Robert Aderholt has concerns about the deal that Kevin McCarthy has negotiated with Chip Roy
This entire week the Republicans in the House of Representatives have been squabbling over who will be the Speaker of the House. Twenty members of the House Republican Caucus have refused to support House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy even though 90% of their own caucus have supported McCarthy. In an attempt to end this Republican Party feud McCarthy has negotiated a deal with holdouts led by Congressman Chip Roy. Congressman Robert Aderholt has expressed some misgivings about the Roy-McCarthy deal. Aderholt is the Ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee and is expected to Chair the powerful House Committee – when the House gets through feuding and picks a Speaker. Aderholt said that the deal between McCarthy and Chip Roy is for fiscal 2024 appropriations to be at FY-22 levels. “I think for those of us who believe in a strong defense, there’s some concerns there,” Aderholt said. Congress increased federal spending in FY2023 which the 117th Congress passed as an omnibus appropriations bill before Christmas. Rolling federal spending back to 2022 levels in FY2024 – which begins October 1 would mean massive cuts to defense and other programs and would effectively reduce the size of government to below what it was in 2022 due to inflation, and pay raises to federal employees and service members. Democrats control the Senate and the Presidency making keeping such a promise highly dubious. Defense spending is up due in part to replacing all of the material that the U.S. has transferred to Ukraine for them to fight off Russian invaders. U.S. military readiness is a concern until our stockpiles return to pre-Ukraine War levels, and there is no certainty that the Ukraine War will end in the next nine months. Our commitment to Ukraine could continue well into the next fiscal year. Aderholt has been a staunch supporter of McCarthy. “He’s earned it,” Aderholt said in a statement. “No one has worked harder to take back the House than Kevin McCarthy.” All six of Alabama’s Republican Congressmen have been staunch McCarthy loyalists throughout this episode. McCarthy’s deal picked up votes from 13 GOP holdouts on a historic 12th ballot for Speaker of the House on Friday. One GOP legislator who had been voting “present” also voted for McCarthy. It still was not enough to reach the 218 votes needed to end this drama. The House voted on the open Speaker’s position multiple times on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Roy and McCarthy negotiated the deal before the House met on Friday for its 12th vote. McCarthy lost on the 13th vote as well on Friday. The negotiations are continuing between McCarthy and the remaining Republican holdouts. The body is set to return at 10:00 pm for a historic 14th ballot. This is the first time a Speaker has failed to win election on the first ballot since 1923. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kevin McCarthy makes big gains for speaker, but still falls short
Republican leader Kevin McCarthy flipped 15 colleagues to support him in dramatic votes for House speaker on Friday, making extraordinary gains on the fourth day and the 12th and 13th ballots of a grueling standoff that was testing American democracy and the Republicans’ ability to govern. The changed votes from conservative holdouts, including the chairman of the chamber’s Freedom Caucus, put McCarthy closer to seizing the gavel for the new Congress — but not yet able. The stunning turnaround came after McCarthy agreed to many of the detractors’ demands — including the reinstatement of a longstanding House rule that would allow any single member to call a vote to oust him from office. That change and others mean the job he has fought so hard to gain will be weakened. After McCarthy won the most votes for the first time on the 12th ballot, a 13th was swiftly launched, this time just between McCarthy and the Democratic leader, with no nominated Republican challenger to siphon GOP votes away. But six GOP holdouts still cast their ballots for unnominated others, denying him the majority needed. The showdown that has stymied the new Congress came against the backdrop of the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which shook the country when a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying the Republican’s 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. A few minutes before voting began in the House chamber, Republicans tiring of the spectacle walked out when one of McCarthy’s most ardent challengers railed against the GOP leader. “We do not trust Mr. McCarthy with power,” said Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida as colleagues streamed out of the chamber in protest of his remarks. Contours of a deal with conservative holdouts who have been blocking McCarthy’s rise emerged, but an agreement had seemed still out of reach after three dismal days and 11 failed votes in a political spectacle unseen in a century. But an upbeat McCarthy told reporters as he arrived at the Capitol Friday morning, “We’re going to make progress. We’re going to shock you.” One significant former holdout, Republican Scott Perry, chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, tweeted after his switched vote for McCarthy: “We’re at a turning point.” But several holdouts remained. The final 12th vote tally: McCarthy, 213 votes; Democrat Hakeem Jeffries 211. Other Republicans Jim Jordan and Kevin Hern picked up protest votes. With 431 members voting, McCarthy was still a few votes short of a majority. When Rep. Mike Garcia nominated McCarthy for a 12th time, he also thanked the U.S. Capitol Police who were given a standing ovation for protecting lawmakers and the legislative seat of democracy on January 6. The agreement McCarthy presented to the holdouts from the Freedom Caucus and others centers around rules changes they have been seeking for months. Those changes would shrink the power of the speaker’s office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation. Even if McCarthy is able to secure the votes he needs, he will emerge as a weakened speaker, having given away some powers, leaving him constantly under threat of being voted out by his detractors. But he would also be potentially emboldened as a survivor of one of the more brutal fights for the gavel in U.S. history. At the core of the emerging deal is the reinstatement of a House rule that would allow a single lawmaker to make a motion to “vacate the chair,” essentially calling a vote to oust the speaker. McCarthy had resisted allowing a return to the longstanding rule that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had done away with, because it had been held over the head of past Republican Speaker John Boehner, chasing him to early retirement. But it appears he had no other choice. The chairman of the chamber’s Freedom Caucus, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who had been a leader in Trump’s efforts to challenge his presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, appeared receptive to the proposed package, tweeting an adage from Ronald Reagan, “Trust but verify.” Other wins for the holdouts include provisions in the proposed deal to expand the number of seats available on the House Rules Committee, to mandate 72 hours for bills to be posted before votes, and to promise to try for a constitutional amendment that would impose federal limits on the number of terms a person could serve in the House and Senate. Lest hopes get ahead of reality, conservative holdout Ralph Norman of South Carolina said: “This is round one.” It could be the makings of a deal to end a standoff that has left the House unable to fully function. Members have not been sworn in, and almost no other business can happen. A memo sent out by the House’s chief administrative officer Thursday evening said that committees “shall only carry out core Constitutional responsibilities.” Payroll cannot be processed if the House isn’t functioning by January 13. After a long week of failed votes, Thursday’s tally was dismal: McCarthy lost seventh, eighth, and then historic ninth, 10th, and 11th rounds of voting, surpassing the number from 100 years ago in the last drawn-out fight to choose a speaker. The California Republican exited the chamber and quipped about the moment: “Apparently, I like to make history.” Feelings of boredom, desperation, and annoyance seemed increasingly evident. Democrats said it was time to get serious. “This sacred House of Representatives needs a leader,” said Democrat Joe Neguse of Colorado, nominating his own party’s leader, Hakeem Jeffries, as speaker. What started as a political novelty, the first time since 1923 a nominee had not won the gavel on the first vote, has devolved into a bitter Republican Party feud and deepening potential crisis. Democratic leader Jeffries of New York won the most votes on every ballot but also remained short of a majority. McCarthy ran second, gaining no ground. Pressure has grown with each passing day for McCarthy to somehow find the votes he needs or
Man dies after apparent assault at Limestone prison
A man at Limestone Correctional Facility was killed Wednesday in an apparent inmate-on-inmate assault, the state prison system confirmed. The Alabama Department of Corrections said Ariene Kimbrough, 35, was discovered deceased inside his cell at the north Alabama prison. The prison system did not say how Kimbrough died. The agency said the death is under investigation. The state prison system has come under criticism and federal scrutiny for high rates of violence. The U.S. Department of Justice has an ongoing lawsuit against Alabama, arguing that the conditions in state lockups are so poor that they violate the U.S. Constitution. The state has acknowledged problems within state prisons but disputes the Justice Department’s accusation. The prison system reported in monthly statistics that at least 11 prisoners were killed by other inmates in the fiscal year that ended in September. However, the prison system said the reported number does not include deaths that are still under investigation. The Equal Justice Initiative has reported that at least 18 inmates died by homicide in 2022. The Alabama Department of Corrections reported that 225 inmates died in the last fiscal year. At least four of those died by suicide, according to statistical reports. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
House leadership comments on massive unemployment tax cuts
Alabama House Republican Caucus Speaker Nominee Nathaniel Ledbetter and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Danny Garrett said on Friday that a dramatic cut in unemployment insurance taxes announced by the Alabama Department of Labor this week will help keep the state’s historic economy and job market growing even more in the coming months. “Based on the Department of Labor’s announcement, the financial burden that surging unemployment forced upon employers and businesses during the pandemic has come to an end,” Ledbetter said. “And thanks to the legislature’s strategic planning and wise fiscal policies during the pandemic, Alabama has remained open for business, and our economy is currently the strongest in history.” The Labor Department announced Thursday that Alabama employers would experience a 54 percent tax cut on their unemployment insurance taxes during 2023. This tax cut has dropped Alabama into the lowest tax rate schedule, moving the state’s tax rate from Schedule D to Schedule A. After massive layoffs caused by the pandemic depleted the state’s unemployment fund, the state legislature appropriated federal COVID relief funds to replenish the coffers of the depleted trust fund. The issuance of Revive Alabama Grants by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and actions taken by the Small Business Commission to re-open Alabama businesses faster allowed repayments to the unemployment fund much sooner than in states that stayed shut down longer during the forced economic shutdowns. “The remarkable achievement of moving from the highest to the lowest tax rate category is a direct result of the collaborative efforts over the past several years by Gov. Ivey, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, the Small Business Commission, and both bodies of the legislature,” Garrett said. “These tax cuts will benefit businesses of all sizes and ensure that Alabama’s economy, which is already among the best in the nation, remains strong for the immediate future.” “Following the economic uncertainty and the record-breaking amount of unemployment compensation benefits paid out during the pandemic, it is absolutely remarkable that we have been able to lower taxes for employers and drop to the lowest tax rate schedule in this short amount of time,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. Ledbetter was selected by the House Republican Caucus to replace the retired Rep. Mac McCutcheon as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. Since Republicans have a 77 to 28 supermajority, the Republican choice for Speaker is highly likely to be elected Speaker when the Legislature meets for its organizational session next week. Ledbetter has announced that if he is the Speaker, he will reappoint Garrett as the Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Education Committee. Ledbetter has also announced that State Rep. Rex Reynolds will chair the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. Reynolds replaces State Rep. Steve Clouse, who challenged Ledbetter for the Speaker’s chair. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey announces that Alabama employers will see a 54% unemployment insurance tax cut
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced on Thursday that Alabama employers will be getting a major tax cut on how much they have to pay in federal unemployment insurance taxes. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington explained that most Alabama employers will see a 54 percent tax cut in their 2023 unemployment insurance taxes, and the state has dropped into the lowest tax rate schedule due to the state’s low unemployment rate. “This announcement today is further proof of how well Alabama is recovering from the pandemic — not in nearly thirty years have our employers seen a UI tax schedule at the lowest level – and the rates are the lowest in history, to boot,” Gov. Ivey exclaimed in a statement. “Our economic decisions during this time of national economic uncertainty are paying off — by putting more money in employers’ tills and allowing them to hire more Alabamians, benefiting the state as a whole. I’m beyond proud to lead an administration delivering real, effective tax savings to our people.” “Following the economic uncertainty and the record-breaking amount of unemployment compensation benefits paid out during the pandemic, it is absolutely remarkable that we have been able to lower taxes for employers and drop to the lowest tax rate schedule in this short amount of time,” said Washington. This is the first time Alabama has dropped into Schedule A, the lowest tax rate schedule, since 1997. This year’s average tax rate is also the lowest in recorded history. Additionally, no shared costs will be incurred by employers this year, following several years of shared cost collections related to the pandemic. The current Alabama Unemployment Tax Schedule consists of four tax rate schedules: A, B, C, and D. The original intent of the four schedules was to assist in the recovery of benefit costs so that the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund, from which benefits are paid, will neither become depleted nor collect excess revenue. The objective is to maintain an adequate balance so that benefits can be paid when necessary. Therefore, the balance in the trust fund determines which schedule will be in effect for the upcoming calendar year. The trust fund was flush with funds at the end of 2019 due to the booming economy and low unemployment, but then COVID-19 hit, and forced economic shutdowns forced millions of Americans to stay home and live off of their unemployment benefits. Alabama’s economy reopened faster than many states, but the months of people drawing benefits depleted the fund. Alabama employers have had to pay higher rates in 2021 and 2022 to replenish the UI Trust Fund. Record low unemployment rates in 2022 meant that relatively few people were drawing benefits in 2022. If those rates remain near record lows, these lower tax rates will put more money into the hands of Alabama businesses. “Lower taxes allow businesses to hire more employees and spur spending,” explained Washington. “This record low tax rate is further evidence of Alabama’s economic recovery and shows how resilient we have been as a state.” Business owners can now download their individual 2023 unemployment insurance tax rate notices online. Customers should log in to their eGov account to see their rate. Unemployment Insurance taxes are paid 100% by employers on the first $8,000 of wages earned per employee. Shared costs are those benefit charges which cannot be attributed to any one employer and are shared by all employers in the state of Alabama. This is necessary due to bankruptcies and business closings which are born by Alabama employers as a group and are divided among employers who remain active entities. Kay Ivey will be inaugurated into her second term on January 16. Ivey emphasized her ability to recruit new businesses to the state of Alabama and the robust economy that the state has enjoyed during her tenure during her campaign. The Ivey administration emphasizes that under Ivey’s leadership, the state enjoys the lowest unemployment in state history, has received over $32 billion in new capital investment, has created over 65,000 good-paying jobs, and has the most people employed in state history. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Personnel Update: David Brewer hired to work for Baldwin County legislative delegation
On Tuesday, the Baldwin County Commission approved an agenda item to hire David Brewer for a part-time position working for the Baldwin County Legislative delegation. Brewer is presently the Deputy Secretary of State & Chief of Staff for Secretary of State John Merrill who is finishing his last days as Secretary of State as he was term-limited from running for a third term. Former State Rep. Wes Allen is the incoming Secretary of State and has already announced his senior staff hires. Clay Helms will serve as Allen’s chief of staff. Brewer will advise the Baldwin County legislative delegation on matters of policy. Brewer is well versed in legislative affairs and Alabama election law from his time at the Secretary of State’s office. He is also well-versed in Baldwin County issues from his time as the Baldwin County Administrator. Brewer is a native of Alaska. He came to the state of Alabama to study at the University of Alabama. He joined Baldwin County in 1996 as an intern. He joined the county full-time in 1997 and became the county administrator in 2010. The commission voted not to renew his contract in 2014. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt to join Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Cindy Hyde-Smith in visit to Southern Border
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn will lead an all-female delegation to the Del Rio Sector of the U.S.-Mexico border on January 9 and 10. Sen. Blackburn will be joined by U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Katie Britt to examine what Blackburn called “the disastrous effects of [Joe] Biden’s border crisis” firsthand. “President Biden created a humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border. He ended Remain in Mexico, terminated the safe third country agreements, and pushed to end Title 42. All the while, deportations have dropped to the lowest levels in ICE history,” said Senators Blackburn, Hyde-Smith, and Britt in a joint statement. “Under the Biden Administration, drug cartels have been emboldened to take advantage of innocent women and children for sexual and monetary gain. Human trafficking has skyrocketed from a $500 million business in 2018 to a $13 billion complex industry. President Biden’s failure to secure the border is resulting in countless innocent victims being sexually abused and killed. Over the last two years, drug overdose deaths – largely driven by fentanyl – have become the leading cause of death for adults 18 – 45 years old. It’s time to enforce the rule of law and secure our border.” Blackburn came to Alabama to campaign for Britt during the general election. Britt and Blackburn both spoke about the chaos on the southern border at that event and pledged to journey there if Britt was elected to the Senate. “It’s an honor to have Senator Marsha Blackburn on hand to outline how important this upcoming General Election is,” Britt said. “We are looking forward to visiting with everyone and discussing what’s at stake on November 8. It’s time to send a message loud and clear to Washington, D.C. that we’ve had enough of President Biden’s radical agenda that puts hardworking Alabama families last, whether it is generationally high inflation, a historic border crisis or the devastating flood of fentanyl into our communities. This is the Year of the Parent, and people across our great state know that our future is on the ballot. Together, we will preserve the American Dream for our children and our children’s children.” Also on Thursday President Joe Biden announced that he was going to the southern border for the first time in his presidency. Biden said he will visit El Paso, Texas, “to assess border enforcement operations, meet with the local officials and community leaders and the folks at the border sending me what they need that they don’t have.” The Senators will meet with federal, state, and local law enforcement to see the impact of the border crisis firsthand. The Senators will also meet with local landowners and those who have been victimized by the Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers. Katie Boyd Britt was sworn into office on the Senate floor on Tuesday. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kevin McCarthy fails to win House Speakership after 11 votes
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to choose its next Speaker of the House. Ninety percent of House Republicans, including all of the Congressional Republicans from Alabama, voted to make longtime House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy the Speaker, but that was still far short of the 218 votes needed to elect McCarthy Speaker. The 11:00 am CST Speaker of the House vote was followed by four more votes before the House adjourned until Friday. The four failed Speaker votes on Thursday, followed three votes on Wednesday and three on Tuesday, for a total of 11 failed Speaker elections to this point. The small group of ultra-conservative Republicans in the House that oppose McCarthy are led by Reps. Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz, and Bob Good. They insist that they can hold out indefinitely and will not be swayed by critics to soften their stand against McCarthy, whom they view as too moderate. Democrats, on the other hand, have voted unanimously for their new leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Congresswoman Terri Sewell has voted for Jeffries. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has told reporters that House Democrats will not help elect McCarthy. Alabama’s Republican Congressmen Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Dale Strong, and Gary Palmer have all steadfastly supported McCarthy throughout this process. “I am supporting Kevin McCarthy in the House the entire time,” said Barry Moore in a video statement on Facebook. “We have been working on trying to get a consensus on who the Speaker will be.” “I have been with Kevin because I said I would be with Kevin,” Moore said. “I have told Kevin that he has my support.” The House cannot conduct business until it has a Speaker in place, so essentially, the first, second, and third days of the 118th Congress accomplished nothing. House committee staff may not get paid if the House does not pass rules for the 118th Congress – something that it can’t do until after the House has a Speaker. According to a memo released Thursday, the deadline for passing the rules package is next Friday. “Committees need to be aware that should a House Rules package not be adopted by end of business on January 13, no committee will be able to process payroll since the committee’s authority for the new Congress is not yet confirmed,” the memo said. Without a Speaker of the House, House Republicans’ expansive agenda can’t move forward. New members, including Alabama’s Dale Strong, have been unable to even be sworn in. The incoming chairs for the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs committees are blocked from attending classified national security briefings until the rules are adopted for the 118th Congress, and committee chairs are formally appointed by the Speaker. McCarthy’s inability to even get a vote of support from the squabbling members of his own caucus has called into question whether or not he will be able to effectively lead the majority party moving forward – even if he is chosen as the next Speaker of the House. McCarthy and his allies have shown no sign of bringing forward a new candidate. McCarthy was previously passed over for Speaker in 2015 after ultraconservatives objected. Congressman Paul Ryan was chosen as Speaker then. This is the first time since 1923 that the Speaker of the House was not chosen on the first vote. There has not been this many failed votes on the Speaker since the Civil War. The House of Representatives will convene on Friday at 11:00 am CST to vote for a twelfth time. “I guarantee this much – it will be better than Nancy Pelosi,” Moore said, acknowledging that he was not sure who would ultimately get the Speakership. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Pope Benedict XVI has been laid to rest
On Thursday, Pope Francis presided over the funeral Mass of his predecessor – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Tens of thousands of mourners were at the Vatican to pay their last respects to Benedict on his passing. “’ Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,’” quoted Pope Francis during his homily at the funeral of Benedict. “Like the Master, a shepherd bears the burden of interceding and the strain of anointing his people, especially in situations where goodness must struggle to prevail, and the dignity of our brothers and sisters is threatened.” “In the course of this intercession, the Lord quietly bestows the spirit of meekness that is ready to understand, accept, hope and risk, notwithstanding any misunderstandings that might result,” he continued. “It is the source of an unseen and elusive fruitfulness, born of his knowing the One in whom he has placed his trust. A trust itself born of prayer and adoration, capable of discerning what is expected of a pastor and shaping his heart and his decisions in accord with God’s good time. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God’s truth, of God’s word, the nourishment of his presence.” Diocese of Birmingham Bishop Steven Raica wrote in a statement, “From his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, issued on December 25, 2005, the first year of his pontificate, he noted in the opening lines: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or the result of a lofty idea, but an encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a new direction.” He highlighted the fact that although he was a teacher par excellence, being a Christian has more to do with an encounter with an event, a person. That is the decisive moment that changes everything, bringing meaning and purpose to everything we do and the purpose of an eternal destiny.” Joseph Ratzinger was born in Germany, the son of a policeman. Ratzinger entered the seminary following World War II. Ratzinger became a priest and theologian. He was made a bishop and then elevated to Cardinal by Pope St. John Paul II. He was elected Pope following the death of John Paul II in 2005. He chose the papal name of Benedict – the sixteenth Pope Benedict in Church history. Benedict served as Pope from 2005 to 2013 and Pope Emeritus following his historic decision to retire. As Cardinal, Ratzinger spent decades as one of the Catholic Church’s foremost theologians, long before he was elected to the Papacy. From 1981 to 2005, Ratzinger served as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II. In that role, he had a tremendous influence on Catholic theology during the turbulent years following the controversial Second Vatican Council. Benedict was elevated to the Papacy at the advanced age of 77. As his health declined, it became more difficult for him to fulfill the duties of his office. Benedict, one of the most influential cardinals during John Paul II’s long Papacy, was keenly aware of the problems in leading the Church when the leader of the Church was incapacitated. Benedict became the first Pope in 600 years to retire. Benedict spent the last nine years of his life at the Vatican as Pope Emeritus – a title he chose himself. There has been open speculation that Francis, whose own health has been in serious decline over the last two years, may follow Benedict’s example and retire if his health begins to impede his ability to continue his ministry. Pope Benedict was 95. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
