Email insights: Mark Meadows endorses Mo Brooks, asks for support
Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and North Carolina 11th District U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows has endorsed Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks in the Alabama special election to fill the seat left vacant by former Sen. Jeff Sessions, when he accepted the Attorney General of the United States position in February. Meadows emailed conservatives of his endorsement asking them to also support Brooks’ campaign. Read Meadows’ email below: Dear Conservative, There’s been a lot of talk lately about what it means to be a true conservative. And Lord knows, we could use a few more “true conservatives” in the United States Senate. That’s why I am writing you today. I’m Congressman Mark Meadows, I’m the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. My friend and fellow Freedom Caucus member Mo Brooks is running for Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat that was vacated when President Trump appointed Sessions as Attorney General. Mo Brooks is a fighter. He has the most conservative voting record in the Alabama congressional delegation. He’s got an A-rating from Numbers USA and the NRA. He has proven himself to be a proven constitutional conservative in the mold of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and Ben Sasse. We need more like him in the Senate. Mo’s not afraid to stand up to the Washington, DC establishment and this has not made him any friends with the K-Street crowd. They have already sworn to spend as much as ten million dollars on behalf of his establishment opponent. We need Mo Brooks to win this race, my friend. He understands the threats we face at home from an ever-expanding federal government. And he understands that it will take free-market, conservative solutions to fix all the messes President Obama and the Democrats created the last eight years. Mo is a battle-tested conservative who is committed to restoring America’s greatness. But if he’s going to make it to Washington, he needs the help of conservatives just like YOU. The Republican Primary is August 15th. The establishment sees Mo as a real threat. They would like nothing better than to see Mo defeated and they’re pulling out all the stops to make sure he doesn’t win. The road our country has been on these last several years is simply not sustainable. We need conservatives who will go to the Senate and be a part of the fight–not part of the club. A major course correction is needed –- and conservative leaders like Mo Brooks are needed in the Senate to make it happen. Below is a letter from Mo with more information about his campaign. I’m all in to help Mo Brooks defeat the DC establishment and send him to the Senate. I hope you are too. Will you join me? Sincerely, Congressman Mark Meadows Chairman, House Freedom Caucus Dear Conservative, I’m looking for your support in my race for US Senate. We face serious challenges right now–as serious as any point in our history. I believe we need representation in DC that is ready to shake things up, stand by our President, and get things done…not just be part of the lobbyist, establishment club. Before you make up your mind about who you’re going to support I want you to know a little bit about me. In Congress I was very proud to be a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of fiscal and social conservative members. And, my record as a proven conservative leader has been recognized by leading conservative organizations, including the following: Heritage Action (94% rating) NRA (“A” lifetime rating) Club for Growth (86% lifetime rating) Numbers USA (A+ 100% rating) American Conservative Union (89% lifetime rating, 94% rating for the 114th Congress) FreedomWorks (92% rating in 2016), and endorsed by Eagle Forum in 2016. If you’re interested in sending a proven conservative to represent you in the Senate, I’d ask you to visit my website and learn a little more about the kind of things I’ve fought for, and the things I will fight for as your United States Senator. For America, Congressman Mo Brooks, Conservative Republican for US Senate
5 GOP Senate contenders appear at Vestavia Hills candidate forum
Five Republican Senate hopefuls appeared before the Mid-Alabama Republican Club for a meet-the-candidate event Saturday. As reported by AL.com, two of the leading candidates onstage — Congressman Mo Brooks and state Sen. Trip Pittman — took pains to point out their private sector experience in an attempt to distance themselves from the ‘career politician’ marker. “My primary source of income has always been in the private sector,” Brooks said, noting his law firm and time as general counsel for a distributor of roofing, siding, and windows, the largest in the nation. Brooks also referred to his ranking by conservative groups such as the anti-tax Club for Growth, Heritage Foundation and the immigration reduction group Numbers USA. “Every candidate talks the talk,” Brooks told the crowd. “It’s more important to walk the walk.” Brooks also pointed out a list of endorsements from conservative talk show hosts Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Laura Ingraham, and his success in stopping the so-called Gang of Eight immigration reform effort in 2013. In an email this week, Brooks also received the endorsement of North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, chair of the House Freedom Caucus. Pittman’s started his business in 1988, as well as standing for the state’s Gulf Coast in Montgomery. After a plane crash a decade ago, Pittman turned to public service. “It’s been a great challenge,” Pittman said. “But we have been successful in what we’ve been able to do in moving Alabama forward.” Pittman also discussed his time as chair of the Senate Budget Committee. “I understand the process. The process is important,” Pittman said, adding that whoever wins the Special Election to replace former Sen. Jeff Sessions should someone “willing to take staunch philosophical positions. “This is the best opportunity you have to elect someone with good ideology,” he said. Also at the forum were Hoover businessperson Dom Gentile, Alabama Christian Coalition head Randy Brinson, and Pelham physician James Beretta. Candidates who did not attend Saturday’s forum are scheduled to visit the Mid-Alabama Republican Club’s next meeting July 8.
Mike Rogers endorses colleague Mo Brooks for US Senate seat
U.S. Senate-hopeful, Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks picked up yet another endorsement for his Senate run on Sunday. This time from his House colleague, fellow Alabama Republican 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers. “Congressman Mo Brooks is one of the most principled conservatives I know,” said Rogers of his endorsement. “I am confident Mo Brooks will fight every day in the U.S. Senate for the conservative values we hold dear in Alabama.” Rogers continued, Mo is an unwavering proponent of strictly enforcing immigration law, reducing the size and scope of government, and of restoring Constitutional order. I have served with Mo for 6 years and know him as the fighter that the people of Alabama want to represent them in the U.S. Senate.” Brooks said he was honored to receive his colleague’s endorsement. “I am greatly honored to receive the endorsement of my colleague,” said Brooks. “Mike knows I’m a proven conservative, and has first-hand knowledge of my work ethic and my principled stances on behalf of our state and country.” Brooks faces a crowded GOP field in August 15 primary. The winner, will go on to represent the Republican Party in the special election scheduled for December 12, pending no run-off is necessary.
House Freedom Caucus endorses Mo Brooks for U.S. Senate
North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, is endorsing Congressman Mo Brooks in Alabama’s U.S. Senate Special Election. Breitbart News is reporting on an email sent this week by Brooks’ campaign touting Meadows’ support: “Mo Brooks is a fighter. He has the most conservative voting record in the Alabama congressional delegation. He’s got an A-rating from Numbers USA and the NRA. He has proven himself to be a proven constitutional conservative in the mold of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and Ben Sasse.” “We need more like him in the Senate,” Meadows said, adding: “Mo is a battle-tested conservative who is committed to restoring America’s greatness … “The establishment sees Mo as a real threat. They would like nothing better than to see Mo defeated and they’re pulling out all the stops to make sure he doesn’t win … “The road our country has been on these last several years is simply not sustainable. We need conservatives who will go to the Senate and be a part of the fight–not part of the club.” “I’m all in to help Mo Brooks defeat the DC establishment and send him to the Senate. I hope you are too,” the email concludes. Jeff Sessions previously held the Senate seat, before becoming U.S. Attorney General. Then-Gov. Robert Bentley appointed former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, with newly named Gov. Kay Ivey announcing an Aug. 15 primary, with a general election Dec. 12. Nine other Republicans are in the running, including incumbent Strange, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, State Sen. Trip Pittman, and Christian Coalition head Randy Brinson. Democratic candidates include former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones. If there is no majority winner in the Aug. 15 primary, a runoff will be Sept. 26. The winner of the Republican primary will likely win the general election, given the state’s electoral history.
Alabama ranks in the bottom tier for animal protection
When it comes to protecting our furry friends, the Yellowhammer State leaves a lot to be desired. According to the most recent rankings by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), Alabama comes in as the 10th worth state in the country when it comes to the Best & Worst States For Animal Protection Laws in 2016. The ranking, which is the longest-running considered the most authoritative of its kind, assessed the strength of each state’s animal protection laws by examining over 4,000 pages of statutes across 15 distinct categories and ranked their findings accordingly. States, like Alabama, that find themselves at the bottom of the rankings have animal protection laws the ALDF says are lacking. These states all have “severely restricted or absent felony penalties for the worst types of animal abuse, inadequate standards of basic care for an animal, and lack of restrictions on the ownership of animals for those convicted of cruelty to animals.” But there is good news for Alabama animal lovers — the state is starting to move in the right direction when it comes to protecting animals. Last year, the state added — for the first time— felony penalties for cases involving extreme animal cruelty or torture; along with felonies for repeated or aggravated animal neglect. Alabama’s not the only state starting to improve. The past five years of the Rankings Report reveal more than three-quarters of all states have significantly improved their animal protection laws. “The Animal Legal Defense Fund works year round to strengthen laws, and we are gratified to see that reflected in the Report,” said Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. “Despite this, there’s still a long way to go in animal protection, and Americans should use the Rankings Report as an indicator of where their home state can improve.” Here’s how Alabama compares to the rest of the country:
Bradley Byrne: The House is working for the American people
Last week in Washington, all eyes were on the Senate Intelligence Committee where former FBI Director James Comey was sent to testify. The hearing was a media circus. News outlets used countdown clocks in the lead up to the “big moment.” Of course it is important to get to the bottom of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. That is why committees in Congress and a special counsel are working diligently to get answers. Unfortunately, many think the issue should be litigated in the media instead of through the proper legal process. We should follow the facts and the law and nothing but the facts and the law. What the news media was not talking about last week was our efforts in the House to stick true to our word and enact a commonsense, conservative agenda. We are getting the work done that the American people elected us to do. Consider these numbers: to date the Republican-led House has passed over 158 bills, making us the most productive in the modern era. On top of that, President Trump has signed 37 bills into law, which places him ahead of the last four presidential administrations. We are getting things done. So what exactly are we accomplishing? Everything from passing a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare to enacting a whole range of bills focused on rolling back burdensome regulations that are restricting economic growth. Just this past week we passed a range of bills addressing a range of issues important to the American people, including financial regulations and border security. First, we passed a bill to dismantle the Dodd-Frank law passed by Democrats in 2010. We were promised that the Dodd-Frank Act would be a major win for the American consumer. Instead, big bank bailouts were enshrined in law while small banks and credit unions that people in Southwest Alabama rely upon are drowning in regulations and red tape, making it harder for them to serve their customers and threatening their existence. In fact, studies show that at least one small bank or credit union close each day due to Dodd-Frank. That is why the House passed the Financial CHOICE Act last week, sending a clear message that Main Street comes before Wall Street. The bill officially ends the policy of “too big to fail” and puts a stop to bank bailouts. Just as important, the bill increases consumer protections and simplifies systems to ensure they cannot be gamed by the well-connected and powerful. It is all about increasing opportunities for hardworking Americans and small businesses. Second, we passed the Anti-Border Corruption Reauthorization Act of 2017, which will make it easier to fight illegal immigration and secure the border. Our border protection programs are currently severely understaffed. In fact, the numbers show that we are short 1,000 officers and 1,800 Border Patrol Agents. This shortage is making it harder to secure the border and keep bad guys out of our country. That is where our bill comes it. It will allow us to expedite the hiring of border patrol agents when the individuals have previously served in law enforcement or in the military. These are the exact kind of people we need working to secure the border. As you can see, in the House of Representatives, we refuse to have our agenda thrown off course. Even more, we are continuing to making important progress on other priorities like tax reform, rebuilding the military, and fixing our nation’s infrastructure. I pledge to continue to keep my head down and focus on the issues you elected me to tackle. We must get the job done. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Atheist group pushes Ala. school to ban baccalaureate ceremonies, prayer at graduations
For decades, the country has been divided on whether or not to allow prayer at public school events. Now the issue has moved centerstage in Opp, Ala. Last month, Opp High School included an optional baccalaureate service —a Christianity-based interdenominational celebration that honors a graduating senior class — in its graduation festivities where school principal, Aaron Hightower, led seniors in prayer and delivered a speech referencing God. In response, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which touts itself as the nation’s largest educational atheist organization working to keep religion and government separate, sent a a letter to Opp City Schools asking them to “to cease endorsing religion in its future graduation activities” and to ensure that no prayers are scheduled for future high school graduation ceremonies. “Opp City Schools has a legal duty to remain neutral toward religion. It makes no difference how many students want religious speeches or wouldn’t be offended by them at their graduation,” wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover. “A graduation should be a celebration for all students, not an exercise in alienating nonreligious students with a Christian message.” FFRF claims “by scheduling graduation prayers and a baccalaureate, the school district has failed to comply with constitutional law.” FFRF advises that Opp City Schools avoid similar legal breaches of the First Amendment going forward. “High school graduations should honor the students, not a religion,” added FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Joe Biden encourages Mitt Romney to run for Senate in Utah
Former Vice President Joe Biden has encouraged onetime GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to run for the Senate in Utah if longtime Republican incumbent Orrin Hatch decides to retire next year. Biden made the recommendation to Romney on Friday evening at the Utah resort where Romney was hosting an annual invitation-only business and politics summit. The Biden-Romney event, like most of the discussions and speeches at the gathering, was closed to reporters. But people who were there confirmed the conversation and described it as a warm, bipartisan talk. Romney did not give any indication he was considering a run, should Hatch, 83, decide not to run again next year, said one person in attendance, Maryland videographer Dean Dykema. “Mitt didn’t have a chance to ask many questions because Joe pretty much took over the show,” Dykema said. Hatch, who has been in office since 1977, has said he hasn’t decided if he’ll seek another term but he might step aside if Romney ran. The 70-year-old former Massachusetts governor now lives in Utah, where he’s remained popular as the man who led a turnaround of the scandal-plagued 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and as a prominent Mormon businessman and politician in a state that’s home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In April, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he reached out to Romney about running for Hatch’s seat, but said he’d support the longtime senator if he decided to run again. Hatch has said that he hopes everyone in Utah could get behind Romney and avoid a divisive primary contest like the one in 2010 that ousted his close friend, the late Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett. Bennett was defeated by a tea party-backed Republican, Mike Lee. On Friday in Utah, Romney and Biden did not discuss the 2012 election where they ran on opposing tickets, but Biden did discuss the 2016 election. He made some comments critical of President Donald Trump, but said he felt his own party and its candidate Hillary Clinton failed to connect with some key voting blocs, including millennials and those in working-class states where Biden was sent as a surrogate for the campaign. Biden also discussed a need for bipartisanship in Congress, lamenting how Republicans and Democrats don’t sit together anymore in the Capitol dining room, and spoke of his efforts to improve cancer research, a cause he has focused on since his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, died in 2015 of brain cancer. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
University of West Alabama approves tuition increase
The University of West Alabama will have a tuition increase for the fall. The Tuscaloosa News reports the board of trustees approved the 4.5 percent increase to address anticipated increases in operating expenses in the upcoming fiscal year. The annual rates for undergraduate tuition for Alabama residents at the college would increase annually by about $327 to $7,613 and for non-residents by $655 to $15,227. The annual rates for graduate students would increase by about $263 for residents and $454 for students from out of state. An appropriation of $16.1 million in state funds was approved for operations and maintenance during the regular session. The board approved last year a 2 percent tuition increase and a 3 percent raise for employees as part of the 2016-2017 operating budget. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump’s base providing steady support amid Russia probes
President Donald Trump is banking on his loyal base of supporters to help him through the tangle of the Russia turmoil. Trump had his core backers in mind as he responded to former FBI Director James Comey‘s blockbuster Senate testimony and the steady creep of multiple congressional investigations and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Trump’s Republican allies might have found Comey credible, but the president called the man he fired as FBI director a liar and a “leaker.” Trump said he was the victim of the “fake news” media. And he tried to charge ahead by resorting to what worked for him as a candidate – pushing policies dear to his base and using strong rhetoric to convey that message. “As you know, we’re under siege, you understand that. But we will come out bigger and better and stronger than ever. You watch,” Trump said Thursday as Comey was telling senators that the president had pressured him to drop an investigation into an ex-White House aide. His strategy is consistent with the way Trump has governed in his first four months in office. His White House has made little effort to broaden the bedrock of support for a president who lost the popular vote and receives scant backing from Democrats. Trump has yet to hold a rally in a state he lost to Hillary Clinton in November. He visits many of the small Rust Belt cities and rural heartland communities that went for him. While backing away from some campaign promises, Trump has made good on policies his loyalists track closely. When Trump pulled the United States from the Paris climate accords despite pleas from American allies, he framed it as a victory for American industry and the blue-collar workers who backed him. He appointed a conservative to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, and is steadily nominating similar candidates to fill judicial vacancies. With help from the Republican-led Congress, he has rolled back Obama-era rules on the environment, gun rights, the internet and financial regulations. Support for the president has broken down sharply along party lines. Only 4 percent of Democrats back Trump while he has an 81 percent approval rating among Republicans, according to a Quinnipiac poll released this past week. His overall job approval number has fallen to the mid-30s, a new low, but the GOP number has remained steady in the past two months. Even if Trump’s core holds, the erosion of support from independents and wavering Democrats would jeopardize his ability to build support in swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, said Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster based in Wisconsin. “He is backing into a corner more than anybody I’ve ever seen. He’s doing it with politics, he’s doing it with electorate considerations, he’s doing it with the way he views the world,” Maslin said. “He’s standing increasingly on his own island and the question is whether he’s going to have the means and the ability to come to shore because that island isn’t big enough to win again.” The White House says the administration is simply keeping the promises that candidate Trump made. “Voters don’t ask who can win, they ask who can lead,” Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said at an event sponsored by Axios this past week. The message of Trump’s recent overseas trip was directed at his supporters back home: He reinforced his “America First” slogan by traveling to NATO’s headquarters to demand that allies increase defense spending and refused to explicitly support its mutual defense pact. (At a White House news conference Friday, Trump did say the U.S. was committed to that shared defense.) “If you asked most Americans where they are, they are in a position where we have our own problems, we don’t need to be taking care of the world’s problems,” said Greg Strimple, a Republican pollster based in Idaho, who said that Trump’s play could resonate beyond his base. “I think he is reaching out to the middle with a lot of these policies.” Trump’s legislative agenda has slowed to a crawl on Capitol Hill, in large part due to divisions among his Republican allies on health care and taxes. The Republican-led bill to dismantle the Obama-era health law narrowly passed the House, and Senate Republicans have struggled to bridge their divide in crafting legislation. Democrats have shown little inclination to work with Trump, and the White House has made almost no effort at outreach. By contrast, Republican George W. Bush, the most recent president to win election while losing the popular vote, took steps during his first months in office to woo the opposition party. He worked closely with Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, a leading Democrat, to pass the “No Child Left Behind” education law. And Trump? He held a pair of meetings Tuesday at the White House to go over his legislative agenda. Only Republicans were invited. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
