Kay Ivey announces surging 2021 exports, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
Today, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Alabama’s exports in 2021 surged more than 20% in value compared to the previous year. This means exports have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. New federal government figures show that Alabama’s exports of goods and services totaled nearly $20.9 billion last year, above the 2019 total of $20.8 billion. 2021 exports increased more than 21.8% from the 2020 total. Many key export categories showed robust growth last year. “We are very pleased to see that our optimism at this time a year ago was well-founded. Alabama’s export numbers in 2021 exceeded those of 2019,” stated Ivey. “This is a promising sign that demand for Alabama-made goods and services remains strong and that Alabama has an integral role to play in the worldwide recovery.” Ivey stated on Twitter, “I’m very pleased to announce Alabama’s exports in 2021 surged more than 20% in value compared to the previous year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and indicating the underlying resilience of the state’s economy.” Alabama businesses exported to 189 countries in 2021, with the top five destinations being Germany, Canada, China, Mexico, and South Korea. Rounding out the 10 top destinations for exports were Japan, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil. Transportation equipment, the state’s No.1 export, jumped 25.8% to reach $10.35 billion, beating the total for 2019. Overseas shipments of Alabama-made motor vehicles rose by 38.4%, while exports of ships and boats jumped 40% last year. “It is critical that we build on the successes of 2021 in order to keep the momentum going,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “The impressive growth in exports of motor vehicles, iron and steel products, in addition to machinery, plastics, and forestry products shows that Alabama is well-positioned to meet the demands of overseas buyers in a wide variety of sectors.” Alabama ranked No. 24 among the states in export volume for 2021, moving up from No. 25 in 2020.
Tommy Tuberville continues push to fully reopen U.S. Capitol, Senate to visitors
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty in introducing a resolution supporting the full reopening of the U.S. Capitol and Senate Office Buildings to the American public. Tuberville has been vocal on returning the U.S. Capitol and Senate Office Buildings to pre-COVID visitation policies. The Capitol and Senate office buildings have remained largely closed to the public for nearly two years. This closure has restricted lawmakers’ ability to welcome constituents to their offices and arrange for Capitol tours. The resolution aims to recognize the importance of reopening the U.S. Capitol and Senate office buildings and support returning to the pre-COVID public visitation policies for areas within Senate jurisdiction. Senator Tuberville expressed the need to open the Capitol so that the public can watch the democratic process. “Two years ago, it was reasonable to close public access in the name of public health. But now, it is no longer justifiable to restrict the public’s access to Capitol Hill, and we must accept the reality that we will be living with COVID for the foreseeable future,” Tuberville commented. “It should not be the case that only Members of Congress, their staff, and a few select people be the only ones who can access the Capitol. Americans deserve to visit their country’s beacon of democracy.” Hagerty argued that the Capitol needs to be reopened because the rest of the U.S. has reopened. “It is long past time for the Senate to re-open its doors to those who sent us here to represent them—the American people,” stated Hagerty. “Thanks to Operation Warp Speed, vaccines have been available for over a year for those who want them, and Americans from coast to coast have learned to live their lives safely despite the pandemic. From stores to venues and most workplaces and schools, the rest of the United States has re-opened, and it’s time for the Senate to do the same.” Other senators who support the resolution include Senators John Thune (R-SD), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), James Inhofe (R-OK), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Braun (R-IN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Cornyn (R-TX), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Rand Paul (R-KY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Boozman (R-AR), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), and John Barrasso (R-WY).
Steve Flowers: Significance of Donald Trump endorsements in Alabama races
Former President Donald Trump was a very-popular president with Alabama Republican voters. Trump was a proven conservative president. He walked the walk. He did not just talk the talk. He has a legacy as president, especially in changing the philosophical tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court. He remains popular with GOP primary voters in the Heart of Dixie. Trump continues to stay in the spotlight. He almost feels compelled to endorse candidates for senate and governor in very conservative, southern, and Midwest Republican states like Alabama, where he still remains popular. Trump has indeed endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks in his quest to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. Brooks is basing his entire campaign on Trump’s endorsement. Gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard, who has been a stalwart Trump supporter, is hoping for Trump’s blessing in her quest to unseat Governor Kay Ivey. Trump’s endorsement in this race would indeed be important in Ms. Blanchard’s mission. In the senate race, polling by two reputable and independent polling firms indicates that Mo Brooks and Katie Britt are in a dead heat contest, each with about 25%, with Mike Durant at 18%. Their numbers are not rock solid. Britt has more favorable numbers than Brooks on likeability. The poll indicates that if President Trump continues to be for Brooks, it will help him immensely. If Trump becomes disenchanted with Brooks, he can kiss this race goodbye. Brook’s campaign would simply vanish and sail away. Therefore, the prevailing question is what is the significance of Trump’s endorsement in the senate race and also if Trump endorses the governor’s race? My observation of Alabama politics over the last 60 years is that Alabamians, more than any other state, have a pronounced proclivity of not voting for a candidate that someone endorses; they will actually vote against them for that reason. Alabamians are independent and like to make their own choices for individual candidates. It has happened over and over again in my lifetime as though they are saying to a governor, in this case a former president, we elected you to your office, and you ought to be thankful for that and not be presumptuous or try to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Stick to your own knitting. George Wallace, in his heyday, when he was very popular, more popular than Trump in Alabama, would endorse candidates, and they would universally, invariably lose even if they were favored. It was as though his endorsement was the kiss of death. He gave up and quit endorsing. Trump has already had a dose of this Alabama anti-endorsing elixir. He made two endorsements in the 2017 special senate elections. Trump endorsed Luther Strange, and he lost. Trump then endorsed Roy Moore, and he lost. Other southern states have illustrated this anti-endorsing history. During the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidency, which lasted four terms throughout the Great Depression and New Deal, FDR was beloved and revered throughout the South. He was especially loved in Georgia, where he would spend a good amount of time at his home in Warm Springs. FDR had become like a king. He was immensely popular. However, he was having problems with the conservative establishment-oriented aging U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt responded with a bold, audacious move to pack the court with six new members whom he could select and move the Supreme Court from 9 to 15 justices. FDR wanted to control the Supreme Court. A good many U.S. Senators, who had been loyal to Roosevelt’s New Deal agenda could not go along with this brazen power play. Georgia’s venerable Walter George was one of those who opposed the FDR Court-packing plan. Senator George was running for reelection, and there was a tremendous ceremonial event of a water dam that Senator George had secured for Georgia. The ceremony was less than a month before the election. FDR came to the event and lambasted Walter George and openly asked Georgians to vote against him for reelection. When it came time for Senator Walter George to speak, he calmly and gentlemanly went to the podium and said in a dignified voice, “Mr. President, we Georgians appreciate you, we love you and admire you, but Mr. President, Georgians will elect their U.S. Senator.” Walter George was reelected overwhelmingly a few weeks later. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Barry Moore cosponsors bill to make Donald Trump tax cuts permanent
Rep. Barry Moore announced he has cosponsored the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act which will make permanent the tax cuts for working-class families and Main Street businesses. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to fight with my Republican colleagues to give American families more financial certainty by allowing them to keep as much of their money in their own pockets as possible,” stated Moore. “By making the Trump tax cuts permanent, the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act will help protect American families from the Biden Administration’s catastrophic handling of the economy. Working Americans should be free to spend the money they earn on their families and businesses, and I am committed to fighting the Left’s agenda to fleece taxpayers and enrich Big Government.” The bill, originally introduced by Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) in 2017, would make permanent several of the tax reforms that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The bill makes permanent provisions, including reducing individual tax rates, increasing and modifying the child tax credit, and allowing a deduction for qualified business income of pass-through entities, among others. The bill would permanently double the standard deduction to $12,950 for single filers and $25,900 for joint filers. Additionally, it would double the Child Tax Credit to $2,000 with up to $1,400 refundable, retain certain popular tax deductions, and keep a 20% tax deduction for certain small businesses. Davis argued that the tax cuts help the middle class. “We’ve seen the IRS finally come around and say what [House Republicans] have been saying that working with President Trump, helping craft and pass the Trump Tax Cut bill has put more money in the pockets of middle-class families than any other income level, Davis stated. “Now, the problem with the Trump Tax Cut Bill – the Democrats in the Senate would not allow the individual tax rates to be permanent. They are going to expire. We need to fix that, and that’s exactly what my bill does. The tax savings that families are enjoying now do not need to go away. The Democrats were okay with corporate tax rates being permanent but not individual tax rates. My bill would help families, help small businesses who file as pass-through companies and not through the corporate tax code – that’s the reason why we need to get this done.”
Jerry Carl and Barry Moore call on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign
U.S. Reps. Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, and 44 GOP colleagues sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling on him to resign. The group blames Mayorkas for the current border situation. According to Rep. Andy Barr (KY), under Mayorkas’ leadership, the Remain in Mexico Policy is largely ignored, despite court orders to restore the program. Additionally, border apprehensions have more than tripled over FY 2020, while deportations have dropped by 70%. FY2021 saw over 100,000 fentanyl overdose deaths, and border agents have apprehended over 11,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border in FY 2021. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the Remain in Mexico policy required tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to turn back to Mexico. It was meant to discourage asylum seekers, but critics said it denied people the legal right to seek protection in the U.S. The letter states, “In light of recent reports displaying your failure to execute the primary mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure our nation from its many threats through your inability and refusal to enforce the immigration laws, we call on you to resign as Secretary of Homeland Security.” The letter also states that Border Patrol agents are not feeling supported by Mayorkas. “A leaked recording from a recent meeting in Yuma, Arizona, confirmed the dwindling confidence Border Patrol agents have in the Department and its Secretary. In the recording, you acknowledged those agents are doing tasks outside of their job description and that their job is continually demonized. Additionally, they asserted that they feel no support from their Secretary. You have admitted to making border Patrol agents’ jobs more difficult, yet do nothing to ameliorate that problem. Instead, you make it exponentially harder for agents to do their job by implementing Biden administration directives that go against their Congressionally-mandated responsibilities.” In a statement, Rep. Carl argued that Mayorkas had put the U.S. at risk. “The primary mission of Homeland Security is to keep our nation safe and secure from threats, but Secretary Mayorkas has utterly failed to execute this mission. Because of Secretary Mayorkas’ failures, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are attempting to cross our southern border every single month. “Many of these migrants are bringing crime and illegal drugs with them, and this is making America FAR less safe. My colleagues and I are calling for Secretary Mayorkas to immediately resign and for President Biden to finally get serious about fixing the crisis at our border.” Additional Members of the House of Representatives who signed the letter are Andy Barr (KY), Brian Babin (TX), Andy Biggs (AZ), Tom Tiffany (WI), Tom Rice (SC), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Clay Higgins (LA), Yvette Herrell (NM), Bob Good (VA), Lauren Boebert (CO), Scott Perry (PA), Ronny L. Jackson (TX), Glenn Grothman (WI), Louie Gohmert (TX), Randy Weber (TX), Mary Miller (IL), Barry Loudermilk (GA), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Chris Jacobs (NY), Dan Bishop (NC), Tim Burchett (TN), Ben Cline (VA), Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT), Victoria Spartz (IN), Diana Harshbarger (TN), Cliff Bentz (OR), Jack Bergman (MI), Debbie Lesko (AZ), Roger Williams (TX), Bob Gibbs (OH), Byron Donalds (FL), Lisa McClain (MI), Bill Posey (FL), Madison Cawthorn (NC), Greg Murphy (NC), Ralph Norman (SC), Chip Roy (TX), John Rose (TN), August Pfluger (TX), Doug Lamborn (CO), Beth Van Duyne (TX), Carlos Giménez (FL), and Russ Fulcher (ID).
Great Resignation contributed to inflation in 2021
People switching jobs during the Great Resignation contributed to rising inflation in 2021, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “The idea is as follows: By applying for jobs in a different firm, employed workers can elicit wage competition between the current employer and the new candidate employer. The firm that intends to poach the worker from their current employer has to offer a sufficiently large wage to make the offer attractive. And if a worker is particularly valued by their own employer, they may be offered a pay raise that is necessary to retain them in their current job,” authors Renato Faccini, Leonardo Melosi, and Russell Miles wrote in Chicago Fed Letter No. 465. “In this context, if employed workers search more, wage competition among employers increases, leading to an increase in inflationary pressures; if they search less, wage competition falls, and inflationary pressures decrease.” The authors wrote that “the recent brisk surge in the propensity to search on the job has contributed to raising inflation by around 1 percentage point during most of 2021.” “According to our estimates, the Great Resignation increased the rate of inflation by up to 1.1 percentage points,” the authors wrote. “Interestingly, the contribution to inflation built up from the onset of the pandemic crisis. This inflationary pressure plateaued at its peak of May 2021 and then declined slightly in September 2021. Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty about the magnitude of these inflationary effects, which are estimated using a theoretical model based on a number of simplifying assumptions about the functioning of the economy.” The authors also noted that “more research on the reasons behind the desire to change jobs among U.S. workers will be needed to determine how persistent these inflationary pressures are likely to be.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, a key marker of inflation, earlier this month. That data showed prices increased 0.6% in the month of January and 7.5% since last year, contributing to one of the biggest inflation spikes in decades. “The all items index rose 7.5 percent for the 12 months ending January, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 1982,” the bureau reported. “The all items less food and energy index rose 6.0 percent, the largest 12-month change since the period ending August 1982. The energy index rose 27.0 percent over the last year, and the food index increased 7.0 percent.” The Biden administration has been criticized for the rising prices, especially after pushing through several trillion dollars in new federal spending last year. Federal debt spending continues to contribute to driving inflation higher as more money is printed to offset federal debts. By Brett Rowland | The Center Square Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
