Mike Rogers: A snapshot of the August District Work Period in East Alabama
As Congress gears back up after a very busy August District Work Period, I wanted to share some of my experiences while I was back home in Alabama. I made my way across almost all of the Third Congressional District and am coming back to Washington excited about the future of our great state. As most of you know, the Agriculture industry drives the economy in Alabama. I was able to attend ALFA meetings in several counties and even had the chance to visit with the 2017 ALFA Young Farm Family of the Year in Cleburne County. As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have always made it a priority to encourage our young folks to get involved in farming and the ag industry. In Talladega County, I was impressed with my tour of Alabama Childhood Solutions. They are working to break the cycle of government dependency while providing nutritious food to kids in the area. USDA programs that support their mission are authorized by the Farm Bill. In Calhoun County, I toured the Anniston Fire Department Regional Training Center, the Public Safety Complex in Jacksonville and visited with the Acting Superintendent of the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP). As a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, these facilities are so important in keeping our communities safe, and the CDP’s mission is critical in training first responders to protect us from those who wish us harm. I was also able to visit with soldiers at the Army National Guard Training Center and thank them for their service to our country. I visited Trinity Christian Academy students on their first day of school and joined Brother Grinstead on his Christian radio station. In Tallapoosa County, I was proud to attend the grand opening of Our Town/Willow Point Volunteer Fire Department and present them a U.S. flag to fly at their new building. In Chambers County, I met with the Industrial Development Authority board to get an update on what’s going on and also toured the 911 Center in Lanett. I visited Auburn University to see the exciting things going on there including their new Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)facility. I stopped by and had lunch with old and new friends in Cherokee County and made my way to Clay County to visit Wellborn Cabinet. It was a busy few weeks, but my biggest takeaway from my time home was seeing the outpouring of prayers, support and donations for our brothers and sisters affected by Hurricane Harvey. We should continue to keep all those families who lost everything in our prayers as they start to rebuild their lives. I want to hear from you on this or any issue. Please sign up for my e-Newsletter by visiting mikerogers.house.gov. To stay up to date, you can also like me on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL, on Tumblr at repmikerogersal.tumblr.com and you can also subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03. ••• Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
Mike Rogers: How the NDAA affects East Alabama
As many of you across East Alabama may have heard, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. While this bill helps rebuild America’s military, it also contains language that could positively affect us locally. Included in the NDAA was an amendment I offered that would allow the Army to release excess 1911 pistols from storage and transfer them to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) for them to inspect, grade, prepare for sale and sell the pistols to the public. This policy has been included in the NDAA since 2015, but the Obama Administration blocked the Army to transfer the 1911s for political reasons. I am hopeful that with the help of the Trump Administration, we can make this provision a reality. The Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) also will see the benefit of some of the language that I was happy to be able to help shape. Like one that would extend the authority of the Department of Defense to pay depot employees deployed to combat zones an additional allowance and benefits due to the dangerous nature of their locations. Another provision would also extend authority to make it easier for the Depot’s leadership to consider temporary and term employees for permanent positions when they become available. This policy allows the leadership at the Depot the maximum flexibility and gives them the ability to hire good folks they have already trained. I am proud this year’s bill included a 2.4 percent pay raise for our military. This would be the biggest pay raise in eight years. These brave Americans protect our freedoms and liberties every day and we owe them so much. The NDAA still has to go to conference committee with the Senate, but I am pleased with the legislation that passed the House and will continue to fight to make sure America’s military is robust and fully equipped. ••• Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
Mike Rogers: Moving around East Alabama
Recently, I had the chance to make my way across East Alabama during the Congressional district work period. I always enjoy taking a break from Washington to visit with folks and spend time back in our great state. During this work period, I had the opportunity to tour several facilities in the Third District, including DaVita Dialysis in Opelika and General Electric in Auburn. These companies are both great examples of growing areas of the economy: health care and aviation. I also was pleased to tour the new Weaver Community Center and visit with some seniors in their new senior center. This community center is important to maintaining community ties in the small, but vital towns in our area. I held a meeting of my Third Congressional District Veterans Advisory Committee to hear what was on the minds of our veterans, and we got to learn about the Veterans Upward Bound Program that aids veterans in their pursuit of higher education. Anniston Middle School allowed me speak to their students and present a flag to the school. While in Calhoun County, I also toured the impressive Oxford Career Technical Center at Oxford High School. It was great to see students get the chance to train in these technical fields. Farmers from across East Alabama gathered to discuss what agriculture issues were on the forefront for our state, which is always helpful for me to hear firsthand. At Auburn University, I toured the Auburn Canine Breeding Facility and enjoyed seeing the great things Auburn is doing with that program. I had the distinct honor of attending the Anniston Army Depot’s 75th Anniversary celebration and presented a Congressional Record statement recognizing this exciting time for that important facility. Besides these scheduled events, I attended my church, went to the grocery store, and held meetings in the Anniston District Office. Just being out and about gave me the chance to hear from many of you. For those of you I didn’t get to see or talk to, please contact my office with any concerns or thoughts you may have, or take advantage of my Mobile Office Hours in your county each month. For more information, visit my website at mikerogers.house.gov. • • • Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
