Sen. Katie Britt named Ranking member of Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee
U.S. Senator Katie Britt was confirmed on Wednesday as the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on the powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations. Britt has also been appointed to serve on the Appropriations subcommittees for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Britt wrote on Twitter, “I am honored to be named the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for @AppropsGOP. Together, we can – and we must – take real action to defend our homeland, protect our children, strengthen their future, and preserve the American Dream for generations to come.” “I am excited to serve on these important subcommittees, which will strongly position me to fight for Alabama’s people, values, and interests through the Appropriations process,” said Sen. Britt. “From NASA to NOAA, the Army Corps of Engineers to CMS, FEMA to the Coast Guard, CBP to the U.S. Forest Service, and much more, these subcommittees cover a wide range of unique jurisdictions that impact every corner of our state. These assignments will give me a powerful oversight platform over federal spending to ensure bureaucrats are accountable to the public and taxpayer funds are not wasted. I look forward to championing priorities that help strengthen Alabama families and communities and preserve the American Dream for our children and our children’s children.” “Homeland Security’s jurisdiction covers a wide range of federal agencies, departments, and programs, all with an eye towards keeping American families safe and communities strong,” Britt added. “This includes the federal entities responsible for border security, which is going to be a top focus for me throughout the Appropriations process. There is no doubt that we have an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border. We must invest strategically and intentionally in solutions to secure our border and end this crisis. I look forward to working with my colleagues as we undertake this critical task. Together, we can – and we must – take real action to defend our homeland, protect our children, strengthen their future, and preserve the American Dream for generations to come.” The Appropriations subcommittee assignments were announced Wednesday morning by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the committee. “There are so many critical challenges our country faces right now, and we are glad to have this capable and committed group of Senators to lead our subcommittees this Congress and work to solve problems in people’s lives through our appropriations bills,” said Chair Murray and Vice Chair Collins. Britt is also a member of the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Rules and Administration. The Ranking Member on a Senate committee or subcommittee is the ranking member of the minority party serving on that particular committee or subcommittee – not necessarily the most senior. Britt was only sworn in last month, so it is an honor to already be a ranking member on any committee, particularly on one as powerful as Appropriations. Her predecessor, Sen. Richard Shelby, also served on that subcommittee. Homeland Security has several installations in Alabama, including the FBI facility in Huntsville that employs 1350 Alabamians, FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, and the Coast Guard Station in Mobile To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville says objects shot down last week are ‘no threat’
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville told reporters in his weekly press call that “there is no threat” from three unidentified flying objects that were shot down over the United States and Canada in the last week. Tuberville said that defense and intelligence officials still are not sure what it was that U.S. Air Force F22 fighter jets shot down. “If they know they are not telling us,” Tuberville said. “We have been in classified briefings.” The unidentified flying objects are believed to be balloons of some type. Tuberville said that the objects may be “weather-related.” The White House has said that the objects are not extra-terrestrial in origin. Tuberville explained that after the giant Chinese intelligence balloon two weeks ago, air defense forces opened up their radar and detection systems so that defense forces are better able to detect things like balloons so in the past, objects like the objects shot down may not have even been detectable previously. “We have opened up our radars more and are picking up more of them,” Tuberville said. “I am still perplexed that we shot something down, and we still don’t know what it is.” “Our phone is ringing off the wall on this,” Tuberville said about constituents phoning his offices concerned about the objects presenting an immediate danger. Tuberville said that the Chinese intelligence balloon flew over Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, and much of the United States before being shot down. “That should never have been allowed to enter our space,” Tuberville said, given its size and other factors. President Joe Biden has suggested that the U.S. will go to war with China if China attacks Taiwan. “He never should have said that,” Tuberville said of the President’s comments, but affirmed that an attack on Taiwan should result in U.S. action. “We need to defend Taiwan,” Tuberville said. “The problem is we are not ready for China.” “We have been fighting land wars for twenty years,” Tuberville said. He argued that war with China over the island of Taiwan, “will be fought over water.” Having sufficient air and naval capabilities to keep the airspace and sea lanes open to Taiwan so the country can keep fighting in an all-out invasion by the People’s Republic of China would be problematic at best for the United States. This is something that Congress is considering and one reason why there have been robust spending increases for defense in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Tuberville serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee that is tasked with oversight of the armed forces and the preparing of the annual NDAA. “The importance of passing a strong NDAA cannot be overstated,” said Sen. Tuberville. “To maintain our role as the world’s leading superpower, we must also maintain the world’s most modern, prepared, and lethal military. Bolstering our force and military capabilities ensures we are ready to defeat any enemy at any time. I am proud of my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee to draft legislation that gives the military the tools it needs to keep our country safe.” Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville welcomes Nikki Haley to 2024 presidential race
On Monday, former South Carolina Governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has already announced his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, welcomed Haley’s entrance into the 2024 presidential race. Tuberville told reporters that she would be a “great candidate.” Tuberville favors a large GOP primary field and said that he has recently spoken with Trump and told the former President that he hopes “they all get in.” “He needs the challenge as well as anybody,” Tuberville said. “They need to work for it. They need to fight for it.” In the 2020 election, President Trump endorsed Tuberville in his Republican primary battle for U.S. Senate with former Trump Attorney General Sen. Jeff Sessions. Tuberville had spent forty years as a teacher and coach – including stints as head football coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati – prior to that 2020 first run for public office. At this point, the only announced GOP candidates for the Republican nomination for 2024 are Haley and Trump, but that is expected to change quickly. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are widely believed to be seriously looking at entering the race. According to the Hill, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin are also possible presidential candidates. GOP Senators who oppose a third Trump presidential run fear that a crowded GOP primary field makes it easier for Trump to emerge as the eventual GOP nominee. “Look, we were all concerned with the fact that we had 15 or 16 or 17 individuals vying for attention in the last one,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (South Dakota) told the Hill referring to the 2016 election. “We really don’t want to see that happen again. We just don’t.” U.S. Sen. Katie Britt was endorsed by Trump in her 2022 GOP primary battle with then-Congressman Mo Brooks and war veteran and defense contractor Mike Durant. Britt, however, cannot make an endorsement in the Presidential primary because she is serving on the national Republican steering committee. Trump faced a crowded field in 2016 that included U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, and Lindsey Graham, as well as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former Virginia Gov. Mike Gilmore, former New York Gov. George Pataki, then Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Dr. Ben Carson. Trump won the 2016 Alabama Republican Primary despite the crowded field. Trump went on to win the Republican nomination and then beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the general election. Trump was unseated by former Vice President Joe Biden in 2020. Biden appears to be virtually unopposed at this point for the 2024 Democratic nomination for President. The 2024 Alabama Republican Primary is only 55 weeks away on March 5. DeSantis will speak to the Alabama Republican Party in Birmingham on March 9. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tuscaloosa County voters reject property tax increase for schools
Tuscaloosa County voters went to the polls on Tuesday and soundly rejected a proposed 8 mill property tax increase to benefit the Tuscaloosa County Public School System. As of press time, 79 percent of voters had voted ‘No’ on the tax increase. Less than 21 percent of voters voted in favor of the 80 percent tax increase. Tax proponents divided the two votes into two propositions: 3 mills and 5 mills, to make it more likely that at least one of the tax increases would pass. It did not make any difference. Both had similar levels of opposition. Tuscaloosa County Schools Superintendent Kerri Johnson asked the County Commission to grant the tax referendum. Johnson told the Tuscaloosa News that there was no backup plan. “I think some of the problem tonight, we had people out there who do not understand the situation,” said Johnson. “They think we have money we don’t have.” The Tuscaloosa County school system had promised a number of capital improvements, lower class sizes, more electives, mental health services, dual enrollment options, more school resource officers, and school security upgrades. A broad coalition of farmers, civil rights activists, small government conservatives, Northport leaders, and just common folk who believe they are taxed enough already came together for a common cause to defeat the tax referendum. The Tuscaloosa Chapter of the NAACP had urged its members to vote “No.” The Tuscaloosa County Farmers Federation funded a massive sign campaign. Former Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon, whose efforts to form a Northport city school system failed last year, urged voters to reject the tax increase because a yes vote would not have served the interests of Northport families. Proponents of the tax increase were outspent, out-organized, and ultimately outvoted by the opponents. The millage rate for Tuscaloosa County residents will remain at 10 mills – the minimum allowed by the State of Alabama. None of this vote applies to Tuscaloosa city, which has its own city school system and a millage rate of 21. The regular session of the Alabama Legislature begins in less than a month, and the failure of the Tuscaloosa tax referendum sends a message to legislators and school systems contemplating raising taxes. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Our congressional delegation has garnered good committee assignments
For the past several decades, Alabama’s power has been centered around the U.S. Senate – primarily because of Richard Shelby’s immense power and influence. During Senator Shelby’s 36-year tenure, he chaired the Intelligence, Banking, and Rules Committees. However, he became immensely powerful his last six years as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Shelby practically moved Washington to Alabama when it came to bringing home procured earmarked funds to the Heart of Dixie. We received more federal funding than any state in America. National publications labeled Shelby the Greatest Pork King in federal history, surpassing the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Less we forget, Shelby also had a very respected and tenured wingman in Senator Jeff Sessions, who served with distinction for 20 years in the Senate. They were a great team. In the halls of Congress, and especially in the U.S. Senate, seniority equates to power, and we had it. However, we who follow Alabama politics have been cautioning you that our day of reckoning would arrive in January 2023, when Richard Shelby retired from the Senate, and that day has arrived. Alabama will never be able to raid the federal vault like Shelby has done. Fortunately, as he was walking out the door, he brought so much largesse home with him that it will take other states ten years to catch up. Under the U.S. Senate seniority system, it will take young Katie Britt about ten years before she will have any impact and influence in the Senate. Katie Britt took office with zero years seniority, and that places her 99th in seniority status in the U.S. Senate. Our senior U.S. Senator, Tommy Tuberville, has two years seniority. That places him 89th in seniority in the 100-member Senate. However, we have several members of our U.S. House delegation who are garnering some seniority and are emerging as powerful members of the lower body. Therefore, for at least the next decade, our power in Washington will be in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jefferson/Shelby 6th District Congressman Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) has been instrumental in helping to garner extremely good committee assignments for our six Republican members of Congress. Palmer, who is a quiet, policy-issues congressman, was the founder and leader of the Alabama Policy Institute prior to going to Congress. Therefore, it was apropos that he would gravitate to the 30-member Republican Party Steering Committee. This committee has emerged as a powerful entity in the past decade. They essentially chose the House Committee Assignments along with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Congressman Gary Palmer will serve as Chairman of the House GOP Policy Committee. He will also retain his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This committee has jurisdiction over healthcare, which is vital to UAB – the heart and soul of the 6th District. Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) is our senior Congressman. He got to Washington at a very young age. He is now only 57 years old and has 28 years seniority. He is one of the cardinals on the House Appropriations Committee and is now chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Resources. This committee will be very important to Alabama because of the biomedical research going on in Birmingham and Huntsville. If the Republicans maintain their majority into 2025, Aderholt is in line to become Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Saks/Anniston) has emerged as Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee. This is a very important coup for Alabama and an impressive appointment for Mike Rogers. The U.S. Military has a very large footprint and importance in the Heart of Dixie. Defense dollars dominate Alabama’s economy. In addition to Rogers, two of our newest members of Congress have scored seats on the Armed Services Committee – Representative Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) and Representative Dale Strong (R-Huntsville). Both Carl and Strong are bright stalwart stars for our congressional delegation. They have also become close friends and allies. In addition to garnering a seat on the Armed Services Committee, Jerry Carl has been placed on the Appropriations Committee. He will be a workhorse for his coastal Alabama district. Freshman Congressman Dale Strong’s appointment to the Armed Services Committee is a great feather for Strong, given the importance of the Redstone Arsenal and the immense amount of defense dollars in Huntsville. Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) landed an appointment to the prestigious Judiciary Committee. Alabama’s lone congressional Democrat, Representative Terri Sewell, will retain her position as Chief Deputy Whip within the Democratic caucus. Sewell will also continue to serve on the powerful and prestigious House Ways and Means Committee. The paradigm of our power in Washington has moved to the U.S. House of Representatives. 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.
Inflation rebounds in January
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released fresh inflation figures Tuesday, which show inflation picked back up in January. The BLS Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% last month, part of a 6.4% increase over the last year. Overall, January’s rate is not as high as the peak inflation spikes seen in recent years, but it is still well above the increases considered advantageous by most economists. “The index for shelter was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase, accounting for nearly half of the monthly all items increase, with the indexes for food, gasoline, and natural gas also contributing,” BLS said. “The food index increased 0.5 percent over the month, with the food at home index rising 0.4 percent. The energy index increased 2.0 percent over the month as all major energy component indexes rose over the month.” Initially, BLS reported a decrease of 0.1% in consumer prices for December, but they later revised their numbers to show a 0.1% increase that month. Food and energy costs have outpaced the overall trends, with food rising 10.1% in the last year and energy costs rising 8.7%. Price changes in January varied by category. “Categories which increased in January include the shelter, motor vehicle insurance, recreation, apparel, and household furnishings and operations indexes,” BLS said. “The indexes for used cars and trucks, medical care, and airline fares were among those that decreased over the month.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Florida’s Ron DeSantis, legislative leaders push for reforms against frivolous lawsuits
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders want reforms to take on frivolous lawsuits and put a stop to what the governor calls “predatory” practices by trial lawyers. DeSantis held a news conference in Jacksonville Tuesday with House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, about the proposals which would eliminate one-way attorney fees and fee multipliers for all lines of insurance, modernize Florida’s “bad faith” law, and put caps on damage claims to protect small businesses. “There are things in the law that are trying to create opportunities to bring cases,” DeSantis said. “One of the reasons our auto insurance rates are higher here is because there’s a lot of cost of litigation embedded in these auto insurance premiums.” DeSantis noted the stark difference between what the client receives, and what their lawyer receives. “So, there was one case where the client was awarded $216.67, and the lawyer got over $100,000 in fees,” DeSantis said. “There was one case with $2,114.55 awarded to the client, and the attorney was able to recover almost eight times the amount that the client did.” House Speaker Renner supported the changes and said the new proposals will level the playing field for legitimate claimants. “This is really about bringing things into balance,” Renner said. “We want people with legitimate claims to bring those claims, but you should never have a situation where a client gets 200 bucks, and the lawyer gets a hundred thousand bucks.” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo spoke about rising property insurance costs and the legislation passed in December’s special session to combat it. She says a large part of the reason why costs are becoming unmanageable is the cost of litigation and lawyers using the system for their own gain. Passidomo noted that most lawyers in Florida perform their jobs well, but a small number of them chase fees through suing insurance companies. She also pointed out that those types of lawyers do not mention their clients’ needs once, nor do they properly represent them. “We have to stop that practice,” Passidomo said. “The Florida Bar regulates them and has done nothing to stop the practices that they have employed. If the Florida Bar doesn’t do it, then we’ll have to.” Passidomo further stated that the changes put in place will be to protect Floridians and their interests. “We are going to work through these issues, and we’re going to come up with some legislation to protect you, to protect your businesses, and to protect those people that actually have cases…from the lawyers that are just doing it to raise fees,” Passidomo said. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Mike Pence to fight special counsel subpoena on 2020 election
Former Vice President Mike Pence is planning to fight a subpoena by the special counsel overseeing investigations into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to people familiar with his thinking. Pence and his attorneys are planning to cite constitutional grounds as they prepare to resist special counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to compel his testimony before a grand jury. They argue that because Pence was serving in his role as president of the Senate on January 6, 2021, as he presided over a joint session of Congress to certify the election results, he is protected from being forced to address his actions under the Constitution’s “speech-or-debate” clause that shields members of Congress. “I think he views it as essential protection of his Constitutional role,” said Marc Short, a close adviser to Pence who served as his White House chief of staff. Short compared Pence’s position to the one he took on January 6 when he refused to go along with Trump’s unconstitutional scheme to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Pence’s rejection of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office in the aftermath. “The vice president of the United States is the president of the Senate, and the fact is the functions of January 6 were specific to that role,” he said of Pence, who has been laying the groundwork for a likely presidential campaign that would put him in direct competition against his former boss. Whether Pence’s arguments will succeed in limiting or altogether avoiding grand jury testimony is unclear, but the Justice Department is expected to oppose those efforts and to make the case that the former vice president’s cooperation is essential for a probe focused on Trump’s actions. The decision to try to fight the subpoena, which was first reported by Politico, marks a change in posture from Pence, who has cooperated with the Justice Department as it investigates how documents with classified markings ended up at his Indiana home after the end of the Trump administration. He permitted the FBI to search the property last week. Even if his objection is ultimately rebuffed from the courts, an antagonistic posture could allow Pence to argue that he tried to fight the Justice Department — a potentially useful position in a GOP primary, as many in the Republican base have grown distrustful of federal law enforcement, in part due to Trump’s drumbeat of criticism. And it could delay the special counsel probe, which Smith is working to rapidly advance. Pence has spoken extensively about Trump’s pressure campaign urging him to reject President Joe Biden’s victory in the days leading up to January 6, including in his book, “So Help Me God.” Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing the counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to impact the results. Pence’s decision to resist the subpoena also came after extensive back-and-forth between his lawyers and the special counsel’s office, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. The Justice Department declined to comment Tuesday on Pence’s plans. Pence is expected to address the issue in more detail during a visit to Iowa Wednesday as he inches closer to a likely presidential run. Richard Levy, a constitutional law professor at the University of Kansas, said it is true that the vice president is in a unique position as the technical presiding officer of the Senate, making the officeholder in some respects a member of the chamber. But he said that not everything a member does is protected by the speech-or-debate clause, and it is debatable whether the vice president’s role in certifying the election, which involves a mix of constitutional and senatorial functions, would be protected. In any event, Pence’s argument would likely serve to limit the scope of his testimony rather than to block it altogether, he said. “I don’t think the speech or debate clause would be a basis for quashing the subpoena altogether. It would be a basis for objecting to particular questions,” he said. The subpoena has been an aggressive step from Smith as he continues to investigate efforts by Trump and his allies to remain in power, including the storming of the Capitol building on January 6. Trump supporters, driven by the lie that the election was stolen, brutally pushed past the police and smashed through the windows and doors while Pence was presiding over the certification of Biden’s victory. The vice president was steered to safety with his staff and family as some in the mob chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” While the mob was in the Capitol, Trump tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.” A House committee investigating the January 6 attack recommended that the Justice Department bring criminal charges against Trump and others over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
