confirmed as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. During that time, she authored 79 majority opinions as a circuit court judge.\r\n\r\nWhile Judge Barrett's education and professional experience are certainly noteworthy, it is her judicial philosophy and temperament that truly set her nomination apart.\r\n\r\nI am a firm believer that any nominee to the Supreme Court must demonstrate that he or she consistently and honorably applies the law, as it is written  impartially and equally to all individuals.\r\n\r\nJudge Barrett has time and again shown, through her opinions and statements, that she will base her decisions on the law and the Constitution  not on personal policy preferences.\r\n\r\nShe has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Constitution and its protections established by our Founding Fathers.\r\n\r\nWhen considering potential nominees to the Supreme Court, I find one's judicial temperament to be vitally important.\r\n\r\nThe American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary  which consists of 19 lawyers who conduct nonpartisan peer reviews of federal judicial nominees  relies on confidential assessments of judges, lawyers, law professors and deans, community leaders, and others with knowledge of the nominee.\r\n\r\nFor Judge Barrett, the committee invited 944 people to provide input. Here are a few of the comments provided: whip smart, highly productive, punctual and well-prepared;' a brilliant writer and thinker;' an intellectual giant with people skills and engaging warmth;' the myth is real, she is a staggering academic mind;' Barrett has demonstrated stellar judicial temperament in all settings: she is often described as a good listener who makes time for people, whether they are law students, law clerks, colleagues, or friends.'\r\n\r\nAlso of note are these comments from Randall Noel, the chair of the ABA Standing Committee: Barrett is incredibly honest and forthright;' Barrett is an exemplar of living an integrated life in which her intellect, integrity, and compassion weave the different threads of her life together seamlessly;' all of the experienced, dedicated, and knowledgeable sitting judges, legal scholars, and lawyers who have worked with or against Judge Barrett had high praise for her intellect and ability to communicate clearly and effectively.'\r\n\r\nIt is no surprise that the American Bar Association found Barrett's professional competence to have exceeded their high standards for Supreme Court nominees.\r\n\r\nAs a country, we should seek to have judges who are thoughtful, fair-minded, and respectful. Judge Barrett exemplifies all of these traits.\r\n\r\nI consider the Constitutional role of advice and consent on Supreme Court nominees to be one of my most important responsibilities here in the Senate.\r\n\r\nJudge Amy Coney Barrett is as qualified for the United States Supreme Court as any nominee that I have encountered, and I have the utmost confidence that she will serve the Court and this country with honesty and integrity.\r\n\r\nI look forward to voting to confirm her nomination and encourage my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.\r\n\r\nI yield the floor.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/be-sure-dispose-unused-drugs", "Be Sure to Dispose of Unused Drugs", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While the news cycle is currently centered around the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, it is important we remember and shed light on other potentially devastating issues that impact our nation. Aside from the pandemic, the United States is in the middle of a serious public health crisis that is hurting communities of all sizes. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost due to opioid addiction and abuse in recent years. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 70,000 people died from drug overdoses last year. Seven out of ten of those deaths resulted from the use of opioids.\nPrescription drugs can be a safe and effective way to manage certain conditions when carefully used as prescribed and monitored by your doctor. However, if misused, these drugs can cause much harm and destruction  especially when they find themselves in the wrong hands. A common example of mishandling opioids is when individuals leave unused prescription pills in their medicine cabinet and forget they are there.\nSaturday, October 24, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which aims to address this critical health issue. This annual initiative provides Americans an opportunity to responsibly dispose of unused prescription drugs while also raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse. Over 23 million pounds of medications have been effectively collected across the nation since the first Take Back Day in 2010.\nDue to the Coronavirus, collection sites may be limited in your area. If you or someone you know is looking to safely drop off any unconsumed medications, you can find more information about Take Back Day and specific collection sites on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website at takebackday.dea.gov. If you are unable to participate in Take Back Day, unused drugs can also be disposed of year round.\nIn Congress, we have made great strides toward addressing this tragic epidemic that continues to destroy lives in the state of Alabama and the entire country. The problem has grown too large to solve itself, and while I am proud of the steps we've taken in Congress, much work remains in this fight. American lives depend on leaders at both the federal, state, and local levels, and our work is far from being complete. We must remain unified and coordinated in our efforts so that we can continue to fight this battle with the aggression it requires.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-accepting-military-service-academy-nominations-2020", "Rep. Sewell Accepting Military Service Academy Nominations for 2020", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Birmingham, AL  Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) is currently accepting 2020 Military Service Academy nomination applications.\nThe official 2020 nominating process for Military Service Academies is open! Each year I have the great privilege of nominating a select number of applicants to four of the five military service academies. One of my most satisfying duties as a Member of Congress is nominating young people from my district to these historic institutions, stated Rep. Sewell.\nTo be considered for an appointment to a military service academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law, be legally domiciled within the boundaries of Alabama's 7th Congressional District. Students MUST complete a 2020 Nomination application, which can be found here or on Rep. Sewell's website at Sewell.house.gov.\nSubmissions must be received by the Birmingham office by U.S. mail postmarked no later than Friday, November 6, 2020;\nOffice of Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell  \n\tTwo 20th Street North, Suite 1130  \n\tBirmingham, AL, 35203  \n\t205.254.1960\nOn Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 4:00pm CST Congresswoman Sewell will host a virtual Military Service Academy Preview Day with representatives from all 5 Service Academies who will provide information and answer questions about each of the military service academies. Students and parents can register via this zoom link for the Military Service Academy Preview Day.\nNominating interviews for students will be conducted on Saturday, November 21, 2020 via Zoom. For more information on Military Service Academy Nominations for 2020 please visit Rep. Sewell's website at Sewell.house.gov.\nBackground on Service Academies\nThere are five Service Academies: The United States Air Force (USAFA), Naval (USNA), Army at West Point (USMA), Merchant Marine (USMMA), and Coast Guard (USCGA) Academies. Nominations are required for all but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of their independent application process.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=C34CB40A-7C5D-4A89-8BFC-AAFEEC48BFB1", "Shelby Applauds $37 Million in USDA Investments to Expand Internet Access in Alabama", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today announced six rural broadband awards for infrastructure projects around the state, totaling $37 million in federal funding. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been made available through the department's Broadband ReConnect Program.\r\n\r\nConnectivity is critically important for families, businesses, farms, and public safety and community services  particularly during a time when remote access is paramount, said Senator Shelby. These USDA grants will help provide high-speed internet access to thousands of Alabamians in rural areas. I am proud that the Administration has awarded this $37 million investment to our state and look forward to the benefits it will bring to 14 counties in central Alabama.\r\n\r\nThe USDA funding will impact the following Alabama counties: Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Choctaw, Coosa, Crenshaw, Ellmore, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Talladega, and Washington.\r\n\r\nThe ReConnect Program, administered by the USDA Rural Development Rural Utility Service, is a broadband pilot program created by Congress to provide USDA Rural Development financing and funding options for broadband deployment in rural areas that lack sufficient access to broadband. These investments are part of the $550 million Congress appropriated to the second round of the ReConnect Program in Fiscal Year 2019. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Shelby has secured more than $1.7 billion in federal funding the ReConnect Program since 2018. The CARES Act, passed in March, provided an additional $100 million for grants under the ReConnect Program.\r\n\r\nDetailed information on the USDA ReConnect grants for broadband infrastructure projects in Alabama is as follows:\r\n\r\n \r\nMillry Telephone Company  $8.3 million to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,444 people, 84 farms, 46 businesses, four fire stations, and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Choctaw and Washington counties in Alabama.\r\nHayneville Telephone Company  $1.5 million to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,481 people, 19 farms, nine businesses, and four educational facilities to high-speed broadband internet in Lowndes County, Alabama.\r\nCentral Alabama Electric Cooperative  $8.6 million to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 13,853 people, 149 farms, 77 businesses, and one fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Bibb, Chilton, Perry, Autauga, Talladega, Elmore, and Coosa counties in Alabama.\r\nMon-Cre Telephone Cooperative  $5.8 million to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,546 people, 36 farms, 19 businesses, and three fire stations to high-speed broadband internet in Crenshaw, Lowndes, and Montgomery counties in Alabama.\r\nMoundville Telephone Company  $166,000 to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 111 people and a farm to high-speed broadband internet in Hale County, Alabama.\r\nPine Belt Telephone Company  $6.5 million grant and $6.5 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 5,799 people, 143 farms, 83 businesses, five fire stations, five educational facilities and four post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Perry, Hale, and Marengo counties in Alabama.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-announces-federal-investment-award-over-17-million-dredge", "Rep. Sewell Announces Federal Investment Award of Over $1.7 Million to Dredge the Port of Epes Industrial Park", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced the $1.7 million investment award from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to improve access and increase economic opportunities for the Port of Epes Industrial Park in Livingston/Sumter County, AL. The Congresswoman has worked for several years with local officials and the University of West Alabama in their efforts to boost industrial transportation access to promote export development, attract additional investments, support business resilience, and strengthen the economy of the Black Belt.\nI am so excited that the Port of Epes in Livingston has been granted the funding necessary to promote economic opportunity for our workers and families in the Black Belt, said Rep. Sewell. There is nothing more important to me than increasing opportunity in my district. That is why I have fought so hard to make Alabama's Opportunity Zone program work for areas like the Black Belt, where communities will most benefit from investments and job development.\n\"We at the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission are excited to learn today that the Economic Development Administration has awarded $1.7 million dollars to the University of West Alabama to improve barge access to the Port of Epes in Sumter County Alabama. This grant which is located in an Opportunity Zone will help create 85 jobs with a $175 million dollar private investment,\" said John Clyde Riggs, Executive Director of the Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission, \"Thanks go out to Congresswoman Terri Sewell for her assistance in securing this much needed grant.\"\nWe are immensely appreciative of this grant award from the U.S. Department of Commerce that will allow UWA the opportunity to expand our economic and workforce development efforts for a 10-county rural area that we serve, said University of West Alabama (UWA) President KenTucker.In 2018, UWA shifted its outreach focus to economic and workforce development, and in a very short time, this division has helped secure nearly $5 million in external funding for the Port of Epes, plus nearly $5 million for other economic and workforce development initiatives in our region.\nAs a regional university whose mission includes improving the quality of life for the region, UWA has long seen education as an engine that drives economic and workforce development, and this $1.7 million will have a transformative influence on the people of west Alabama and beyond for many years to come, said Dr. Tina N. Jones, Vice President of UWA's Division of Economic and Workforce Development. We are eager to continue our efforts to establish the partnerships and innovative initiatives that will strengthen the impact of this generous investment for our region and rural Alabama.\nIt is critical that we continue to work together with organizations and agencies at every level to provide a foundation for the Black Belt by showcasing all that it has to offer to the rest of the world, said Allison T. Brantley, director of economic development at UWA. We want to do far more than merely sustain our economy. We want to match assets, resources, and opportunities in such a way that says to industries and developers not only are we a viable option, but we are the best option.\nThe University of West Alabama applied for the EDA investment grant with the Industrial Development Authority of Sumter County. The total investment amount is $1,731,900 with projected 85 jobs created and $175 million in private investment.\nEDA grants are awarded through a competitive process based upon the application's merit, the applicant's eligibility, and the availability of funds. More information on EDA's grant process and investment process can be found at www.eda.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-works-protect-260-decatur-jobs-national-security", "Congressman Mo Brooks Works to Protect 260 Decatur Jobs, National Security", "2020-10-16", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) announced Friday a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Foreign-Trade Zone Board on behalf of Hexcel Corporation in Decatur requesting that a Japanese competitor company not be granted duty-free treatment for imported fibers used to manufacture carbon fiber.\nClick HERE to download Congressman Brooks' letter.\nCongressman Brooks said, America's trade policy should always put American jobs first, especially when national security is at stake. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Foreign-Trade Zone Board is faced with the decision to promote American jobs and manufacturing threatened by foreign competition. It couldn't be more clear cut. Hexcel in Decatur employs 260 Americans who manufacture polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber which is used in making carbon fiber, an essential material for multiple Department of Defense weapon systems. A Japanese firm wants to import PAN fiber duty-free, undercutting Hexcel's investments in American-based production. I wrote to the U.S. Commerce Department's Foreign-Trade Zone Board urging the board to deny the Japanese company duty-free treatment on imported PAN fiber. The board should stand up for American manufacturing jobs and refuse to incentivize foreign production.\n\nText of Congressman Brooks' letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce follows:\nOctober 13th, 2020\nAndrew McGilvray, Executive Secretary\nU.S. Foreign-Trade Zone Board\nU.S. Department of Commerce\n1401 Constitution Ave., NW\nWashington, D.C. 20230\n\nDear Mr. McGilvray:\nI am writing to provide formal comments regarding a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) application (docket number B-52-2020) submitted by Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. (Teijin) of Greenwood, South Carolina. If Teijin's application is approved, it would be afforded duty-free treatment for imported polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber from Japan.\nThe state of Alabama is the single largest domestic producer of (PAN) fiber, which is the critical precursor in the carbon fiber production process. PAN fiber that is manufactured in Alabama is then shipped to facilities in Utah, where it is processed into finished carbon fiber by the Hexcel Corporation.\nHexcel currently employs hundreds of workers in Decatur, Alabama that manufacture PAN fiber. On behalf of those workers, I am expressing strong opposition to the Teijin FTZ application. Teijin is a direct competitor of Hexcel in the U.S. carbon fiber market. Granting duty-free entry to PAN fiber for Teijin would undermine Hexcel's fully integrated production model, where all manufacturing steps, including PAN fiber production, take place in the United States. Granting Teijin's request would needlessly damage Hexcel's investment in U.S. facilities and jeopardize American jobs.\nAllowing Teijin, or any other importer, access to duty-free PAN fiber diminishes the incentive to invest in new or enhance existing domestic PAN fiber manufacturing. Instead of providing these types of unnecessary incentives for offshore production, the U.S. economy would be better served through policies that further promote domestic PAN fiber production.\nI would be remiss if I did not emphasize that carbon fiber is an essential base material for multiple Department of Defense weapon systems. Carbon fiber has numerous important military applications, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground vehicles, satellites and missile systems. In that carbon fiber cannot be produced without PAN fiber, it should be a high priority within all relevant federal agencies to ensure that U.S. production of PAN fiber is encouraged and strengthened. Doing so will help secure a stable domestic supply of military-grade carbon fiber that is not dependent on imports for critical precursors, such as PAN fiber.\nAs a result of the negative implications for state of Alabama, as well as the overall U.S. economy and our nation's military, I strongly urge you to reject the Teijin application.\nThank you for your consideration of our views in this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\nMo Brooks\nMember of Congress\n\ncc: Joseph C. Semsar, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/why-our-teachers-make-difference", "Why Our Teachers Make a Difference", "2020-10-16", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Earlier this month, we celebrated World Teachers' Day  a day dedicated to showing gratitude to all of our wonderful educators. As students have learned to adapt to new methods of schooling as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, teachers have worked overtime to ensure their students continue to receive a proper and meaningful education. Our educators play a significant role in the lives of our children, expanding their knowledge and abilities and preparing them for the future.\nA solid education has the power to change a life. Educators show up to their classrooms each morning motivated to impact their students. Teachers are some of the best role models for our children giving them purpose, setting them up for success, and inspiring them to do well.\nNot only is a good education important for the individual student, but access to education affects the world around us. The education of our youth is vital to the growth and development of our communities as well as the prosperity of our nation. Giving students the opportunity to learn provides skills that are needed to compete in the global marketplace. Knowledge is a powerful tool that changes the world around us for the better.\nOur local schools throughout this pandemic have certainly demonstrated their ability to make their own decisions regarding the education and well-being of their students and faculty. The Alabama State Department of Education and the Alabama Department of Public Health have provided resourceful information regarding the return to school in the 2020-2021 school year.\nAlthough World Teachers' Day has passed, I encourage you to communicate your appreciation to any teachers who have impacted you and your children. These are surely challenging times for all, but especially for our teachers. Though my words cannot express the admiration I have for all of the incredible teachers across our state and country, I would like to give a special thank you to each and every educator for your passion and hard work.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-sewell-and-smith-lead-letter-protect-dialysis-patients-access", "Reps. Sewell and Smith Lead Letter to Protect Dialysis Patients Access to Treatment", "2020-10-16", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) led a bipartisan group of 42 Members of Congress in a letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who will be enrolling in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in 2021 have access to a sufficient number of providers and locations to access their dialysis care. The bipartisan letter was written in response to CMS's decision to remove outpatient dialysis facilities from time and distance standards in Medicare Advantage (MA).\nRead the full letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma.\nAs representative of a congressional district with one of the highest rates of dialysis patients in the country, I am deeply concerned about the consequences of CMS's decision to remove outpatient dialysis facilities from time and distance standards in Medicare Advantage, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, said Rep. Terri Sewell. It is incumbent on CMS to carefully monitor network adequacy and patient access, as well as maintain the current standards for ESRD patients who transition to Medicare Advantage. Network adequacy protections are critical to ensure that dialysis patients, who are among the most medically fragile patients, have unfettered access to adequate coverage of the dialysis care they depend on.\nThe elimination of the time and distance standards would result in increased travel time for ESRD patients in rural areas and undermine the intent of the ESRD Choice Act. said Rep. Smith. It is vital that ESRD patients enrolling in Medicare Advantage have access to an outpatient dialysis facility near their home and I look forward to working with CMS to ensure ESRD patients enrolling in Medicare Advantage have the protections they deserve.\nDue to the removal of network adequacy protections for outpatient dialysis care by CMS, the 2021 transition that allows all ESRD patients to enroll in MA will not meet its full potential to improve outcomes, and dialysis patients who enroll in MA will be at greater risk due to weakened network adequacy protections. Specifically, ESRD patients could have increased travel time to covered dialysis facilities, which has been shown to negatively impact patients' quality of life, adherence to treatment, and overall health outcomes.\nData shows that African American, Hispanic, and low-income patients are disproportionately impacted by ESRD. These populations already face significant disparities in care access and outcomes. Moreover, ESRD is a key risk factor for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. At a time when ESRD patients are particularly vulnerable to increased public exposure and changes in their care routine, patients should be able to access the most clinically appropriate facility-based care close to home.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/business-and-school-lockdowns-don-t-work", "Business and School Lockdowns Dont Work", "2020-10-15", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The United States is such a big and diverse country with transparent sources of information and data that we are the world's lab for various policy practices. Take the response to COVID-19. Some states closed down early and hard and stayed that way for a long time. Others were more judicious about their closure, closing later and with less severity, and came out more quickly. Those same hard lockdown states have been reticent to reopen schools for in-person learning whereas the more open states have reopened more schools for in person learning.\nWho was right?\nLet's start with the lockdowns. In general, the states with the earliest and hardest lockdowns have had the worst economic outcomes. Think New York and nearby New Jersey, two of the most locked down states in the nation. New York's August unemployment rate, for example, was 12.5%, and New Jersey's was 11%, whereas the national rate was 8.4%. Here in Alabama, where the lockdown was moderate and we have largely reopened, the August unemployment rate was 5.6%. New York state government is facing huge deficits while Alabama just finished its fiscal year in the black. \nThe defenders of New York and New Jersey's practices argue that those two states were better at protecting their people from the worst of the disease. OK, fair enough. New York's extreme efforts to protect their people resulted in a case fatality rate of 6.5%, and New Jersey had an even worse fatality rate of 7.5%. Alabama's rate? 1.6%. When your economy is substantially underperforming the U.S. economy and your people are dying at a much faster rate from COVID-19 despite your lockdown, perhaps it's time to rethink things.\nLast week, led by three leading public health experts, over 13,000 epidemiologists, public health scientists and health care practitioners from all over the world signed a petition calling for the lockdowns to end and for the world to return to a new normal, citing the physical and mental health issues caused by the lockdown policies. The World Health Organization echoed this call a few days later.\nAnd schools? I've advocated for a return to in-person learning going back to this past July based upon data, reports and testimony those of us on the House Education and Labor Committee had received. In-person learning returned for many students around the country, and here in Alabama, in August. Many of the experts warned of spikes in the disease among those returning to school and made dire threats of these spikes spreading to older adults. Well, it's two months later and experts such as Emily Oster of Brown University agree there has been no spike in the disease among these students. You can find a short article she wrote on her findings in the Atlantic Monthly datedOctober 9. Yet, as I noted in July, those students not returning to school in person face lifelong losses in learning, a point no one has argued with.\nSo the verdict is in. Economic and societal shutdowns which have wrecked parts of our country and the world should be reduced to only those circumstances which clearly place people at great risk. This would include continued limitations on mass indoor gatherings, but a lessening of restrictions on outdoor events where people can spread out and on large indoor meetings where people can spread out. Restaurants, which have been opened for over five months now in Alabama, should open everywhere, including for indoor dining, and retail should be reopened everywhere as well. Travel restrictions should be lifted except for countries with exceptionally high rates of the disease in recent weeks, and for those with little transparency. I have been traveling these last few months without any problem and our travel and tourist industries need to come back.\nAnd schools should reopen everywhere for students to return for in-person learning. I am proud to report that as of the beginning of this month that is true for all schools in southwest Alabama. Again, that has been the case in many schools across Alabama for two months without a serious spike in the disease. In-person education is clearly far superior to virtual learning and those who have the most to lose are poor students as well as children of color. Without in-person education they will slide even further behind, and their educational deficit is the main driver of inequality in America.\nI'm aware that some parts of the U.S. are led by people who simply won't open up. I believe in federalism and that is their prerogative. But, the rest of us shouldn't bail them out as the Democrats have demanded in Washington. If they want to stay closed and are suffering as a result, they shouldn't expect the rest of the country to enable their poor choices.\nShutting down doesn't work. So, it's time, it's past time, to open up, carefully and safely. And now we know that opening up actually does work.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-praises-launch-alabama-wastewater-project", "Rep. Sewell Praises Launch of Alabama Wastewater Project", "2020-10-15", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) praises the launch of an Alabama Wastewater project in the Black Belt by Columbia World Projects. The project, Addressing the Gap in Reliable Affordable Wastewater Services to Improve Public Health, provides a $710,000 investment to pilot a new approach to wastewater treatment that is equitable, technically feasible and financially sustainable for underserved, low-income communities, like in Alabama's Black Belt.  \n\t  \n\tColumbia World Projects is a major initiative at Columbia University that mobilizes the university's researchers and scholars to work with governments, organizations, businesses and communities to tackle global challenges. The project is a collaborative effort by various disciplines of Columbia University with the University of Alabama; the University of South Alabama; Auburn University, the University of California, Irvine; the University of North Carolina; and a consortium of Alabama-based partners representing government agencies, community-based organizations and other stakeholders.  \n\t  \n\tI am grateful to Columbia World Projects for their investment in my district and in Alabama's rural Black Belt to address the challenges posed by failing wastewater infrastructure. This project will build upon the progress my office has made over the years to secure vital federal funding for cost-effective rural sewer and wastewater systems, said Rep. Terri Sewell. In Alabama and many rural communities across the country, failing septic tanks and deteriorating wastewater infrastructure has left an untold number of families with untreated sewage in their yards and local waterways. I have seen this crisis first-hand in the Black Belt. Thanks to this outstanding project, Alabama's 7th Congressional District will serve as a model for how we can successfully address the health and environmental impacts of failing wastewater infrastructure by providing rural Americans with affordable decentralized wastewater treatment systems that work.  \n\t  Nicholas Lemann, Director of Columbia World Projects states: This project brings together university researchers and rural communities in Alabama to tackle a long-standing source of inequality  the lack of affordable, reliable wastewater services. Closing this gap will not only be good for the heath, environment and livelihoods of people living in these underserved parts of Alabama  as Representative Sewell has long fought to do  but also may serve as a model for communities across the world grappling with similar challenges.  \n\t  \n\tAcross the United States, wastewater and sanitation systems are failing, leading to contaminated water supplies, parasitic infections, and environmental degradation. The wastewater challenges in the rural Black Belt region of Alabama are particularly acute, further exacerbating pervasive inequalities across the region.  \n\t  \n\tThe project will engage with communities in rural Alabama and will leverage newly emerging technologies to:\n Investigate and quantify the negative health, environmental and economic impacts of wastewater systems failures, expanding on research funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\tDesign and pilot a clustered, decentralized wastewater treatment system based on new technology, and demonstrate the sanitation-related health and environmental benefits in the pilot area.\n\tDevelop new models and analytical tools to enable other communities and stakeholders to identify appropriate solutions for dealing with wastewater challenges.\n\tProduce best practices for adopting new financial and operational models for wastewater treatment.\n Rep. Sewell has worked tirelessly to secure federal wastewater funding so that every Alabama resident, especially those in Alabama's 7th Congressional District, has access to basic wastewater sanitation.  \n\t  \n\tMost recently, Rep. Sewell introduced the Decentralized Wastewater Grant Act of 2020 to make available additional federal funding for families to repair and replace failing wastewater systems. The legislation would establish a grant program under the Clean Water Act, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to help low- and moderate-income households connect their homes to existing wastewater infrastructure or install or upgrade individually owned decentralized wastewater systems. If passed, this funding would be in addition to the grant program Sewell expanded in the 2018 Farm Bill that is administered by the Department of Agriculture.  \n\t  \n\tA comprehensive rundown on Sewell's wastewater efforts is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/fall-2020-update", "Fall 2020 Update", "2020-10-14", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Gary Palmer", "P000609", "palmer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "We do not havea government by the majority. We havea government bythe majoritywho participate. -Thomas Jefferson\nDear Friends,\nIn his Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. This and the quote from Thomas Jefferson above should tell you how important it is to participate in the electoral process. We have a choice to participate in the process or to be governed by those who participate in the process. According USA Facts, voter participation in the last decade is 45% for midterm elections and 57% for presidential elections. Thus, even in a presidential year, 43% of eligible voters are remaining silent. This robs them of their voice in determining policies that impact them. I would encourage you to be a participant. Study the issues, talk with others, and even consider volunteering, especially this year, when much help will be needed to open voting precincts. There are many things to do over the next few weeks. I wantto encourage you to think about what your right to vote really means. It is not just your right, but it is also part of our right to govern ourselves.\nTo read full newsletter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/fighting-cure", "Fighting for a Cure", "2020-10-09", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international campaign aimed at increasing awareness of this common disease, with the long-term goal of someday ending it entirely. Although deaths from breast cancer continue to decline, they're falling at a slower rate than in previous years, and the number of cases we're seeing is rising. It is important that we take this opportunity to talk about breast cancer facts, warning signs and risks, treatment options, and more.\nEach year in the United States, over 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 42,000 lose their battle with this terrible disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that around 276,480 new cases will be diagnosed this year with 42,170 deaths. Breast cancer is not as nearly as common among men as it is with women, but it is still possible for men to develop this disease. An estimated 2,620 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.\nBreast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S., and there are currently more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors across America. Although certain risk factors like age, gender, and genetics cannot be prevented, there are some steps you can take to lower your risk of developing breast cancer. The American Cancer Society says maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly can help. It's also essential to visit your doctor for regular screenings if you are above the age of 40.\nEvery summer, female Members of Congress play against the women of the Washington press corps in the friendly, yet competitive, Congressional Women's Softball Game. This annual occasion is a charity event that benefits breast cancer survivors. Although this year's game was cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, I am honored to have had the great privilege to participate in years past throughout my time in Congress. I'm inspired by this bipartisan group of women who come together  putting politics aside  to focus on bringing attention to this dreaded disease.\nIf you are currently battling breast cancer or have lost a loved one to this disease, please know that my prayers are with you. Please take the time this month to expand your knowledge surrounding breast cancer. For more information, visit https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer.html.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/columns/a-do-nothing-congress", "A Do Nothing Congress", "2020-10-06", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress was sent home by Speaker Pelosi last Friday without securing a deal with the White House or the Senate on the next COVID bill. While we were told we might get a 24-hours' notice to return, our calendar doesn't show us coming back to Washington until November 16.\nPresident Truman ran against the Republican majority 80th Congress (1947-49) as the Do Nothing Congress because it considered but refused to pass his Fair Deal program of liberal government initiatives as a follow on to President Roosevelt's New Deal. In actuality, the 80th Congress was a very active one, passing major legislation including aid to Greece and Turkey as they faced Soviet-backed Communist insurgencies and the Marshall Plan, both significant parts of Truman's anti-Communist program. They also passed the Taft-Hartley Act, which revised the National Labor Relations Act, and the National Security Act, a dramatic reorganization of U.S. defense and security efforts, including the creation of the Department of Defense, the Air Force, the CIA, and the National Security Council.\nThe 116th Congress hasn't come close to matching that level of legislative production. We spent virtually all last year on hearings regarding the Mueller investigation and the Democrats' failed attempt to have President Trump removed from office. This year we had the sorry spectacle of the Speaker ripping up her copy of the President's State of the Union address and then a hurried flight from Washington in the Spring and continuing into the summer. \nWe have passed four COVID bills which have been important to the national response to the disease and its effects on the economy, but nothing else of such national importance. We wasted a Saturday session in August on a false issue regarding the Postal Service (see how quickly that's been forgotten) and chased our tails on numerous messaging bills that have no chance in the Senate. For its part, the Senate continues to confirm new conservative judges for the Federal judiciary because it doesn't need the House to do that.\nPelosi did push yet another of her COVID bills last week which barely passed after 16 of her own members voted against it. The Senate won't take it up, however, as it contains a host of non-COVID policies like marijuana banking and because it cuts funding to law enforcement (Defund the Police the Democrats say) while providing too much money to blue state and local governments which have totally mismanaged their COVID response.\nWe actually ended the week on a resolution condemning the QAnon conspiracy theory which was hardly an issue worth House attention during a pandemic. And then we left for six weeks.\nI wasn't elected to Congress to waste time, and my first five years were largely productive even when the House had a Republican majority and Barack Obama was President. But these last two years have been a waste in the House because of Speaker Pelosi's choice to use our valuable time on pointless failed attacks on President Trump and totally unrealistic messaging billsthat is, when she hasn't sent us away from Washington for weeks at a time.\nI don't know what to predict when we return in November. It probably depends on who wins the elections. But if past is prologue, we in the House will end this Congress not with a bang but with wearied and loud gridlock, doing little or nothing, a true Do Nothing Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-applications-for-federal-food-assistance-now-available-after", "Byrne: Applications for Federal Food Assistance Now Available after Hurricane Sally", "2020-10-06", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) released the following statement after the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) received federal approval to distribute Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits to qualifying non-SNAP residents living in Baldwin, Escambia, and Mobile counties in the wake of Hurricane Sally.\nByrne said:Hurricane Sally caused significant damage and imposed significant hardships throughout Southwest Alabama, but the federal government has been totally committed to help us through this tough time. I am thankful that USDA has approved this latest round of assistance, and I encourage residents of qualifying counties to check on their eligibility and apply if eligible.\nThe online pre-screening form for disaster food assistance for non-SNAP households affected by Hurricane Sally in Baldwin and Escambia counties can be accessed from 6:oo am  7:00 pm through Friday, October 9. Mobile County residents will be able to access the pre-screening form beginning on Tuesday, October 13.\nDHR will determine eligibility based on a household's income, resources, disaster-related expenses, and other circumstances. The agency will certify eligible households for 1 month and issue the maximum allotment based on household size according to FNS' Fiscal Year 2020 Disaster Gross Income Limits.\nCurrent SNAP recipients are not eligible for D-SNAP, due to already being approved for replacement benefits last month.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-congratulates-foley-mayor-john-koniar-on-remarkable-career-in", "Byrne Congratulates Foley Mayor John Koniar on Remarkable Career in Public Service", "2020-10-02", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) spoke today on the floor of the House of Representatives to congratulate Foley Mayor John Koniar upon his retirement.\nCongressman Byrne said: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mayor John Koniar of Foley on his upcoming retirement after a remarkable career in public service.\nMayor Koniar began his official service to the people of Foley upon his election to the City Council in 1980. He began serving as Mayor Pro Tem in 1996 and served until his appointment to mayor in 2006. The people of Foley have shown their continued trust in Mayor Koniar by reelecting him in 2008, 2012, and 2016.\nMayor Koniar has been absolutely indispensable in the promotion of Foley and its remarkable growth over the past several decades. Despite that growth, Foley has maintained its small-town Alabama charm, so exemplified by Mayor Koniar himself. He leaves big shoes to fill, but in no small part due to his leadership, Foley is better positioned than ever. \nIt has been a pleasure to work with Mayor Koniar during my time in Congress, and I wish him and his family all the best in as they embark upon this new stage.\nI yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-new-red-snapper-data-will-prove-feds-undercount-fishery", "Byrne: New Red Snapper Data Will Prove Feds Undercount Fishery", "2020-10-02", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) made the following statement after being briefed on preliminary results from the Great Red Snapper Count, which show approximately three times the amount of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico as shown by current federal data.\nByrne said:The Great Red Snapper Count will make clear what fishermen and scientists across the Gulf Coast have long known  federal data has consistently been wrong and undercounted the true snapper fishery. I am confident this new data will show that we can increase opportunities for snapper fishermen without danger to the health of our fishery.I am proud to continue fighting federal bureaucrats for Alabama to have the flexibility to make the best decisions to protect our fisheries, and it is now the responsibility of the Gulf Council to use this new and more accurate data to assure that everyone along the Gulf has a rational and appropriate season. There are plenty of fish for everyone.\nByrne was instrumental in Congressional approval and funding for the Great Red Snapper Count program, an in depth estimate at the true number of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico in response to poor federal data on the fishery stock.The results of the Great Red Snapper Count are expected to be released to the public later this year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-offers-heartfelt-prayers-to-president-trump-and-first-lady", "Byrne Offers Heartfelt Prayers to President Trump and First Lady", "2020-10-02", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) released the following statement after learning that President Trump and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19.\nByrne said:My most heartfelt prayers are with President Trump and the First Lady, and my sincere hope is that all Americans will place partisan feelings aside to support the first family's quick and full recovery. I have the utmost confidence in the abilities of White House doctors and staff to treat them and in our government to continue functioning uninterrupted during this time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/tips-healthy-fall", "Tips for a Healthy Fall", "2020-10-02", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "It is hard to believe autumn has arrived and the holiday season is right around the corner. As you know, with colder weather comes peak flu activity, and the world is still dealing with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Health officials are warning Americans to take certain precautions as these two viruses collide in hopes that the healthcare system will not be overburdened. While we continue to navigate the ongoing pandemic, it's important to take extra steps in order to stay healthy and well this fall.\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says because of this pandemic, reducing the spread of flu-like illnesses this fall and winter is more important than ever. Although there is certainly much more to learn about the novel Coronavirus, health officials say it is possible to simultaneously contract the flu and COVID-19. The CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend the following tips for a healthy fall:\n Individuals 6 months and older are encouraged to get a flu vaccination before October 31.\n\tWash your hands often with soap and clean water for 20 seconds.\n\tAvoid spreading germs by not touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.\n\tCover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze.\n\tClean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated.\n\tIf you have a fever, stay home for at least 24 hours.\n\tAvoid close contact with those who are sick.\n Another way to help slow the spread of germs during flu season is to follow the guidelines implemented by our public officials. Governor Kay Ivey recently announced a five-week extension to the Safer at Home order now expiring on Sunday, November 8. This current public health order includes an extension to the statewide mask mandate, which went into effect in July. Health experts, including White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, say the mandatory mask ordinance has saved many lives in Alabama.\nOver the past few weeks, Alabama has made real progress. The number of daily new cases and hospitalizations are decreasing, and there was no surge in cases following the Labor Day weekend. Let's work together to keep up this significant progress. Please continue to adhere to all state and local guidelines to protect your families and your communities this fall.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-introduces-american-jobs-first-act-stop-american", "Congressman Mo Brooks Introduces The American Jobs First Act to Stop American Worker Replacement by Cheap Foreign Labor", "2020-10-01", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Thursday, a week after being praised as a rock star on immigration by NumbersUSA, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) introduced the American Jobs First Act to overhaul the H-1B visa program that, too often, harms American workers. NumbersUSA, America's largest grassroots pro-American worker advocacy group, supports the American Jobs First Act.\nThe American Jobs First Act is aimed directly at combatting American worker replacement like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) attempted this summer. As was widely reported, TVA planned to layoff at least 120 of its American technology workers with the intention of replacing them with lower cost foreign H-1B guest workers.\nSome of America's largest companies have engaged in the unpatriotic practice of American worker replacement. In 2015, Disney fired 250 American workers only to replace them with lower cost foreign H-1B guest workers. Many of the American Disney employees actually had to train their foreign replacements. AT&T, Verizon, and Bank of America have callously done the same thing.\nThe American Jobs First Act original cosponsors: Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01), Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-04), and Congressman Lance Gooden (TX-05).\nThe American Jobs First Act:\n Stops employers from hiring foreign H-1B workers if they have recently, or plan to, furlough their U.S. workers\n\tRequires employers to pay their H-1B workers more than their American workers to ensure foreign labor is only used when absolutely necessary\n\tSuspends the F-1 OPT program, which grants all foreign students extendable work permits and exacerbates job market competition among American graduates\n\tEnds the unfair diversity visa lottery program, which fails to serve U.S. interests by issuing 50,000 green cards to foreigners from around the world regardless of their qualifications\n Congressman Brooks said, The Tennessee Valley Authority callously gut punched tech workers this summer when they tried to replace Americans with cheap foreign H-1B workers. Thanks to President Trump, TVA board member heads rolled and TVA reversed course. But, changes in the law are necessary to ensure American workers don't face replacement by cheap foreign labor in the future. The H-1B visa program is supposed to give employers a route to recruit the high-skilled talent they need if, and only if, they cannot find a qualified American worker. Due to abuses, the H-1B visa program has become a cheap foreign labor pipeline that major companies abuse to increase profits, at American workers' expense. Such H-1B abuse has happened at some of the country's largest corporations. Disney, AT&T, Verizon and Bank of America are but a few players caught in the game of U.S. worker replacement. Due to intense pressure from big business, H-1B reform has been stalled for years, but Americans are hurting, and they cannot wait any longer for relief. Firing American workers only to hire cheap foreign workers to replace them is not only unpatriotic, it's downright repulsive!\nBrooks continued, My American Jobs First Act will bring much needed reform and oversight to the H-1B visa program to ensure that U.S. workers are no longer disadvantaged in their own country. To end the allure of cheap foreign labor, the bill will require employers to pay any H-1B workers a minimum amount of $110,000. And to stop American worker replacement, my bill will require companies seeking H-1B labor to not have fired any American workers for at least two years without just cause and commit to not firing any workers without just cause for two years after. Commonsense H-1B reform measures like these, alongside ending the unfair Optional Practical Training (OPT) and diversity visa lottery programs, all serve to promote American interests when it comes to immigration.\nChris Chmielenski, the Deputy Director of NumbersUSA, said, When it comes to protecting American workers, there is no one better than Congressman Brooks. He understands the competition high-skilled Americans face from cheaper H-1B workers, and he finds solutions. The American Jobs First Act makes a number of much-needed reforms to the H-1B program, including setting a wage floor of $110,000 for all H-1B workers so that employers who say they can't find an American to take a job have to put their money where their mouths are. It ends the outrageous Optional Practical Training program that actually gives employers a tax break for hiring foreign workers rather than Americans. It also ends the Visa Lottery that hands out 50,000 green cards, with work permits, based on a randomized computer drawing, to people with no qualifications other than their national origin and a high school degreeor the equivalent, whatever that is. We applaud Congressman Brooks for reintroducing the American Jobs First Act, and we urge Congress to pass it. American workers deserve it.\nBrooks concluded, Defending Americans from cheap foreign labor competition should be bipartisan. I urge my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to put their differences aside and stand up for American workers.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://byrne.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/byrne-partisan-pelosi-coronavirus-relief-bill-cynical-would-make-things", "Byrne: Partisan Pelosi Coronavirus Relief Bill Cynical, Would Make Things Worse", "2020-10-01", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) released the following statement after Speaker Pelosi advanced a doomed Democrat messaging bill. Pelosi, despite promising on July 26th the House would not adjourn without a bipartisan deal, is scheduled to send her caucus home tomorrow through the November election without reaching any agreement.\nByrne said:Instead of fixing a problem, Speaker Pelosi's pandering, cynical relief' legislation would make things worse. Instead of protecting our heroes' as Pelosi's talking points repeat ad nauseum, this bill would endanger communities by slashing police funding and releasing federal prisoners, harm working families by giving amnesty and stimulus checks to illegal immigrants, hurt small businesses by paying people more to stay at home than work, and jeopardize the lives of the unborn by funneling small business aid to Planned Parenthood. The bill is also packed with unrelated provisions, including legalizing marijuana banking, giving a tax break to millionaires living in places like New York City and Los Angeles, and providing for election mandates on states designed to help Democrats. We should truly and in good faith be working to help people, not playing games.\nAmong its many other harmful provisions, the Democrat COVID-19 bill:\n Defunds the police by removing $600 million from the original Heroes Act intended for the COPS Hiring program and state and local law enforcement assistance.\n\tMandates a blanket release for certain covered federal prisoners and alleged criminals, while imposing a high burden for the government to prove they present a risk of harm to society upon release.\n\tAllows illegal immigrants to receive direct stimulus payments by not requiring social security number verification.\n\tProvides deferred action and work authorization during the emergency declaration and for 90 days after for illegal aliens working in jobs that could be held by out of work Americans.\n\tRemoves safeguards in the Paycheck Protection Program that would prevent taxpayer money from bailing out Planned Parenthood.\n\tProvides deferred action and work authorization during the emergency declaration and for 90 days after for illegal aliens working in jobs that could be held by out of work Americans.\n\tAllows the marijuana industry to access banking services and products.\n\tFederalizes elections, with less than five weeks to election day, by including stringent, impossible to achieve mandates on how states must run elections, including early voting, no ID requirement for in-person voting, same-day registration, and no excuse vote by mail without safeguards or restrictions on ballot harvesting.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-votes-favor-updated-heroes-act", "Rep. Sewell Votes in Favor of the Updated Heroes Act", "2020-10-01", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of the Updated Heroes Act, House Democrats' latest legislation to address the ongoing needs that have resulted from the COVID-19 public health crisis. This bill reflects current negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, as well as needs that have risen since the original Heroes Act passed the House of Representatives in May 2020.\nIt is unfortunate that the White House and Senate Republicans have not been willing to compromise to provide additional money for ongoing relief to our communities, workers, and families, Sewell said. With passage of the Updated Heroes Act today, House Democrats' have given the White House and Senate Republicans one more chance to pass another stimulus bill that will continue to provide critical relief for the American people.\nThe provisions in the Updated Heroes Act are essential to avert greater economic and health catastrophe for families, schools, small businesses, essential workers, and health care providers in Alabama's 7th Congressional District, Sewell continued. Not only does this legislation deliver much-needed resources to Alabama counties and cities, it also reflects House Democrats' willingness to compromise in good faith to ensure our country can weather this ongoing crisis.\nThe Updated Heroes Act would provide counties and cities in Alabama's 7th Congressional District with $396 million in funding to cover coronavirus-related outlays and revenue loss and pay our health care workers, library staff, law enforcement, fire, transportation, EMS, teachers and other vital workers who keep us safe and are in danger of losing their jobs. A town-by-town breakdown of the estimated funding allocations for the 7th District under the Updated Heroes Act is available here.\nIn addition to resources for our state, local, tribal and territorial governments, the Updated Heroes Act maintains key priorities from the original version of the legislation that passed the House in May. The bill also provides families with a second round of direct payments of $1,200 for each individual and $500 for each dependent, and extends weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through January 2021.\nAmong the bill's many provisions, it:\n \n\t\tProvides strong support for small businesses by improving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to serve the smallest businesses and struggling non-profits, providing hard-hit businesses with second loans, and delivering targeted assistance for the struggling restaurant industry and independent live venue operators.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tMore funds to bolster education and child care, with $225 billion for education  including $182 billion for K12 schools and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary education  and $57 billion to support child care for families.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSupports testing, tracing and treatment, through $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and isolation measures, with special attention to the disparities facing communities of color, ensuring every American can access free coronavirus treatment, and supporting hospitals and providers. The updated bill also includes $28 billion for procurement, distribution and education campaigns for a safe and effective vaccine.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tProtects payrolls, by enhancing the new employee retention tax credit that encourages employers to keep employees on payroll.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPreserves health coverage, protecting Americans losing their employer-provided health insurance by making unemployed Americans automatically receive the maximum ACA subsidy on the exchanges, as well as a special enrollment period in the ACA exchanges for uninsured Americans.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tStrengthens food security, addressing rising hunger with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that help families put food on the table as well as targeted support for farmers and producers impacted by the crisis.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSafeguards our democracy, with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preserve the Postal Service.\n\t\n \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewells-bill-naming-thomasville-post-office-after-postmaster-robert", "Rep. Sewell's Bill Naming Thomasville Post Office After Postmaster Robert Ingram Passes by Unanimous Consent", "2020-09-30", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) was joined by her colleagues in the House of Representatives in unanimously passing the bill she introduced, H.R. 5307, honoring the legacy of former Postmaster Robert Ingram by renaming the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 Nicol Avenue in Thomasville, Alabama, as the Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office'.\n\n\"I am thrilled that the House of Representatives passed my bill to rename the Thomasville post office after its long time former Postmaster Robert \"Bob\" Ingram, said Rep. Sewell. \"A true patriot, Bob Ingram served his country in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Marine. He was appointed Postmaster in Thomasville, AL by President Johnson and faithfully served the people of Thomasville for over three decades. Postmaster Ingram was a dedicated public servant whose commitment to exemplary service - always with a smile - was an example to us all. I thank the Alabama Delegation and my House colleagues for unanimously joining me today in honoring Postmaster Ingram from Alabama's 7th Congressional District.\"\n\n\"Mr. Bob Ingram was Thomasville's postmaster most of my childhood and adult life. His smile and personal service to his postal customers was a fixture in our post office,\" said Mayor Sheldon Day. \"He was an exemplary public servant and a friend to all who knew him. I know our entire community is thrilled to know our post office will now bear his name in honor and remembrance of his loyal and dedicated service to Thomasville and its citizens! We thank Congresswoman Sewell, Sen. Shelby and our entire Alabama Congressional Delegation for working together to make this day possible.\"\n\nBob Ingram loved his employees and his customers and treated them all like family. We are so proud of his legacy and so honored that his name will carry on with the Thomasville Post Office, said Postmaster Ingram's family in their statement.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=C247272A-366D-43B4-AA4D-A521515D6E27", "Shelby Meets with Barrett, Strongly Supports Nomination", "2020-09-30", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today stated his strong support of President Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, following their meeting.\r\n\r\nAfter speaking with Judge Barrett, I am confident that she is the right choice to serve on the Supreme Court, said Senator Shelby. Judge Barrett is exceptionally qualified for this role and maintains strong conservative values and a deep commitment to our Constitution. I have no doubt that Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be an excellent addition to the Supreme Court. \r\n\r\nI look forward to supporting Judge Barrett's nomination to serve on our nation's highest court, and I urge my colleagues to do the same, Shelby continued.\r\n\r\nSince her nomination by President Trump, Judge Amy Coney Barrett has been making routine visits to Capitol Hill to meet with Senators.\r\n\r\nJudge Amy Coney Barrett currently serves as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Before and while serving on the federal bench, she was a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School. Judge Amy Coney Barrett's excellent academic achievements, legal expertise, and judicial record prove that she is eminently qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.\r\n\r\nIt is the constitutional responsibility of the U.S. Senate to provide advice and consent to the President on all executive nominations, including judges to federal courts, appeals courts, and the Supreme Court.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-praises-amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court-nomination", "Congressman Mo Brooks Praises Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Nomination", "2020-09-26", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCSaturday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised President Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court.\nCongressman Brooks said,It is critical to a functioning republic that justices never substitute their policy beliefs for those of properly elected officials. Judicial activist justices not only betray the Constitution and America when they substitute their own policy beliefs for those of elected officials who are tasked by our Constitution with making American law, they also betray their oaths of office. Amy Coney Barrett has an established record of upholding the Constitution and federal law without inserting her personal political views into her decisions. As such, I look forward to her quick confirmation by the Senate.\nBrooks continued,Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2017. She has already been vetted. She should easily and quickly be confirmed again.\nBrooks concluded,America's founding fathers brilliantly created three branches of government, with each being a check on the other two, and each having a defined role. Congress makes law, the Executive Branch implements law, and the Judiciary interprets and applies law. In my view, America is burdened with too many liberal, activist federal justices and judges who fail to abide by their role as limited by the Constitution. I am pleased President Trump nominated a judge who understands the importance of limiting her role to that intended by America's founding fathers.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-s-statement-nomination-judge-amy-coney-barrett-united-states", "Rep. Sewells Statement on Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to United States Supreme Court", "2020-09-26", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement on President Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court:\nThe Supreme Court nomination by President Trump today, with the 2020 presidential election only 38 days away, denies the American people a voice in this very important decision. The nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett is clearly tainted by the hypocrisy of Senate Republicans to go back on their own promise not to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court so close to a presidential election. This standard articulated by Senate Republicans was applied against President Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland eight months before the 2016 presidential election. This blatant power grab by Trump and Senate Republicans is especially disturbing given that the voting process has already begun with hundreds of thousands of voters having cast their ballots in the 2020 presidential election.\nFairness and comity demand that the Senate not confirm any vacancy on the Supreme Court until the American people have chosen the next president. To do otherwise, I believe would undermine the very legitimacy of the Supreme Court.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=6D3E2F93-A308-4E9B-8749-34171755EF05", "Shelby Applauds President Trumps Supreme Court Nominee", "2020-09-26", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Richard Shelby", "S000320", "www.shelby.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today released a statement following President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge AmyConey Barrett, an experienced jurist who currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States:\r\n\r\nI am extremely pleased with President Trump's selection in nominating Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court. From her clerkship for the late Justice Scalia to her tenure on the 7th Circuit, Judge Barrett has had a distinguished career and has proven her commitment to the rule of law.\r\n\r\nOur next Supreme Court Justice must be a steadfast supporter of upholding our nation's Constitution. I have no doubt in Judge Barrett's qualifications and I look forward to supporting her nomination.\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://roby.house.gov/newsroom/columns/we-must-work-together-help-prevent-suicide", "We Must Work Together to Help Prevent Suicide", "2020-09-25", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Martha Roby", "R000591", "roby.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Each September, National Suicide Prevention Month is recognized as we draw attention to the causes, warning signs, and treatment options for those affected by this tragedy. You may think to yourself that this annual campaign is certainly important, but how does it impact you? The truth is, we can all help to reduce and prevent suicide.\nAs you know, the Second District is home to thousands of veterans. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 20 veterans die by suicide every day  a rate of 1.5 times higher than non-veteran adults. I have spent my tenure in Congress fighting for better care of our veterans and sponsoring legislation to address these significant issues. We cannot allow suicide rates to be just a number. We must do what we can to ensure we are all educated on this crisis in order to help prevent it.\nHere are some ways in which you can do your part to assist with suicide prevention:\n Know the risk factors. A number of factors can point to someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts including anxiety, alcohol or substance abuse, hopelessness, self-isolation, impulsive or aggressive tendencies, loss of relationships, family history of suicide, and more.\n\tKnow the warning signs. There are many warning signs including an individual ominously talking about death, having no purpose, feeling trapped, behaving recklessly, withdrawing themselves, mood swings, and many others.\n\tContact a professional. Although it may be a difficult decision to make, it is important that you get help for someone you know is suffering. You can call 1-800-273-8255 to find available local resources or even encourage your loved one to call themselves. If you or someone you know is in an emergency, always call 911 immediately.\n During these unprecedented times, it is critical that we pay close attention to mental and public health. Suicide is among the leading cause of death in the United States, and the national suicide rate reached historic highs prior to the pandemic. These troubling thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background. The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine reported a 65 percent increase in communication over the phone and online since March, according to a recent study.\nI encourage you to reach out to someone you are worried about and have the courage to check on them. Sometimes a simple Are you okay? is enough to make all the difference in the world. If you are struggling personally, please text the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to be connected to someone who can help. Both resources are available 24 hours, seven days a week, and they are free and confidential. Let's work together to prevent suicide.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-seeks-answers-troy-university-and-alabama-am-about", "Congressman Mo Brooks Seeks Answers from Troy University and Alabama A&M About Their Support for Communist China & Confucius Institutes", "2020-09-24", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCThursday, Congressman Mo Brooks(AL-05) sent a letter to the President of Alabama A&M University, Dr. Andrew Hugine, and the Chancellor of Troy University, Dr. Jack Hawkins, expressing concern with, and asking questions about, why they partner with the Chinese Communist Party and their Confucius Institutes.\nClick HERE to download a copy of Congressman Brooks' letter to Troy University and Alabama A&M University.\nCongressman Brooks said,Troy University and Alabama A&M University have questions to answer about their partnerships with the Chinese Communist Party. Forty-five patriotic American universities from thirty different states have shut down their Confucius Institutes since 2014. Communist China is America's geopolitical foe, not our friend. Communist China's lies about COVID19's severity and contagious nature have contributed to the deaths of more than 200,000 Americans. Communist China's use of slave labor should be an anathema to both Alabama A&M and Troy. The Communist Chinese Party cannot be allowed to gain influence over America's education system or undermine American national security. Alabama A&M and Troy must wise up and stop aiding and abetting the Communist Chinese Party's dangerous espionage and propaganda on American soil. They can do that by immediately closing their Confucius Institutes.\nBrooks concluded,Confucius Institutes are nothing more than Communist Chinese Party propaganda and spying units. The American Association of University Professors has decried the threat Communist China poses to academic freedom and the Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division has warned of Communist China's efforts to conduct espionage through Confucius Institutes. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a foreign mission,' saying Confucius Institutes are funded by the [People's Republic of China] and part of the Chinese Communist Party's global influence and propaganda apparatus.' The evidence against Communist China is overwhelming.\nThe text of Congressman Brooks' letter to Troy University and Alabama A&M University follows:\nSeptember 24, 2020\n\nDr. Andrew Hugine, Jr.\nPresident\nAlabama A&M University\nP.O. Box 4900\nNormal, AL 35762-4900\n\nDr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.\nChancellor\nTroy University\n600 University Ave,\nTroy, AL 36082\n\nPresident Hugine and Chancellor Hawkins:\nI write to express my concern with Alabama A&M University and Troy University's partnership with the Chinese Communist Party via the Confucius Institutes on your campuses. Confucius Institutes hurt the integrity of our higher education system, threaten national security, and unnecessarily risk taxpayer funded research at your schools. I encourage you to join dozens of other patriotic institutions across America and end your relationship with the Chinese Communist Party by closing Confucius Institutes at your universities.\nWith this letter I ask that you answer the following questions to assist with my work in Congress to combat China's political influence in the United States, including the issue of whether Confucius Institutes should be allowed to continue. Please respond to the following questions by October 17, 2020.\n Since beginning your relationship with the Hanban, how much money has your university received from China?\n\tDuring that same time period, what is the total estimated value of in-kind contributions made to your university from China?\n\tSince beginning your relationship with the Hanban, how many students have participated in classes taught by the Confucius Institute?\n\tSince beginning your relationship with the Hanban, has the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) or any other U.S. government agency briefed university leadership about the security implications of accommodating a Confucius Institute?\n\tIf the answer to the above question is no', my staff stands fully ready to assist you in setting up a secured briefing from the FBI.\n\tOne of China's goals with Confucius Institutes is to increase China's soft power by bolstering its public image  often through misinformation. What does your Confucius Institute teach about China's relationship to the following:\n\tTibet?\n\tTaiwan?\n\tPolitical Education camps in Xinjiang?\n\tFalun Gong?\n\tThe 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre?\n\tHuman Rights Watch has stated that Confucius Institutes are, fundamentally incompatible with a robust commitment to academic freedom.[1]\n\tDoes your faculty exercise sole authority to alter the curriculum taught by your Confucius Institute?\n\tHas any person from the Chinese Ministry of Education, Hanban, or Confucius Institute ever requested that your university alter its curriculum to decrease discussion of topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese government?\n\tHas anyone at your university ever requested permission from the Hanban or any other Chinese agency before hosting a speaker or event on campus?\n\tWhat is the interviewing, vetting, and hiring processes implemented by your university when selecting a new Confucius Institute instructor?\n\tHave any of your Confucius Institute instructors received training from the Chinese Ministry of Education?\n\tWhat types of international trips between China and Alabama have been coordinated through the relationship established by the Confucius Institute?\n When you provide answers to these questions, please also provide a copy of the syllabus and all learning material used by your Confucius Institute, or any course offered in relations to the Confucius Institute. I respectfully and strongly urge you to consider the risk that comes with partnering with Confucius Institutes and the Chinese Communist Party and, upon consideration, end the relationship.\nSincerely,\n\n______________________________\nCongressman Mo Brooks (AL-05)\n\nCC: Governor Kay Ivey, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh, Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon\n\n[1] Resisting Chinese Government Efforts to Undermine Academic Freedom Abroad | A Code of Conduct for Colleges, Universities, and Academic Institutions Worldwide\nhttps://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2020/09/190321_china_academic_freedom_coc.pdf\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://palmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/palmer-legislation-aims-state-flexibility-spending-remaining-coronavirus", "Palmer Legislation Aims for State Flexibility in Spending Remaining Coronavirus Relief Funds", "2020-09-24", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Gary Palmer", "P000609", "palmer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release  \n\tMedia Contact: Elizabeth Hance(202) 225-4921\n  Palmer Legislation Aims for State Flexibility in Spending Remaining Coronavirus Relief Funds\nWashington, D.C.  Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06) has introduced the Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility Act (H.R. 8360), which would allow states to determine how to spend remaining Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars, which were issued under the CARES Act. States and localities were provided $150 billion through the relief fund for mitigation and response to COVID-19, and it is now estimated that approximately $80 billion remains unspent. H.R. 8360 would allow state legislatures to determine how to utilize these remaining funds, with measures to encourage infrastructure development and future COVID-19 preparedness.\nThe initial legislation was perhaps too restrictive, Palmer said. What we hope to do with this legislation is not only create some flexibility to prevent waste but to incentivize states to use the funds towards much needed infrastructure.The one-size-fits-all nature of the underlying measure fails to consider how each state is responding to the pandemic differently, so this legislation would put the spending decisions in the hands of those on the ground in the states who have a better understanding of their specific needs.If we pass this bill, we will give states a much needed boost for infrastructure and an extended period to determine how to address continued COVID-19 related expenses, instead of rushing to spend the funds with a looming deadline.\nThe Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility Act would prohibit funds from being spent on government employee bonuses, lobbying expenses, or budget shortfalls predating the pandemic, while providing a 50% match for funds spent on infrastructure projects begun in the next year. It would also require states to hold 25% of their remaining relief funds in trust for future COVID-19 expenses.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://brooks.house.gov/media-center/news-releases/congressman-mo-brooks-opposes-socialist-democrat-court-packing-scheme", "Congressman Mo Brooks Opposes Socialist Democrat Court-Packing Scheme", "2020-09-23", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AL", "Mo Brooks", "B001274", "brooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Wednesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) announced his cosponsorship of H.J.Res. 53, a proposed Constitutional Amendment to limit the United States Supreme Court to a total of nine justices, thus thwarting Socialist Democrat efforts to stack the Supreme Court with liberal judicial activists by expanding the Supreme Court to 13 or even 15 justices.\nCongressman Brooks said, History is in order. The Judiciary Act of 1869 sets the number of Supreme Court justices at nine, one chief justice and eight associate justices.[1] The 1869 law has worked fine for 151 years. When President Franklin Roosevelt sought to pack the court with additional justices in 1937, his attempt failed.[2] Now, Socialist Democrats seek to pack the court again to ram through their Socialist, anti-American agenda if given both Houses of Congress and the presidency.[3]\nBrooks continued, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey (D) tweeted his support for court packing saying, Mitch McConnell set the precedent. No Supreme Court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress, we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.'[4]\nCongressman Joe Kennedy III tweeted, If he holds a vote in 2020, we pack the court in 2021. It's that simple.'[5]\nHouse Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler tweeted, If Sen. McConnell and @SenateGOP were to force through a nominee during the lame duck sessionbefore a new Senate and President can take officethen the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court. '[6]\nThe threat is real. Socialist Democrats are dead serious about packing the Supreme Court with liberal judicial activists who will destroy and undermine the freedom and liberty so many of our ancestors have fought for, and died, to give us. We must do everything in our power to stop them.\nBrooks concluded, I have cosponsored and, if given the opportunity, will vote for a Constitutional Amendment to limit the United States Supreme Court to a total of nine justices. Socialist Democrats will stop at nothing to gain power and ram through their dangerous agenda. I ask that patriotic Americans join me and fight back against Socialist Democrats' proposed political power grab. Socialist Democrats must never be given the opportunity to pack the Supreme Court with liberal sycophants. A Constitutional Amendment is the best way to ensure that never happens.\n###\n[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiciary_Act_of_1869#:~:text=The%20Judiciary%20Act%20of%201869,courts%2C%20and%20for%20the%20first\n[2] https://www.history.com/news/franklin-roosevelt-tried-packing-supreme-court\n[3] https://www.npr.org/sections/death-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg/2020/09/20/915048049/if-republicans-confirm-new-justice-scholars-say-democratic-court-packing-is-poss?fbclid=IwAR1RlRn1dd6ffnflDvhBqrTOE2hTWwssZXosJUYFBHHS_Cnbqx0pfKiqfTA\n[4] https://twitter.com/EdMarkey/status/1307122232850870274?s=20\n[5] https://twitter.com/RepJoeKennedy/status/1307298448530706433?s=20\n[6] https://twitter.com/RepJerryNadler/status/1307379171354652673?s=20", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/immediate-release-rep-sewell-votes-keep-government-open-and-extend-vital", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Rep. Sewell Votes to Keep Government Open and Extend Vital Programs", "2020-09-22", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Congresswoman Sewell voted in support of the continuing resolution legislation H.R. 8337, which provides for the continuation of funding for the programs contained in the 12 annual appropriation acts for FY2020. The bill passed the House in a final vote of 359-57-1.\n\nI voted for today's legislation to avert a catastrophic government shutdown and fund the critical programs that my constituents depend on. At a time when our country is in the middle of a pandemic and millions of Americans are losing their homes and livelihoods to natural disasters, including hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, our government needs to be fully funded and operational so that the American people can get the resources they need, said Rep. Sewell. I am particularly proud of the provisions Democrats secured to save our seniors from a Medicare Part B premium hike, protect health, housing, and other programs for Veterans, and to provide repayment relief for our health care providers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nWhile I'm disappointed that Senate Republicans and White House didn't come to the table to agree to pass the long-term FY2021 funding bills that the House passed earlier this year, I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure a long-term funding bill is passed before this CR expires in December. Additionally, an agreement on further Coronavirus relief legislation is desperately needed. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and as the pandemic continues, municipalities, health care providers, essential workers, and small businesses are running out of resources from the CARES Act and relief is needed now.\n\nA list of the programs that Congresswoman Sewell worked directly with House appropriators to secure in the FY2020 funding bill, which are extended by today's continuing resolution, H.R. 8337, can be found here. Today's bill includes several other funding provisions that Congresswoman Sewell fought in recent months to secure and that benefit the 7th District, including funding and extensions for the following programs, among others.\n\n Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Loans\n\tSummer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) program\n\tCommodity Supplemental Food program\n\tTemporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program\n\t2020 Decennial Census Program\n\tCommunity Health Centers\n\tTeaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program\n\tSpecial Diabetes Program\n\tGrants for transportation to VA medical facilities for Veterans living in highly rural areas\n\tChildcare assistance for Veterans while they receive health care at a VA facility\n\tAn initiative to assess the feasibility of paying for veterans in highly rural areas to travel to the nearest Vet Center, a community-based facility that provides readjustment counseling and other services\n\tThe Department of Labor's homeless veteran reintegration programs, such as job training, counseling, and placement services\n \nFurther, today's legislation:\n Ensures USDA can fully meet the demand for Direct and Guaranteed Farm Ownership loans, especially for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.\n\tAllows increased flexibility for the Small Business Administration to process certain small business loans and SBA Disaster Loans.\n\tProvides a one-year extension for surface transportation programs, including federal highway, transit, and road safety programs.\n\tReauthorizes the Appalachian Regional Commission for one year.\n\tDelays a scheduled $4 billion reduction in funding for disproportionate share hospital (DSH), which are hospitals that serve large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients.\n\tProtects Medicare beneficiaries from the expected increase in Part B premiums for 2021 that is likely to result from the COVID-19 public health emergency.\n\tProvides repayment relief to health care providers by extending the time in which they must repay advances and reducing the interest rate under the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment program until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\tAllows Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use the full amount available in the Disaster Relief Fund to respond to declared disasters.\n\tIncreases accountability in the Commodity Credit Corporation, preventing funds for farmers from being misused for large oil companies.\n\tEnsures schoolchildren receive meals despite the pandemic's disruption of their usual schedules, whether virtual or in-person, and expands Pandemic EBT access for young children in childcare.\n \n\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-rep-sewells-trade-bill-caribbean-basin-countries-passes-house", "VIDEO: Rep. Sewell's Trade Bill with Caribbean Basin Countries Passes House with Bipartisan Support", "2020-09-22", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) applauded the passage of H.R. 991, a bipartisan bill, she introduced to reauthorize the U.S. Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) until September 2030. The legislation passed the House by unanimous voice vote.\n\nThe CBTPA is a preferential trade agreement that provides for duty and quota-free access for apparel products manufactured in designated beneficiary Caribbean Basin region countries. CBTPA also requires that Caribbean Basin countries use U.S. formed yarns, fabrics, and thread. The CBTPA was first enacted in 2000 and is currently authorized through September 30, 2020. Eligible CBTPA countries include Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.\n\nAs the lead sponsor of the legislation to reauthorize the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, I am thrilled that Congress is taking action on this issue before the program expires at the end of the month,\" said Rep. Sewell. \"CBTPA is such an important economic tool for the United States and each of our partner countries, and it is critical to our continued diplomatic relationships in the Caribbean Basin. The bipartisan effort to reauthorize this program will allow us to export more American-made goods and strengthen Western supply chains, while contributing to economic development and job creation in Haiti and other countries throughout the Caribbean Basin region. I am grateful for its passage by unanimous voice vote in the House, and I urge the Senate to take up this bill before the September 30th deadline. \n\n\"I am incredibly grateful for Congresswoman Sewell's commitment to economic prosperity in the Republic of Haiti and the Caribbean region. The Extension of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), H.R. 991, which has received bipartisan and bicameral support, is a testament to Congress' unwavering support for working families in Haiti and CARICOM countries. This legislation has created countless jobs and generated billions of dollars in revenue over the past decade, said Ambassador Herve Denis.\n\n\"Furthermore, CBTPA would play a crucial role in strengthening the supply chains for PPEs and textiles in response to COVID-19, making America less dependent on nations outside the Western Hemisphere. With the issues regarding China, Haiti hopes and expects to benefit from the \"Near-Shoring\" concept introduced by Congress. Together, we can continue to strengthen bilateral trade relations between two of the oldest republics in the Americas.\"\n\nI'm proud to support our nation's trade preference programs, which bolster further economic expansion in developing nations and support jobs here in America  a true win-win scenario, said Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Republican lead co-sponsor. In particular, our bipartisan bill to extend the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act accomplishes that goal in the Caribbean, providing trade benefits to eight Caribbean nations, most notably Haiti. I want to thank Congresswoman Terri Sewell for partnering with me on this important legislation and urge the Senate to consider it without delay.\n\nTogether, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and the CBTPA are collectively known as the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). These two acts work together to facilitate the development of 17 independent countries of the Caribbean Basin region. For these two preferential trade programs to be effective, both CBTPA and CBERA must be authorized. Eligible CBERA countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.\n\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 103, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "AL", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 76, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 27, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 103, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=AL&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "AL", "label": "AL", "count": 103, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 103, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-09-22,https~3A~2F~2Fsewell~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fvideo-rep-sewells-trade-bill-caribbean-basin-countries-passes-house", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=AL&year=2020&_next=2020-09-22%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fsewell~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fvideo-rep-sewells-trade-bill-caribbean-basin-countries-passes-house&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 153.1966128386557, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}