Federal appeals court rejects Alabama Congressional redistricting map
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel struck down the Alabama Legislature’s new congressional redistricting map. The Court is expected to appoint a special master to redraw Alabama’s congressional map because the state Legislature refused to draw a map compliant with the Court’s previous order to draw a map with two majority-minority districts. In June, the Court ordered the state to submit a map with two majority-minority districts or something close to that. Instead, Alabama Republicans simply drew a map increasing the percentage of Black voters in Republican Congressman Barry Moore’s Second Congressional District from 30% to 39.9%. “We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature — faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district — responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district,” the judges wrote in a 196-page ruling. The plaintiffs in the Milligan v Allen case that challenged the original 2021 redistricting as not compliant with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 rejected the second map. On Tuesday, the Court issued a ruling agreeing with the plaintiffs. None of this was unexpected. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in August told the Alabama Republican Executive Committee meeting in Montgomery that he was skeptical of the three-judge panel ruling in favor of the state. The state lost a narrow 5 to 4 decision before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court in June affirmed that the three-judge panel in Atlanta was correct in its initial 2022 decision to halt Alabama’s election under the 2021 redistricting. After the initial judgment, the three-judge panel’s decision to block the 2022 election, the Supreme Court ruled that the three-judge panel likely had been right that the 2021 redistricting was not compliant with the Voting Rights Act. The special master has been given until September 25 to redraw Alabama’s Congressional districts, creating a second majority-minority district. The state is expected to ask the Supreme Court to stay the three-judge panel ruling and hear this case as they did last year. The state will likely ask the Supreme Court to again stay the three-judge panel’s ruling to allow the 2024 elections to take place under the partisan 2022 redistricting. The plaintiffs suing the state will undoubtedly challenge any legal maneuvering by the state of Alabama. State Senators close to the redistricting decision explained to Alabama Today that the state is staking its hope on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh switching sides and voting with the four conservative jurists: Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch. All of this is dependent on the Supreme Court even considering the case. They are not obligated by law to take up the matter. Kavanaugh voted with Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the decision for the majority. The three-judge panel is comprised of one Clinton appointee, Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus, and two Trump appointees, District Judge Anna Manasco and District Judge Terry Moorer. Candidate qualifying with the two major political parties begins in October, so the state needs to know what the district boundaries will look like by October 1. If this decision is applied to other southern states, including Texas and Florida, Democrats could pick up as many as twelve new majority-minority districts, likely flipping control of the U.S. House of Representatives to the Democrats in the 2024 elections. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama leaders commemorate Victory over Japan Day
On September 2, 1945, representatives of the Empire of Japan formally surrendered to the U.S. and the Allies aboard the Battleship U.S.S. Missouri, formally ending World War II. The United States was forced into World War II on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The Allies had defeated Nazi Germany months earlier. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler was dead, and the Nazi leadership was in custody: but Japan fought on alone, still holding large portions of China, Korea, Indochina, and Formosa (today Taiwan). On August 6 and 9, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. On August 15, Japan announced its surrender, with the formal signing of the surrender paper coming on September 2. General Douglas MacArthur signed the surrender papers on behalf of the Allies. This date is remembered in the U.S. as Victory over Japan Day (VJ-Day). The British commemorate August 15 as Victory over Japan Day. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) remembered the veterans who won World War II. “On September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrendered aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, ending one of the bloodiest wars in history,” Sen. Tuberville wrote on Twitter. “78 years later, we remember the courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of all our World War II veterans.” Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) acknowledged the historical significance of the date on Twitter. “On this 78th Anniversary of the Victory over Japan, we celebrate the Japanese surrender to allied forces, marking the end of World War II,” Rep. Moore said on Twitter. “Let us never forget those who sacrificed everything to defend our country and protect our freedom.” Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) also honored the World War II vets. “Today, we remember the service and sacrifice of the heroic Americans who won the victory in the Pacific and brought an end to the largest war the world has ever seen,” Sen. Britt wrote on Twitter. World War II was the largest, bloodiest war in the history of the world and second only to the Civil War in American deaths. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Rep. Jerry Carl says terrorist organizations are taking advantage of America’s open border
On Tuesday, Congressman Jerry Carl (R-AL01) referenced a CNN article about an individual with ISIS ties who was discovered smuggling migrants over the U.S. southern border when he expressed concerns that terrorist organizations are taking advantage of U.S. border policies. “This is just another horrific example of the terrible things going on at the southern border,” Carl wrote on Twitter. “Terrorist organizations are taking full advantage of our open borders, and it’s making ALL our communities less safe.” According to original reporting by CNN, the FBI is investigating more than a dozen migrants from Uzbekistan and other countries allowed into the U.S. after they sought asylum at the southern border. This is not unusual, as over six million migrants have entered the U.S. since Joe Biden became President. What set off alarm bells at Homeland Security was when U.S. intelligence officials found that the migrants traveled with the help of a smuggler with ties to ISIS. The FBI says that no specific ISIS plot has been identified here. They are, however, still working to “identify and assess” all of the individuals who gained entry to the United States, according to a statement from National Security Council spokesman Adrienne Watson. They are also closely scrutinizing a number of the migrants as possible criminal threats, according to two U.S. officials. The government says that there is no evidence at this point to justify detaining anyone. That said, an urgent classified intelligence report was circulated to President Biden’s top Cabinet officials in their morning briefing book. Some counterterrorism officials say this incident shows that the U.S. is deeply vulnerable to the possibility that terrorists could sneak across the southern border by hiding amid the surge of migrants entering the country in search of asylum. Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) also shared the same CNN article that was initially shared by the House Republican Caucus. “More than a dozen Uzbek nationals entered into our country with the help of an ISIS smuggler, and now we are scrambling to find them,” Rep. Moore said on Twitter. “If our border was secure, these incidents wouldn’t happen. #BidenBorderCrisis” Congressmen Carl and Moore are in their second terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Barry Moore says Democrats “have been out to get Trump since he came down the escalator”
On Monday night, former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Fulton County, Georgia grand jury for charges dating back to 2020, accusing the former President and 18 of his attorneys, advisors, and affiliates of conspiring to unlawfully overturn the results of the 2020 election. Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) – who has endorsed Trump for President – took to Twitter on Tuesday to denounce the prosecution of Trump and his team. “The United States had never before indicted a former president, and now Biden’s Department of Justice and weaponized blue state prosecutors have indicted President Trump four times in a matter of months,” Moore said on Twitter. As they continue their quest to throw their chief political opponent in jail, Democrats have joined the likes of Maduro and Noriega,” Rep. Moore wrote on Twitter. “They have been out to get President Trump since he came down the escalator, and Americans can see through this desperate sham.” Moore, a member of the House Judiciary Committee that is investigating alleged influence peddling by the President’s son, Hunter Biden, and allegations that Biden himself may have received payoffs from foreign sources while he was Vice President – has suggested that the indictments of Trump are part of a plan by Democrats to distract attention from those hearings. “JUST IN: The Biden family received more than $20 million from oligarchs in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan while he was VP,” said Moore on Twitter. “Biden dined with these oligarchs and spoke with them on the phone 20 separate times. The indictments are just a distraction from the real story.” Most Republicans dismiss the Trump indictments as partisan politics. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) called them a “sham” and a “witch hunt” in a statement on Tuesday. Some Trump opponents, on the other hand, claim that he should not be allowed on the ballot due to the legal controversy. William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen claim that by challenging the results of the 2020 election, Trump is guilty of participating in an insurrection between the election and the certification of the Electoral College votes on January 9, 2021, and is thus barred from holding public office under the post-Civil War Fourteenth Amendment. Trump has already made history as only the third President in the country’s history to be impeached by the House of Representatives and the only President to be impeached twice. Like Bill Clinton and Andrew Johson before him, Trump was not convicted by the Senate. Trump is the sixth one-term President since 1900 to lose reelection. The others are William Howard Taft in 1912, Herbert Hoover in 1932, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George H. Bush in 1992. If Trump wins the Republican nomination for President and then is elected to a nonconsecutive term in 2024, he would be the first to accomplish that since Grover Cleveland. Moore is serving in his second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Federal judges review Alabama’s new congressional map, lack of 2nd majority-Black district
Federal judges reviewing Alabama’s new congressional map on Monday sharply questioned if state lawmakers ignored the court’s directive to create a second-majority Black district, so minority voters have a fair opportunity to influence elections. The three-judge panel held a hearing as they weigh whether to let the map stand or to step in and draw new congressional districts for the state. The panel heard arguments Monday but did not indicate when it would rule. Alabama was forced to draw new district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a surprise June decision, upheld the panel’s earlier finding that the state’s then-map — which had just one Black-majority district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act. Lawyers for voters in the case argued Monday that the new plan, which maintains one majority-Black district, still discriminates against Black voters. They said it flouts the panel’s 2022 finding that Alabama should have two districts where Black voters comprise a majority or “something quite close to it.” All three judges pointedly asked the state’s lawyer whether Alabama had ignored their finding that the state should have a second district where Black voters have an opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. Judge Judge Terry F. Moorer asked if Alabama had chosen to “deliberately disregard” the court’s instruction. Judge Stan Marcus asked the state, “Were you not required to draw a new map (that provides a reasonable) opportunity (district for Black voters)?” Edmund LaCour, Alabama’s solicitor general, said the redrawn map was as “close as you get” to creating a second majority-Black district without violating the U.S. Constitution or traditional redistricting criteria. “I think it is close as you get without violating the Constitution,” LaCour said. LaCour accused the plaintiffs of seeking a “racial gerrymander” over traditional guidelines for drawing districts, such as keeping districts compact and keeping communities of interest together. Abha Khanna, an attorney representing one group of plaintiffs in the case, said Alabama chose “defiance over compliance.” “Alabama has chosen instead to thumb its nose at this court and to thumb its nose at the nation’s highest court and to thumb its nose at its own Black citizens,” Khanna said. Khanna said Alabama essentially changed nothing for Black voters by passing a map that maintained a single majority-Black district. White voters will continue to Alabama Republicans, who have been reluctant to create a Democratic-leaning district, boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%. State leaders are engaging in a high-stakes wager that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court which could again test the requirements of the Voting Rights Act. The panel in 2022 issued a preliminary injunction blocking the state’s then-map. During the court hearing, a judge asked the sides about next steps and whether they were starting anew in the review of the map. The high-stakes hearing drew a large number of spectators to the federal courthouse in Birmingham, where an overflow room was opened to accommodate the large crowd. Plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case attended, with many wearing T-shirts printed with their proposed map, which would have two majority-Black districts. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama’s new map “denies Black Alabamians their lawfully protected rights.” “Alabama’s latest congressional map is a continuation of the state’s sordid history of defying court orders intended to protect the rights of Black voters,” Holder said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Rep. Barry Moore introduces bill to strengthen school safety by creating grant funding for school resource officers
On Tuesday, Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) introduced the Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023, which would use some of the $1 billion in unspent COVID relief funds to provide grant funding for partnerships between schools and local law enforcement agencies to increase school safety and provide jobs for veterans. “Instead of tolerating the same old, same old Washington status quo and letting unspent COVID funding sit unused in our treasury, my legislation puts that money to use to protect our children and hire our veterans,” said Moore. “The Democrat plan to defund the police and use bureaucracy to take guns away from law-abiding citizens trying to protect themselves is counterproductive and dangerous. We can better protect our children by giving schools the resources to increase security measures and encouraging stronger partnerships between schools and law enforcement.” The Securing American Classrooms Act of 2023: · Uses $1,000,000,000 in funds currently sitting in our treasury for grants to increase school safety. · Creates a stronger partnership link between schools and local law enforcement agencies. · Ensures that at least one veteran is hired as a school resource officer to receive grant funding. There were 46 school shootings in the USA in 2022 – the most since 1999. Since the Columbine high school shooting, there have been 386 school shootings. 201 students and faculty have been killed, and another 430 have been wounded or injured. Thousands more have been traumatized by experiencing this level of violence firsthand. In addition to violence, school grounds are often used to market illicit drugs to students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. drug overdose deaths increased 30% from 2019 to 2020 and 15% in 2021, resulting in an estimated 108,000 deaths in 2021. Among people 14–18 years old, overdose deaths increased 94% from 2019 to 2020 and 20% from 2020 to 2021, even though illicit drug use declined overall among surveyed middle and high school students during 2019–2020. There is widespread availability of fentanyl in most communities today. That and the proliferation of counterfeit pills resembling prescription drugs but containing fentanyl have resulted in soaring overdose deaths reaching into American middle schools. Tied to both issues is the growing prevalence of gangs in schools. According to the federal government’s National Gang Center, “Gangs, unchecked and unidentified in a school setting, often engage in threat and intimidation; physical and cyber bullying; fighting; recruiting; and criminal activities such as the introduction and use of weapons, assault, sex trafficking, vandalism, and illegal drug sales. The absence of a well-developed, strategic, collaborative, and effective school safety plan can lead to violence and other unsafe and disruptive activities within a school setting.” The presence of trained school resource officers can help mediate many of these problems that might occur in schools. Barry Moore is in his second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District. He is a veteran, a small businessman, an Auburn graduate, and previously served as a state legislator from 2010 to 2018. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Fitch Ratings has downgraded U.S. credit rating
Fitch Ratings has downgraded the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+, the Wall Street Journal reported. This is the first downgrade of America’s creditworthiness by a major credit rating service in over a decade. Fitch said on Tuesday that the downgrade reflects an “erosion of governance” in the U.S. relative to other top-tier economies over the last two decades. “The repeated debt-limit political standoffs and last-minute resolutions have eroded confidence in fiscal management,” Fitch said. Fitch expects the general government deficit to rise to 6.3% of gross domestic product in 2023 from 3.7% last year. The predicted deficit growth reflects cyclically weaker federal revenues, new spending initiatives, and a higher interest burden. The firm expects the U.S. economy to slip into a recession later this year. Moody’s has not yet lowered the U.S.A.’s credit rating. The White House responded strongly to the decision by Fitch. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the Administration strongly disagrees with the decision by Fitch. “We strongly disagree with this decision,” Jean-Pierre said. “The ratings model used by Fitch declined under President [Donald]Trump and then improved under President [Joe] Biden, and it defies reality to downgrade the United States at a moment when President Biden has delivered the strongest recovery of any major economy in the world. And it’s clear that extremism by Republican officials—from cheerleading default to undermining governance and democracy, to seeking to extend deficit-busting tax giveaways for the wealthy and corporations—is a continued threat to our economy.” “The change by Fitch Ratings announced today is arbitrary and based on outdated data,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. “Fitch’s quantitative ratings model declined markedly between 2018 and 2020 – and yet Fitch is announcing its change now, despite the progress that we see in many of the indicators that Fitch relies on for its decision. Many of these measures, including those related to governance, have shown improvement over the course of this Administration, with the passage of bipartisan legislation to address the debt limit, invest in infrastructure, and make other investments in America’s competitiveness.” Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) retweeted a response from the House Freedom Caucus. “A rundown of Fitch’s downgrade of the United States credit rating: The Biden Administration played politics with a possible government default. The @HouseGOP did our job in April by passing Limit Save Grow, but Biden waited till the last minute to negotiate.” The U.S. is spending $1.57 trillion a year more than it is taking in revenues. The total debt has topped $32.7 trillion, and the Administration has refused to present a framework for a balanced budget within five years even though the nation is at full employment, and the U.S. is not currently at war. The cost of servicing the debt is $652 million a year and climbing. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Rep. Barry Moore votes for legislation that fully funds health care for veterans
On Friday, Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) voted in favor of the 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. This legislation aims to fully fund veterans’ health care programs and supports a strong national defense by funding $17 billion in military construction projects. It also includes provisions prohibiting VA funding for abortion, critical race theory, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “This bill is a victory for the 377,000 veterans in my home state of Alabama who rely on care and benefits from the VA after serving our country,” said Moore. “House Republicans are focused on caring for these heroes and investing in the future of our servicemembers rather than spending taxpayer dollars on extinguishing innocent lives or propping up woke initiatives that prioritize pronouns over performance.” The 2024 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill: · Fully funds VA health care programs · Fully funds VA benefits · Invests in the pacific theater and new barracks · Prohibits the closure or realignment of Guantanamo Bay · Prohibits funding for abortion through the VA · Prohibits funding for critical race theory initiatives and DEI initiatives “This bill before us fully and responsibly funds veterans’ health care,” said Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger. “It will ensure our veterans get the medical treatment they deserve.” The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes a total of $317 billion in funding for the Department of Defense (Military Construction and Family Housing), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies. Of the total, $155 billion is provided as discretionary funding and $161.740 billion is provided for mandatory programs. Of the discretionary total, $17.474 billion is for Department of Defense military construction projects, nearly $800 million above the President’s Budget Request. The bill also fully funds the Department of Veterans Affairs for Fiscal Year 2024 by appropriating $137.755 billion in discretionary funding in addition to the $20.268 billion included in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund. It also includes a total of $471.7 million for the four related agencies. House Democrats opposed the bill. Their stated reasons for opposing the bill are that it: · Worsens readiness by cutting military construction by over $1.5 billion compared to the current level and does not include dedicated funding for PFAS remediation and cleanup or military installation climate change and resilience projects. · Further limits women’s access to abortion. · Damages the quality of life of veterans. Veterans rely on programs across the entire federal government. House Republicans’ proposals to slash critical domestic investment in other bills to levels not seen for years—and in some cases decades—strip away education, job opportunities, housing, and food assistance that veterans and their families depend on. · Cannot claim to support veterans while making it harder for them to feed their families, and keep roofs over their heads while denying them education and training opportunities at every stage of life. · Includes partisan changes to existing law, known as “riders,” that Democrats will never support, disenfranchising veterans rather than making VA a welcoming and inclusive place for all those who volunteer to serve our country. We did not make promises to certain servicemembers in exchange for their service and sacrifice; we made promises to everyone H.R. 4366 passed the House as amended 219 to 211 along a largely party-line vote. It now goes to the Senate, where a much different bill is likely to pass. The two versions will ultimately be settled in a conference committee. Barry Moore is in his second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District. He previously served the people of Enterprise in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Legislators react to Space Command decision, denouncing it as a ‘political move’
On Monday, President Joe Biden formalized what most political observers already knew when he announced that he was going to block Space Command from coming to Alabama. To Alabama legislators, the decision seems to have been made for political reasons, as the President needs Colorado’s electoral college votes to have any realistic chance of surviving next year’s presidential election. No Democrat has carried the state of Alabama in a presidential race since 1976, and Biden has no chance of being competitive in conservative Alabama. Biden said that U.S. officials believe that keeping the command in Colorado Springs will avoid a disruption in readiness that moving would cause. U.S. officials told The Associated Press that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. A number of Alabama leaders noted their displeasure at Biden’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs was fourth behind Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Nebraska, and San Antonio, Texas. Space Command was formed in 2019. The command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville. Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) said, “Not only is it outrageous, but also unfortunate for the American people to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM.” “Over and over again, the legitimate process proved that Alabama was the right choice for SPACECOM HQ,” said Rep. Aderholt. “Unfortunately for this nation this decision is the latest chapter in the long saga of the Biden Administration’s failing national security record, and I know the majority of the American people feel the same way. As a nation, we must do better.” Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) said, “The Administration’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado bows to the whims of politics over merit. Huntsville won this selection process fair and square based on the merits. In three separate reports, Huntsville reigned victorious, whereas Colorado did not come in second or even third. This reversal is as shameful as it is disappointing.” “I expected more from the Biden Administration,” said Sewell. “A decision of this magnitude should not be about red states versus blue states, but rather what is in the best interest of our national security. To be clear, the Alabama Congressional Delegation stands united in opposition to this decision.” Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) said, “This decision made by the Biden Administration is unacceptable,” said Rep. Palmer. “When making decisions, the administration has continuously put politics over what is best for the nation. The Department of Defense determined that Huntsville, Alabama, was the best location for Space Command long ago. Instead, they are picking Colorado, the fifth best option by their very own report. Not only is this decision another broken promise and the result of political gamesmanship, but it jeopardizes our nation’s national security and sets a dangerous precedent for future decisions made solely based on political preference.” “Over two and a half years ago, the Air Force chose Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for the headquarters of Space Command over 59 other cities on the basis of 21 different criteria,” explained U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama). “As soon as Joe Biden took office, he paused movement on that decision and inserted politics into what had been a fair and objective competition—not because the facts had changed, but because the political party of the sitting President had changed.” “The Biden Administration has been talking a lot about readiness over the past few months, but no Administration has done more to damage our military readiness in my lifetime,” Sen. Tuberville said. “They’ve politicized our military, destroyed our recruiting, misused our tax dollars for their extremist social agenda, and now they are putting Space Command headquarters in a location that didn’t even make the top three. They are doing this at a time when space is only becoming more important for national security.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said, “Huntsville, Alabama was chosen to be the headquarters of U.S. Space Command because it was the strongest location and investigations by the DoD IG and GAO have upheld this decision. Yet, the Biden administration decided to make Colorado Springs, Colorado, which came in fifth in the Selection Phase, the location of the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. It’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force behind this decision.” Both Houses of Congress had just passed their versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the Senate only finishing their version late on Thursday. Congress then left for its August recess. “It is also shameful that the Administration waited until Congress had gone into recess and already passed next year’s defense budget before announcing this decision,” Tuberville said. “The top three choices for Space Command headquarters were all in red states—Alabama, Nebraska, and Texas. Colorado didn’t even come close. This decision to bypass the three most qualified sites looks like blatant patronage politics, and it sets a dangerous precedent that military bases are now to be used as rewards for political supporters rather than for our security.” U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said, “President Biden has irresponsibly decided to yank a military decision out of the Air Force’s hands in the name of partisan politics. Huntsville finished first in both the Air Force’s Evaluation Phase and Selection Phase, leaving no doubt that the Air Force’s decision to choose Redstone as the preferred basing location was correct purely on the merits. That decision should have remained in the Air Force’s purview. Instead, President Biden is now trying to hand the Gold Medal to the fifth-place finisher. The President’s blatant prioritization of partisan political considerations at the expense of our national security, military modernization, and force readiness is a disservice and a dishonor to his oath of office as our nation’s Commander-in-Chief. Locating the permanent Space Command Headquarters on Redstone Arsenal
Barry Moore questions Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on border policies
Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) questioned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a House Judiciary Committee Department of Homeland Security oversight hearing. Moore questioned Secretary Mayorkas about the border situation. Rep. Moore supports Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas due to his failure to uphold the law at our southern border. “I am certainly appalled at what’s happening at the southern border, and I know my constituents are too,” Moore said. “Your border policies make every state a border state. I said my constituents are appalled at what’s happening — I know a family that has personally suffered the consequences of your actions. In my district, the Second Congressional District in Alabama, the Autauga County Sheriff’s Department arrested Grevi Geovani Rivera-Zavala, a 29-year-old illegal alien from Honduras, for the rape of a teenage girl in Prattville, Alabama. Zavala identified as a minor. Why do you think it is that we are finding so many ID cards thrown down south of the border? If people are coming here for asylum, why don’t they want us to know what they are up to?” “Congressman, I am sorry to learn of the tragedy that occurred to your constituent,” Sec. Mayorkas answered. “I understand that sir, but we’ve been apologizing to people for a long time. Even when the other party was in charge — we are continuing to apologize to parents for losing their children to fentanyl, for people getting raped in restrooms, and for people killing others with cars when they can’t even [legally] hold a driver’s license,” said Rep. Moore. “So, who is [going to take responsibility] for these tragedies? Is that you, Mr. Mayorkas? Is that President [Joe] Biden?” “Congressman, the criminal is responsible,” Mayorkas answered. “I look forward to working with you to address the scourge of fentanyl that is causing so much devastation and death. I look forward to working with you to fix what is wrong with our broken immigration system.” Before the oversight hearing, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Sec. Mayorkas requested that the Secretary be ready to discuss in detail several aspects of the Administration’s immigration policies. Chairman Jordan asked the Secretary to provide the following data at Wednesday’s hearing: Since January 20, 2021, the total number of inadmissible aliens who have been encountered by CBP along the southwest border and (a) who were released into the United States, and (b) who have remained in DHS detention and have not been released. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 1 who claimed a fear of persecution for purposes of asylum and received a fear determination. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 2 who received a negative fear determination. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 3 who have been removed from the U.S. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 2 who received a positive fear determination. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 5 who have been placed in removal proceedings. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 6 whose claims have been adjudicated on the merits. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 7 who have received a final order of removal. The number and percentage of those aliens in request 8 who have been removed from the U.S. Republicans have been very concerned about the issues on the border. There is growing momentum among House Republicans to bring articles of impeachment against Mayorkas. Barry Moore represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map
Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters. Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state. A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something close. That panel’s decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-majority district out of seven — in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated federal law. The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other groups, asked the three-judge panel to step in and draw new lines for the state. “Alabama’s new congressional map ignores this court’s preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map,” lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case wrote. The new map enacted by the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature maintained a one-majority Black district but boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9% Lawyers representing plaintiffs in the case wrote Friday that the revamped district “does not provide Black voters a realistic opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme situations.” They accused state Republicans of ignoring the court’s directive to prioritize a district that would stay under GOP control, “pleasing national leaders whose objective is to maintain the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.” Alabama has maintained the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and state leaders are wagering that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the map meets the court’s directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines. The state must file its defense of the map by August 4. The three judges have scheduled an August 14 hearing in the case as the fight over the map shifts back to federal court. The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S. House of Representatives at stake. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama’s new map is a “brazen defiance” of the courts. “The result is a shameful display that would have made George Wallace—another Alabama governor who defied the courts—proud,” Holder said in a statement. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Robert Aderholt introduces bill to keep federal government from using lease agreements to punish pro-life states
Congressman Robert Aderholt introduced a bill last week to prohibit the Administrator of General Services from constructing or acquiring buildings or entering into leases based on the legality or availability of abortions in the respective state. “The Biden Administration continues to inject abortion politics into otherwise non-partisan areas of the federal government, such as locations of federal offices,” Aderholt said in a statement. “This blatantly partisan practice threatens, and insults, states’ rights in protecting the unborn. That is not a precedent I want to see set in this country.” “President Biden cannot be permitted to punish states for enacting laws the Supreme Court has clearly ruled are within the rights of the states,” said Aderholt. The bill has so far garnered the support of 14 original co-sponsors, including Congressmen Dale Strong (R-AL05), Jerry Carl (R-AL01), and Barry Moore (R-AL02). “I am proud to join Congressman Aderholt’s bill preventing the Biden Administration from punishing states that do not adhere to its radical abortion agenda,” said Rep. Carl. “Abortion politics should play no role in the placement of federal buildings across the country.” “Decisions like this have historically been non-partisan and should have nothing to do with laws that states legally decide to enact,” said Rep. Moore. “The Biden Administration’s dangerous partisanship has been clear as they work to deny Space Command to the state that came in first place during a rigorous, merit-based process. I thank Rep. Aderholt for his work on legislation to ensure attacks on states’ rights such as this one cannot happen again.” “Threats from the Biden Administration to punish states who protect life create an incredibly dangerous precedent,” said Rep. Strong. “I am proud to co-sponsor this bill, which sends a clear message to the Biden administration: the protection of unborn life is not up for negotiation in states like Alabama.” “The Biden Administration is undermining the rule of law by doing an end-run of the SCOTUS ruling that empowers states to make their own laws surrounding abortion policy,” said House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas). “This political gamesmanship has no place in strategic military decisions, including attempts to hold up SPACECOM’s relocation to Alabama.” “The Supreme Court ruled that abortion is a state issue,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-California). “President Biden is wrong to try and arbitrarily punish states that don’t surrender to his policy wishes. These kinds of polarizing issues should not be decided by executive fiat at the national level. Let the individual states in the Union chart their own courses and decide their own abortion laws with the input of their voters. That’s how federalism works.” “The Biden Administration has continuously proven that it will put its radical agenda above states’ rights, the rule of law, and our Constitution,” said Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Arizona). “I’m proud to join Congressman Aderholt on his bill that would prevent the federal government from using a state’s pro-life laws against them when executing leases.” The General Services Administration (GSA) is the executive agency responsible for real estate and facility procurement, leasing, and development for the federal government. Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision last year, the Biden Administration has prioritized the federalization of abortion access, as well as penalized states that have enacted laws to protect the unborn. There are reports that the Biden Administration intends to halt plans to move the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama due to “the state’s restrictive abortion laws.” The bill’s intent is consistent with a Senate companion bill introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas). President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has not loosened his staunchly pro-abortion stance. “The stakes could not be higher for women across America,” Biden said. “I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on women’s health. But let’s be clear – the American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v Wade.” Robert Aderholt has represented Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District since he was first elected in 1996. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
