Martha Roby: A recap from the road, part 2
Over the last month during the August district work period, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Alabama’s Second District to meet with constituents, local leaders, and business owners. Having this time to hear firsthand from the people I represent is tremendously important, and I believe it enables me to better represent your views in Washington. I recently wrapped up my district travel for the month, and I would like to briefly share with you an update on some of my visits and meetings I had towards the end of August. I met with leaders from Ingram State Community College in Deatsville. We had a great conversation about our state’s excellent community college system and ways we can continue to improve higher education and opportunities for AL-02 students. I also sat down with some folks from the Alabama Association of School Boards, and they updated me on some of the issues our local school systems face. I appreciated hearing from them and learning more about their perspective. One afternoon, I had the privilege of speaking to the Montgomery chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers during their monthly luncheon. We discussed a number of important topics, including efforts in Congress and the Trump Administration to reinvigorate our nation’s aging infrastructure. I appreciated this opportunity and everyone who took the time to visit with me. I also visited the Army Aviation support facility in Hope Hull for a briefing and an overview of their facility. I enjoyed talking with General Gordon, Colonel Bass, and others during my time there. I stopped by Sabel Steel to meet with company leadership, including owner Keith Sabel. As you may know, Sabel Steel recently announced that thanks to our historic tax overhaul, they will use their significant savings to provide pay increases to all employees, invest in new equipment, expand their existing facilities, and hire additional workers. I enjoyed visiting this outstanding company, and I wish them continued success as we work to implement even more pro-growth policies to assist job creators across the district. In Dothan one afternoon, I visited the Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic where I talked with staff and received a briefing on the Clinicom technology that is used to diagnose mental illness. Mental health is an acute problem facing our country, and I was pleased to learn more about their work. One morning, I had the opportunity to speak to the Squadron School at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base. We had a great conversation about leadership qualities and my role in Congress as an advocate for our military. I really appreciated the many thoughtful questions I received and am already looking forward to my next visit! One day, I sat down with Jay Moseley, Teresa Collier, and John Hamm from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Fusion Center. They updated me on the status of the human trafficking problem in our state and their efforts to eradicate this horrendous plague on our communities. I appreciate these leaders and their work to combat this atrocious problem. I also toured Common Ground Ministries’ Mercy House and helped serve lunch one afternoon. I really enjoyed meeting some wonderful people and having several deeply meaningful conversations. We are fortunate to have Common Ground and all its dedicated volunteers as a resource in the River Region. These are just some of the many productive, informative meetings I had over the second half of this August district work period. Now that the month is behind us and fall is quickly approaching, I would like to extend a sincere “thank you” to all the individuals, businesses, local officials, and others who hosted me and visited with me over the last several weeks. It is always a true joy to visit various communities in AL-02, and I look forward to more opportunities to learn from the people I represent. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
Bradley Byrne: Hitting the road
Each August, the House of Representatives typically enters a period of recess known as the August District Work Period. This is time set aside for Members of Congress to travel across their home districts visiting with the people they represent. For me, this is incredibly valuable time that I can spend listening to my constituents and gaining a better understanding of the issues impacting our area. Here is just a quick highlight of my August District Work Period so far. As you probably already know, I love to hold town hall meetings throughout the First District to hear directly from the people I represent. This August, I am holding a “Better Off Now” Town Hall Tour with twelve stops in all six counties that make up the First District. So far, we have held town hall meetings in Salipta, Atmore, Brewton, Dauphin Island, Millry, Citronelle, and Mobile. Later this month, we will make stops in Grand Bay, Monroeville, Seminole, Loxley, and Spanish Fort. You can get all the details about the town halls online at Byrne.House.Gov/BetterOffTour. Visiting local businesses and talking with employees is another priority for me in August. For example, I have already visited Olin in McIntosh, the Louisiana Pacific facility in Clarke County, Serda Brewing in Mobile, and Metal Shark Boats and Master Marine in Bayou La Batre, just to name a few. The visits help me learn firsthand how federal issues are directly impacting employers and employees in Southwest Alabama. A really special opportunity was being able to ride along with UPS to help deliver packages on the Eastern Shore. I dressed up in the full UPS uniform, rode in the truck, and personally delivered packages. It really helped to step in the driver’s shoes and see the difficult work they do every day. I am especially grateful to Chris Dorgan for showing me the ropes. Just last week, I hosted Chris Oliver, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, down on Dauphin Island for a Red Snapper research trip. As one of the leading federal officials responsible for our fisheries, I welcomed the opportunity to show off the health of the Red Snapper stock in the Gulf, as well as the very impressive research being done locally by the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Also last week, I traveled to the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi to meet with the director and get an update on services for our veterans. As you may know, the Biloxi VA oversees most of our local VA facilities. It was a productive visit as I work to hold the VA accountable and ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve. We had the annual Women’s Forum in downtown Mobile, which is organized by the Community Foundation of South Alabama. We had another outstanding crowd as local women had the opportunity to network and hear from speakers and panelists about issues important to them. I find great value in holding roundtable discussions to hear directly from leaders about specific issues. With this in mind, we held separate roundtables with local school superintendents, economic developers from our area, and community leaders from Chatom. Each of these roundtables were very informative, and we have more scheduled later this month. As you can probably tell, this August District Work Period has already been a huge success. The good news is that we are just getting started! I look forward to spending more time around Southwest Alabama throughout August to help me be the best Congressman possible. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: A busy August
Each August, the House of Representatives goes out of session and members of Congress spend time back in their home state for a District Work Period. While these District Work Periods are sometimes known as “recess,” that does not mean members of Congress are on vacation. Instead, some of the most valuable time I have comes in August when I travel throughout Southwest Alabama and engage directly with the people I represent in Congress. I kicked off the District Work Period last week with a “Better Way to Fight Poverty” tour in Mobile and Washington counties. I toured organizations in Fruitdale, Chatom, and Mobile that are leading the way in the fight against poverty. I also held a joint roundtable discussion to talk about what works and what does not work in the war on poverty. In addition to our roundtable on poverty, I will also hold roundtable discussions with economic developers, our local school superintendents, and the leaders of our colleges and universities. These roundtable meetings help me to better understand issues facing our area, but they also allow for the sharing of ideas and collaboration among the other attendees. Another important way I spend the District Work Period is visiting local businesses to listen to their ideas and concerns. It is so helpful to spend time on the production line or behind the scenes to see how businesses operate and learn more about the various challenges facing their industry. August also gives me an opportunity to visit with local organizations and civic clubs. For example, last week I spoke to the Southwest Mobile Chamber of Commerce in Tillman’s Corner. We had a great discussion about the economic progress in our area and ways we can continue to move Southwest Alabama in the right direction. Later in the month, I will be speaking to other groups ranging from farmers to school groups about ways they can be a part of our area’s impressive progress. I also want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to share their concerns with me, so we have scheduled a number of town hall meetings. These meetings give you an opportunity to ask me any questions you may have or to share your concerns. This August, my town hall meetings will be in Citronelle, Grand Bay, Stockton, and Summerdale. We will also have more town hall meetings throughout the year. Later in August, my wife, Rebecca, and I will host our annual “Women’s Forum.” The theme this year is “Charting Your Own Course,” and the event provides networking opportunities for women in our area. I am especially excited this year’s event will include a special appearance by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, the highest ranking woman in Congress. You can get more information about all of these events online at Byrne.House.Gov or by calling my office in Mobile at 251-690-2811. At each of these stops and events, I am talking about the Better Way agenda, which offers an alternative to the big-government policies that have become all-too-common over the last eight years. My hope is to share the ideas of the agenda with you, so I can get your feedback about what you like and what you disagree with. That way, when I head back to Washington in September, I can share your feedback with my House colleagues. You elected me to serve as your voice, and in order to do that, I must hear from you. That is why the August District Work Period is so important. I hope to see you around this month! • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
