Bradley Byrne’s amendment limiting DOD spending on housing for illegal migrant children passes
The House of Representatives on Thursday adopted an amendment to the defense appropriations bills that would prohibit the Department of Defense from using any money to construct or modify facilities to house unaccompanied alien children (UAC). The amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, proposed by Alabama 1st District U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne, reads that “none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to modify a military installation in the United States, including construction or modification of a facility on a military installation, to provide temporary housing for unaccompanied alien children.” It was adopted by a vote of 223 to 198. “I’m pleased the House passed my amendment to make clear there are better places to house illegal migrant children than our nation’s military facilities,” Byrne said in a news release. “It simply makes no sense to place these children so close to military activities like Navy aircraft training or live firing ranges.” Byrne’s amendment is especially timely as the Department of Health and Human Services evaluates whether to house illegal migrant children at two Navy outlying airfields in Baldwin County, Alabama. Last week, Byrne sent a letter to the Obama Administration outlining his concerns with housing the children in Baldwin County. “I especially hope the passage of my amendment sends a message to the Obama Administration that they should not bring these children to Navy airfields in Baldwin County,” Byrne continued. “Doing so would put the children at risk while also compromising military readiness.” With Byrne’s amendment included, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act passed the House by a vote of 282 to 138. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Mike Rogers: What the NDAA means for East Alabama
As you may have seen, the House of Representatives just passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2017. It is the 55th consecutive NDAA, legislation that authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and ensures that Congress fulfills its constitutional duty to make sure that our warfighters have the training and equipment that they need. In addition to setting the priorities for our national defense, this legislation also has language that could be important to folks across East Alabama. For example, an amendment was included that would help installations like the Anniston Army Depot in Calhoun County retain a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. The amendment would make it easier for the Depot to hire temporary and term employees for permanent positions as they became available. This authority will allow the Depot to be as agile and nimble as possible in their support of the Army as they confront the ever-changing security threats from ISIS to Russia. Another example of how the legislation could impact East Alabama is by forcing the Secretary of the Army to transfer its surplus vintage firearms to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). From there the CMP would take these vintage pistols and inspect, grade and prepare them for sale. If this sounds familiar, it’s because last year in the same bill we ask that the Army turn over the pistols. Unfortunately, in what has become an all too common occurrence, the Obama Administration has chosen not to follow directives that Congress passes. With the language included in this year’s House bill, the Army will have no choice but to turn over the pistols to the CMP. The NDAA also included full funding of the missile defense request of our great allies in Israel for co-development and coproduction of Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 3. This funding is even more important now with Iran developing its missile technology at an alarming rate as a result of the President’s ill-conceived deal. This legislation will help fund our brave men and women in uniform, keep our country safe from harm and will include these common sense solutions. I am pleased to have worked on this important legislation. • • • Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
Kay Ivey: 2015 year in review
It began as a challenging, yet rewarding year. On Jan. 19, 2015, I took the oath of office for my second term as lieutenant governor. I’m grateful to the people of this great state for entrusting me with this responsibility. The year started at a rapid pace. A week before the Inauguration, the Alabama Senate convened in an Organizational Session, where new Senate leadership was elected and new rules were adopted to help the legislative proceedings operate more effectively for the next four years. The first Regular Session of the Quadrennium started in March with the looming challenge regarding the state budgets. Although intense debates surrounded the budgets, the Education Trust Fund Budget received priority and passed in May during the Regular Session. Two very contentious Special Sessions followed and took until September to finalize a balanced General Fund Budget with reforms and limited new taxes. One of my many proud moments came when I presided over a Joint Legislative Session honoring Alabama’s living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, including the newest, Sgt. Major Bennie Adkins of Opelika, a true American hero. Throughout the year, I’ve met with several dignitaries from around the world, including leaders representing Canada, Hong Kong, Ukraine and Taiwan, as well as His Excellency Cui Tiankai, China’s Ambassador to the United States. Alabama continues to attract attention from global leaders interested in trade and investment opportunities. In my continued efforts to support our military missions in Alabama, I’m chairman of the Military Stability Commission to help our military bases in Alabama remail well positioned to meet future challenges. In addition, I participated in a welcome-home ceremony for 187th Fighter Wing members and their families. I’m grateful to the Alabama men and women who serve our country in global deployments. I also participated in a Wiregrass Sequestration Listening Forum hosted by the Department of Defense to help highlight the important role Fort Rucker plays in our national security. It’s vital we continue to improve our military assets and prepare to successfully face future evaluations of our force structure that could lead to reductions of federal military bases and missions in Alabama. After our final Legislative Session of the year ended in October, I hosted the National Aerospace Foreign Direct Investment Exposition in Los Angeles, California, as chairman of the Aerospace States Association, along with the U.S. Department of Commerce. My friend Barry Eccleston, president of Airbus America, began his presentation with “Sweet Home Alabama” playing on the sound system at the international conference, highlighting their investment in our state. Conference participants and the aerospace industries recognize our state’s rich aerospace history, as well as continued growth with over 400 aerospace companies in Alabama. Alabama students continue to compete at the highest levels in and out of the classroom. Most recently, the “Fort Payne Seven” from Fort Payne High School placed second out of 19 teams in the Real World Design Challenge National Championship with the successful design and development of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to support precision agriculture. Alabama students have proven repeatedly they can compete globally. As we end 2015, I was honored with this year’s Service to Agriculture Award from the Alabama Farmers Federation. It was gratifying to receive it from the people who help make agriculture the largest industry in our state. Alabama continues to increase its presence in global markets and to be recognized as an attractive location for business investment. As a result, our unemployment rate has dropped to 5.9 percent, the lowest in our state in seven years. Even though we are not where we want to be, we continue to be trending in the right direction with more new jobs on the way. As I reflect over this past year and prepare for the upcoming year, I am reminded of how blessed we are as a state. Thank you for the opportunity to be your lieutenant governor. I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Kay Ivey is the lieutenant governor of Alabama. Elected in 2010, she was the first Republican woman to hold the office in Alabama’s history.
UAB testing new drug to prevent deaths due to blood loss
Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are carrying out the first Phase 1 human trials of a drug developers hope will keep patients with traumatic injuries from dying due to severe blood loss. The ambitious new pharmaceutical – a synthethic molecule derived from the female hormone estrogen – can help stop hemorrhaging in arenas like overseas battlefields or dangerous domestic settings. The study comes with a three-year, $10 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Combat Casualty Care Research Program and is a boon to the university’s medical and health programs. The study is based off the original work of a UAB faculty researcher and Department of Surgery professor Dr. Irshad H. Chaudry. Chaudry, co-principal investigator on the prized DoD contract, drew praise from his colleague as the institution announced the ongoing clinical work on the drug, called EE-3-SO4 for purposes of the study. “The work of Dr. Chaudry and colleagues showed that EE-3-SO4 is extremely effective in improving cardiovascular functions and boosting survival rates following injuries with extreme hemorrhage,” said principal investigator Mansoor Saleh, M.D., professor in the in the university’s Department of Medicine. “This drug could have major implications for treating trauma, from battlefield injuries to life threatening hemorrhage following any injury. We are excited to be launching the first-in-human studies of this drug that was developed by one of our own here at UAB. This is a classic example of bench-to-bedside translational research,” said Saleh, who also directs UAB’s Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program. According to the University, the prospective drug works in three ways: It helps the heart beat more efficiently, enabling it to fully expand and contract while pumping to maximize blood flow. It lowers resistance to blood flow to vital organs, and then gradually elevates blood pressure and promotes sufficient blood flow throughout the body. It recruits fluid from surrounding tissue, increasing blood volume to compensate for blood loss from the wound or injury. The contract also has a tie-in with the school’s business college. UAB’s B.L. Harbert Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is managing two pending U.S. patent applications of EE-3-SO4, on which Dr. Chaudry is listed as an inventor. Securing such a patent would be a landmark for the institution. The UAB press center has put together a backgrounder on the research science that led to the invention of the potentially game-changing drug, which can be found here.
Richard Shelby slams Barack Obama over “misguided and dangerous” executive order
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby Tuesday called on President Barack Obama to reverse an executive order he claims is “misguided and dangerous” and has resulted in two unarmed, tracked armored vehicles being taken from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office last week. For over 20 years, under the federal government’s 10-33 program, the Department of Defense has distributed surplus military equipment and vehicles to local law enforcement across the county, including the Calhoun County sheriff’s department. Last Wednesday, the federal government forced Calhoun County sheriff Larry Amerson to return two 10-33 vehicles. According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, the vehicles were first obtained from the federal government after a mentally ill person shot three Anniston police officers in 2001 and other officers had no protection to remove the injured from the area. “Time and time again, President Obama abuses the authority of his office by making unilateral decisions through executive fiat,” explained Shelby. “From his attempts to grant executive amnesty to illegal immigrants and his plans to allow Syrian refugees to resettle in the United States, to his decision to take away vehicles from local law enforcement in Calhoun County, it is clear that this president is more interested in scoring political points than ensuring the safety of our citizens.” “We live in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world, and we cannot allow President Obama to prioritize protecting those trying to do us harm over those trying to protect us. I will continue to fight against this flawed, irresponsible executive action that expands Washington’s influence in our communities and weakens local law enforcement’s ability to protect us.” Obama made the change to the long-standing policy and issued the executive order following civil unrest in Ferguson, MO after the shooting of teenager Michael Brown when local police deployed a number of military-style vehicles to defend against civilian protesters on the city streets. “We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people the feeling like there’s an occupying force,” President Obama explained. “As opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them.” Obama believe that type of equipment “can alienate and intimidate residents and make them feel scared.”
Martha Roby: Provide for the common defense
Good news: the House of Representatives passed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA is the annual bill that authorizes spending and policy for the entire military, including programs and efforts at installations in Alabama. This one wasn’t easy, as ill-advised cuts in recent years have left Congress and military leaders with difficult choices. However, I’m pleased to report that this NDAA does right by our troops and authorizes necessary spending levels for the coming year. Specific to Fort Rucker, this year’s NDAA authorizes: $187 million for the procurement of 28 new Lakota helicopters for the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker; $47 million for elementary school improvements on post at Fort Rucker. Specific to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, the NDAA authorizes: Critical funding for C-130 aircraft improvements, including $75 million for Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) installation and $33.2 million for C-130 engine upgrades; A $10 million budget increase for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which has a facility at Gunter; $7.6 million to replace the squadron operations facility at Dannelly Field; $33 million for elementary and middle school renovations at Maxwell Air Force Base; and $75 million in cyber operations procurement for the Commander of United States Cyber Command (CYBERCOM). Maxwell’s Air University recently launched the Air Force Cyber College which is focused on instruction in this emerging front of global warfare. The bill also contains important authorizations for military personnel, including a 1.3 percent pay raise for troops, $281 million in funding to ensure commissaries stay open; and empowering commanders to permit service members to carry firearms at installations, reserve centers, and recruiting centers. Overall the 2016 NDAA authorizes $611.9 billion, which includes both the base Department of Defense budget and funds for Overseas Contingency Operations. This is a great deal of taxpayer money, no question. But, I strongly believe that Congress must fulfill its Constitutional responsibility to “provide for the common defense” of this nation by equipping our Armed Forces with everything they need to fight the enemy and deter threats. In fact, one of my top priorities as your Representative in Congress has been to fight against harmful cuts to our military that erode our readiness capabilities and compromise national security. Unfortunately, President Obama had previously threatened to veto this legislation, and some in the Senate may still try to block it. That will not stop me from fighting to get it passed. Over the last year I have been actively building a bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers to make the case for protecting national defense in the budget. Working together, we will fight to build pressure on the Senate and President Obama to enact this 2016 NDAA into law and then follow it with a defense appropriations bill that fills in this funding authority structure. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is currently serving her third term.
With Alabama delegation support, House passes sweeping defense bill compromise
With the support of all but one member of the Alabama delegation, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a compromise $612 billion annual defense authorization bill Thursday. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016 conference report, legislation correcting differences between the House and Senate, passed with a vote of 270 to 156. The NDAA authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and among other provisions includes a pay raise for troops, overhauling the military retirement system, which is currently only available to the 17 percent of service members who serve 20 plus years, and reworking the Pentagon’s acquisition system to improve efficiency and avoid cost overruns. The afternoon vote, largely along party lines, saw just 36 Democrats support the legislation, putting the final tally just 20 votes shy of being able to override a very possible presidential veto. Less than 24 hours before the vote, the White House reiterated President Barack Obama‘s veto threat. The president’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, called the NDAA an “irresponsible way to fund our national defense priorities.” But Alabama congressman, Bradley Bryne disagrees. On the House floor Thursday morning, Byrne delivered a passionate speech regarding the NDAA, “…let’s just take a quick look at what all is going on in the world today. From Syria to Iraq to the Pacific to Iran to Russia, the list goes on and on. Look at the wide range of threats facing our nation. And for our President – our Commander-in-Chief – to threaten to veto this bipartisan bill is simply reprehensible.” Among other supporters from Alabama delegation was Rep. Mike Rogers. “We worked long and hard on this crucial piece of legislation,” said Rogers, a conferee who helped reconcile the House and Senate bills. “I am proud it passed the House with my strong support and am pleased our military is funded to help keep our nation safe.” As a conferee, Rogers worked to ensure language similar to an amendment he introduced in the House — to allow the Army to transfer its surplus vintage firearms, the excess M1911A1 pistols, to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) to sale — was included in the Conference Report. Another key provision for the Yellowhammer state was the inclusion of language that would prohibit furloughs at Working Capital Fund facilities — such as the Anniston Army Depot, which is one of the largest employers in East Alabama — as long as there was funded workload. “I am very pleased with the CMP amendment and the inclusion of the language to take care of the Depot. I hope the Senate will quickly pass this legislation so it can go to President Obama to be signed into law,” Rogers continued. Reps. Bradley Byrne (AL-01), Martha Roby (AL-02), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Gary Palmer (AL-06) voted in for the bill. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted against it.
Armed volunteers guarding Dothan military recruiting offices
A group of armed volunteers have started standing guard outside military recruiters’ offices in Dothan. The Dothan Eagle reports that the volunteers are guarding the offices after five servicemen were killed last week in attacks on military facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bob Mann, a spokesman for the Dothan group, says the group wants to provide protection for local recruiters, who Mann says could be in danger. Department of Defense regulations prohibit recruiters and other military personnel from being armed. Shawn Peterman, another member of the group, says he and fellow members intend to guard the offices until regulations change to allow the recruiters to carry firearms or otherwise increase security there. Mann says in the event of an emergency, his group’s first response will be to contact Dothan police. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne: National defense bill includes critical reforms
There is no function of Congress more important than “providing for the common defense” of our nation. When our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they made sure to give the Congress substantial influence over the military. Each year, Congress exerts some of that authority in a bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill lays out the policy and priorities for the Pentagon while also authorizing construction of military equipment and vessels. The NDAA does not actually provide funding, as that is done in a separate defense funding bill. The NDAA has long been a bill that earns support from both sides of the aisle. Even in today’s era of hyper-partisanship, the NDAA has remained a shining example of bipartisanship. While there will almost always be some differences in opinion, we generally all agree on the importance of supporting our nation’s military. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have the opportunity to play a key role in the drafting and passage of the NDAA. Just last week, the Committee held an almost nineteen hour markup on the latest version of the NDAA. I wanted to highlight some of the important provisions in this year’s bill. First, the bill authorizes the construction of three more Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), which are built in part by Austal USA in Mobile. Our military commanders have made clear that the LCS is an important component of the naval fleet, and it fills a critical void in the Navy’s capabilities. I will continue to support this program and the over 4,000 men and women who work at the shipyard. Next, the NDAA makes some much-needed reforms to the Department’s acquisition process in order to make it less burdensome while still maintaining accountability. The Pentagon currently spends too much time filling out paperwork and going through a bureaucratic process while preparing to acquire new equipment. The NDAA makes reforms that will help streamline that process. Like any government agency, the Department of Defense should constantly be searching for ways to become more efficient and effective. That’s why the NDAA cuts some of the fat at the Pentagon and ensures money is actually going to our service members. The bill eliminates over 460 mandated reports and calls for a reduction in the Pentagon’s headquarter personnel. It is more important now than ever before that we are recruiting and retaining the best and the brightest to serve in our military. In that regard, the NDAA calls for a 2.3% pay raise for active duty military. The NDAA also lays the foundation for reforming the military compensation system – by providing additional options to individuals who serve the nation for a period of less than 20 years – while rejecting the President’s efforts to raise healthcare costs for military personnel. The NDAA also includes provisions related to the ongoing conflicts around the globe. The bill reinforces the mission of the United States against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) while also calling on the United States to provide defensive lethal aid to Ukraine in their fight against Russian-backed separatists. Just as important, the bill would prohibit President Obama from closing Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. These are just a few of the important reforms included in this year’s bill. Ultimately, the Committee passed the NDAA at around 5:00 a.m. last Wednesday morning by a bipartisan vote of 60 to 2. The full House is expected to take the bill up the week of May 11. It is my sincere hope that we never lose focus on ensuring our sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines have the resources they need to defend our country. A capable military is a fundamental requirement for a vibrant democracy, and I will do everything I can to ensure our military remains strong. Bradley Byrne is a Member of the United States Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District. Photo Credit: AP file photo
