Martha Roby: Democrats’ dangerous game with Zika funding
In June I relayed the good news that the House had passed appropriations legislation providing funding for our nation’s response to the Zika virus. It is important for Congress to ensure agencies like the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and others have the resources they need to combat the disease and prevent it from spreading. Sadly, two months later, that compromise funding bill has yet to become law. Why? Senate Democrats, led by Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, have twice blocked the legislation by denying the majority the 60 votes needed to allow a vote on the bill. The Wall Street Journal opines further that “they walked out on their own bill on Thursday to use the issue as a campaign bludgeon against Republicans.” Is that fair? Let’s review their stated objections: First, Senate Democrats take issue with temporarily waiving a requirement to obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency to use certain proven mosquito-killing sprays like DDT. However, killing mosquitoes is exactly what we need to be doing right now and an emergency waiver of this kind can help states and communities quickly respond to the Zika threat without a bureaucratic permitting delay. Furthermore, the bill specifically requires any pesticide used to already be approved under and applied in compliance with The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Next, Senate Democrats objected to the bill offsetting the cost by reallocating $543 million from Obamacare funding. However, the Obamacare money in question is leftover funding meant for setting up healthcare exchanges in territories that became unnecessary — and unused — when Puerto Rico expanded Medicaid. Finding unspent funds to help offset the costs of emergency spending is basic fiscal responsibility, not a reason to block a bill. Finally, and probably most importantly, Senate Democrats are upset the Zika appropriations bill does not allocate funding for Planned Parenthood, arguing it leaves women without care options. But, that’s not true. The bill allocates $40 million for community health centers that are more plentiful and offer a wider range of care, plus $6 million for the National Health Service Corps and $95 million to the Social Services Grant Program that can distribute funds for preventive care to the most at-risk areas. It is simply not the job of the federal government to fund the nation’s largest abortion provider, and it is unconscionable that Senate Democrats would block funding aimed to help protect pregnant women and babies because their friends at Planned Parenthood don’t get a cut. Of course, President Obama has taken the Senate Democrats’ side for the most part. However, as Roll Call reports, the president’s spokesmen are having a hard time explaining why, amid all the clamoring for more funding from Congress, the administration has yet to tap into at least $385 million in unspent funds it could quickly access without congressional approval to combat Zika. The Zika threat is real and it is here. Critical legislation is one step (and about four Senate votes) away from the president’s desk. A public health crisis of this magnitude is no time to block emergency funding in the name of politics. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley, and their two children.
Martha Roby: Changing behavior requires oversight
Oftentimes, truly changing public policy for the better requires not only improving the law but also careful oversight in order to ensure proper implementation of that law. You may remember that late last year we scored a significant legislative victory by getting the strong “state authority” provisions I championed for almost three years included in the long-overdue replacement to the “No Child Left Behind” education law. That law and the behavior it allowed has served to frustrate school administrators, hamstring teachers, and erode parents’ trust in public schools. As Congress worked to overhaul the law through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), one of my top priorities has been to return decision-making in education back to states and local communities where it belongs. The provisions I advocated for strictly prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from using funding grants or special rule waivers to coerce states into adopting its preferred policies. In fact, the Wall Street Journal called the nation’s new education law “the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter century.” With ESSA now the law of the land, my focus has turned toward making sure officials are adhering to the new law. At an Appropriations Committee hearing in March, I questioned U.S. Secretary of Education John King about his commitment to making sure the U.S. Department of Education adheres to the “state authority” provisions. While Secretary King committed to me that he would implement and enforce ESSA as written, I assured him I would be watching to make sure that happened. This past week I met with local school superintendents from throughout Alabama who gave me more reason to be concerned about ESSA implementation living up to the intent of Congress. That’s why I reached out to each member of the Alabama ESSA Implementation Committee in a letter asking for feedback on whether or not federal authorities are following Congress’ clear direction. “As someone who has been involved in crafting this law,” I wrote, “I am here to answer any questions you might have regarding the clear intent Congress had toward ensuring flexibility at the state and local level. I also ask that you please keep me apprised of any attempt on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education to disregard the intent of this new law and continue its coercive practices. “Should federal partners you work with in the implementation process fail to adhere to this clear directive from Congress, I want to know about it.” I have already heard back from several members of the committee and I look forward to working with them in our shared goal of ensuring the return of education decisions back to the states. Their feedback will help me hold the U.S. Secretary of Education and his staff accountable for the proper implementation of the nation’s new education law. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley and their two children.
Alabama U.S. House members sit on six-figure warchests with little competition
Second quarter campaign finance reports are in, and each of Alabama’s seven incumbent U.S. House members are sitting on six-figure campaign accounts with little competition. Third term Republican Rep. Mo Brooks has the biggest war chest of the bunch with more than $1.1 million in cash-on-hand as of June 30. Brooks didn’t face a Republican primary challenger this cycle, so he is set to cruise into another term over with his only opposition coming from Democrat Willie Boyd, who had just $1,772 in his campaign account through the end of the quarter. Though Brooks has the most on-hand cash of the Alabama delegation, the Congressional District 5 representative only brought in about $130,000 for the quarter — far less than most of his colleagues. Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabama’s lone Democratic member of Congress, showed $921,028 in the bank through the end of the second quarter. Her report includes $323,258 in contributions, $113,000 of which came from individuals, and about $180,000 in expenditures. CD 6 Rep. Gary Palmer finished the three-month reporting period with about $840,000 on hand after raising $140,000 and spending about $80,000 between April 1 and June 30. His lone challenger, Democrat David Putnam, finished the quarter $21 in the red. Alabama’s other four House members are hovering around the $400,000 mark in cash-on-hand. CD 3 Rep. Mike Rogers finished the quarter with $452,000 in the bank after raising $165,000 and spending about $86,000, followed by CD 1 Rep. Bradley Byrne, who raised $134,000 and spent $124,000 to finish Q2 with an on-hand total of about $446,000. CD 4 Rep. Robert Aderholt put up a similar performance with $120,000 raised and $37,000 spent to finish with about $397,000 in the bank. All three candidates are set to return to the House with little to no opposition, as is the case for CD 2 Rep. Martha Roby, though the incumbent has spent $215,000 since she won the Republican primary for her fourth term. Roby offsets the expenditures with just $56,000 in contributions to finish the quarter with a little over $396,000 in her campaign account.
Email Insights: Martha Roby confirms no immigrant detainees at Maxwell-Gunter
Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby confirmed in an email Thursday that no detained immigrant minors will be sent to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery or any other Alabama military installation. In January, Roby first voiced her concerns after an Obama administration plan to evaluate the feasibility of housing undocumented immigrant minors at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Bace in Montgomery as they await deportation surfaced. Since that time, Roby had “unofficial” assurance that Maxwell-Gunter would not be used to house the detainees, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided official notice Thursday that the base was removed from consideration. Watch Roby’s video remarks below: Read Roby’s full email below: WASHINGTON, D.C. – No detained immigrant minors will be sent to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery or any other Alabama military installation, U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) confirmed today. While Roby previously had unofficial assurance that Maxwell-Gunter would not be used to house the detainees, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided official notice today that the base was removed from consideration. “Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base is no place to house hundreds of illegal immigrant minors,” Roby said. “We shut it down the first time and I’m glad we were able to shut it down again. “I appreciate the support and partnership of my colleagues in Alabama Congressional Delegation who worked alongside me against this ill-advised proposal.” Roby’s office was notified in January that Maxwell-Gunter was again being considered to house minors detained at the Mexican border while they await processing. This after Roby and her Alabama delegation colleagues had fought and shut down a similar proposal from Obama Administration in 2014. Roby immediately outlined her objections to the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and HHS, explaining that the serious and sensitive missions at Maxwell-Gunter did not need to be disturbed by the housing and securing of hundreds of detainees. She also met personally with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to show why Gunter Annex was logistically unsuitable for this purpose, and then made the case to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell in an Appropriations Committee hearing. Roby said the problem at the border would continue so long as lax enforcement and broken invites more people to illegally cross the border. “We have to secure the border, first and foremost. We also need to have immigration policies that put America’s economic interests first and discourage people from entering the country illegally. Until we get serious about combatting illegal immigration, we will continue to see this problem at the border.” HHS officials also confirmed that naval air fields in Baldwin County, Ala. would also no longer be considered for detainee housing. The air fields were inexplicably added to the list for consideration earlier this year.
Martha Roby: Mental health, opioid bills advance
Congress took big steps this past week toward enacting legislation critical to addressing a few key national issues: the opioid epidemic and gaps in mental health services. Some weeks ago I relayed the good news that the House was working on a slate of bills aimed at combatting the growing heroin and opioid addiction epidemic facing our county. Drug overdoses account for as many as 47,000 deaths a year, and the number of those involving opioid prescription pain relievers has risen drastically over the last several years. Alabama is experiencing a particularly significant increase in opioid overdoses. Our state saw an almost 20 percent rise in opioid overdoses between 2013 and 2014, the last year full data is available, which was the fifth highest nationally. I’m pleased to report that the House and Senate negotiated a final Conference Report on S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 that addresses these issues. This legislation will marshal the resources of the public and private sectors to better respond to opioid abuse and addiction. Of note, the bill: improves prevention and education efforts through the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the National Institutes of Health; enhances law enforcement capabilities by authorizing paid-for Department of Justice grants for drug fighting efforts that work; focuses attention on treatment and recovery by expanding access to addiction services and opioid overdose reversal drugs through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; and prioritizes services for veterans by improving drug policies, treatment offerings and patient advocacy efforts within the VA. The House has passed the package and it now awaits final approval by the Senate. The House also took an important step toward addressing our country’s mental health crisis. More than 11 million Americans deal with the significant mental health struggles of severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Serious mental health problems that go unaddressed can manifest in dangerous ways, as we saw with the terrible tragedies that took place in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado, and other places. My colleague Rep. Tim Murphy has been crafting legislation that would address some of our nation’s deficiencies in identifying and treating mental illness. H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, seeks to reform the broken mental healthcare system by refocusing outdated programs, improving the effectiveness of grants, and removing federal barriers to care. It will take a lot of work to rebuild our nation’s mental health network, but it must be done and this legislation is the first step. It passed by an overwhelming bi-partisan vote of 407-5 and now awaits action in the Senate. Opioid addiction and mental health are two acute problems facing our country, and I’m pleased that Congress is taking action on smart legislation to address them. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley and their two children.
Alabama 2016 Independence Day messages
Today Alabama families gather with friends and neighbors, march in parades, fire up grills and enjoy fireworks displays at night. , and join citizens across the Yellowhammer State and country in raising their American flags to honor the patriots who, 240 years ago, risked it all and declared their independence in hopes of creating a nation of liberty, freedom, and endless opportunity for all. Here are some Independence Day messages from elected officials in Alabama: U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby: Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Independence Day. May we remember the men and women in uniform who fight for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: I hope you and your family have a fun and safe 4th of July! I hope you will be sure to take time this weekend to reflect on what exactly it means to be an American. I recorded this short video message to share my thoughts on this important occasion. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: On this #FourthofJuly, 240 years since our county’s founding, may we remember the words of those founders who “mutually pledge[d] to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” to start a new way of life based on self-determination. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government…” Happy Independence Day! Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: Happy Fourth of July! Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt: This 4th of July I hope that you take time to celebrate our freedom and remember that it truly is not free. And as these great drone videos show, there is no better place to celebrate this holiday weekend than right here in Alabama’s 4th Congressional District. Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks: The celebration of the #FourthofJuly looks different across our great nation, yet we unify under the principle of liberty. This Independence Day, I look forward to spending time with my wife, children, and grandchildren. I hope that you enjoy time with your loved ones as we remember the sacrifices of those who work so hard to preserve this hard-earned liberty. Alabama 6th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: Happy Fourth of July! I hope you and your family have a great time celebrating Independence Day and may God bless America. Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey: Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Fourth of July! Thank you to our men and women in the Armed Forces for their sacrifice to protect and preserve our freedoms. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange: Have a happy and safe Independence Day weekend. I’m proud to call Alabama home, and I know we’re all proud to call America home. Have a great weekend!
Martha Roby: Benghazi report released
The Select Committee on Benghazi released its much-anticipated report last week, documenting through more than 800 pages a better understanding of what happened leading up to, during and after the September 11, 2012, terrorist attacks that killed four Americans: Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith and U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. The report contains a substantial amount of new information that reveals a much clearer picture about Benghazi and changes our understanding about the government’s mishandling of the attacks. As a Member of the Select Committee, I encourage everyone to read the report for themselves online at www.Benghazi.House.gov. There are a few key takeaways I believe are worth highlighting. First, many mistakes were made by different agencies leading up to the attacks, none more critical than the failure to be prepared for the anniversary of September 11. The State Department refused multiple requests to increase security, including from Ambassador Stephens himself. The military unit best-equipped to respond to an attack of this nature was inexplicably off training that day. Department of Defense officials were unaware of covert facilities and other critical assets in the region. There was a clear breakdown in posture and preparedness that hamstrung the ability of our military to respond. The report shows that, while no one person involved is solely responsible for these breakdowns, no one person involved is free from responsibility either. A second key takeaway is that, during the attacks, there was a serious lack of urgency in Washington to respond. While our guys on the ground in Benghazi were taking gunfire and mortar attacks, Washington was moving at a snail’s pace. Despite President Barack Obama directing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to use all resources at his disposal to save American lives and Secretary Panetta then ordering the nearest known assets to deploy, bureaucratic indecision and miscommunication delayed those forces. Administration officials were more concerned about diplomatic sensitivities and promoting their policy agenda as successful than they were about the safety of the Americans under attack. The ultimate result was not one military asset being deployed to Benghazi. A final key takeaway is that, in the aftermath of the attack, there was a clear effort across agencies to cover their tracks. We now know beyond a doubt that what Administration officials were telling the American people about Benghazi and what they acknowledged to each other privately was very different. The White House continued to conflate the anti-Muslim YouTube video and the Benghazi attacks even though no intelligence ever indicated a connection. Meanwhile, emails and statements from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton show her clear understanding early on that “our officers were killed in Benghazi by an Al Queda-like [sic] group” and “we know that the attack in Libya had nothing to do with the film. It was a planned attack—not a protest.” Our government failed the people it sent into harm’s way and then misled the public in the aftermath. That is unacceptable in our society, and Americans should demand better of their government leaders. Our report shines a bright light on these failures in the hope that we can prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband, Riley and their two children.
Martha Roby: Benghazi report shows ‘American government failed its people and lied to the public’
The Select Committee on Benghazi released its much-anticipated report Tuesday, documenting through more than 800 pages a better understanding of what happened leading up to, during and after the terrorist attacks that killed four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador in Libya. New information released in the report reveals a clearer picture about the government’s mishandling of the attacks, including a failure to accommodate increased security requests, a lack of urgency to respond to the attacks and a coordinated effort to mislead the American public about the nature of the attacks. According to Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, a member of the Select Committee, the United States government “failed its people and lied to the public.” “While our guys were on the ground taking gunfire and mortar attacks, Washington was moving at a snail’s pace,” Roby said at news conference Tuesday announcing the report. “In Washington, the Administration was more concerned about diplomatic sensitivities with the Libyans and promoting its policy agenda as successful than it was about the safety of the Americans it sent there.” Roby went on to explain the committee’s investigative efforts were met with strong opposition from the Defense Department, “and now we know why.” Pointing out the DOD failed to deploy to Benghazi in an effort to save Americans at the overrun compound. “At the end of the day, no military assets directed by Washington ever moved toward Benghazi,” Roby said. “The bottom line is that Washington failed to have our guys’ back when they needed it. From my perspective, this lack of urgency demonstrates either incompetence or indifference, or both.” “In this case, the American government failed its people and lied to the public in the aftermath,” Roby concluded. “This is unacceptable, and I know that our report shines a bright light on these events so we can prevent this from ever happening again.” Watch Roby at the news conference below:
Martha Roby: Obama’s amnesty actions struck down
The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt the final blow to President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration. As you may remember, President Obama attempted to bypass Congress in November 2014 and grant de facto amnesty to as many as five million illegal immigrants. A number of states, including Alabama, challenged the executive amnesty plans in federal court on the grounds that they violated the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers. Although there are not currently 9 serving justices, an equally divided Supreme Court affirms the ruling of the court below. By upholding lower courts’ rulings against the Administration, the Supreme Court has effectively blocked the President’s orders from being implemented and affirmed that they were unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s decision represents an important victory for the separation of powers, a fundamental principle of our Constitution meant to preserve self-governance. The framers strategically divided governing authorities among the three branches and set up a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch became too powerful. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress, not the President, authority to “establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.” Our laws have legitimacy because they are passed by representatives elected by and accountable to the people. That legitimacy has been undermined by expansions of executive authority over the past few decades. I believe this decision sends a strong message to President Obama and to future presidents that constitutional order and the rule of law must be followed. However, this issue isn’t going away. Our illegal immigration problem is very real. The President’s amnesty orders only exacerbated that problem by inviting even more illegal immigrants to cross the border and by poisoning any chance Congress could make progress toward meaningful solutions on this issue while he was in office. They were also unfair to legal immigrants who played by the rules and to the working Americans whose wages are undercut by reckless immigration policy. Amnesty won’t solve our immigration problems. We have to secure the border and enact better polices that discourage illegal entry, punish lawbreakers and promote America’s economic interests. In the wake of this ruling, our work to strengthen the United States immigration laws should continue right away. Hopefully our next president will be more willing to work with Congress in that regard. Thanks to this Supreme Court ruling, they won’t be able to go around Congress and unilaterally enact their own policies. That’s important for the preservation of our constitutional republic, no matter who the next president is. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband, Riley and their two children.
Yeas and Nays – How Alabama delegation voted this week: 6/24/16
Here’s a look at how the Alabama delegation voted on major issues in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate this week: House votes Much of the U.S. House of Representative’s legislative schedule was postponed due to the House Democrats’ “sit-in” protest. A vote on overriding the president’s veto of H. J. Res. 88, a resolution that disapproves the rule issued by the Labor Department on April 8, 2016, commonly known as the fiduciary rule on retirement investment advice, which subjects broker-dealers who oversee retirement investments to the fiduciary standard under which they must provide investment advice that is in the best interest of the investor “without regard to the financial or other interests” of the financial institution, adviser or other party. A two-thirds vote of both chambers is needed to override a veto; the House originally passed the measure by a 234-183 vote, while the Senate originally cleared it by a 56-41 vote. The president vetoed the measure June 8. Passed House 239-180, but the vote failed to override a presidential veto. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) Conference Report to H.R.2577, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2017. The conference report would provide $82.5 billion in discretionary funding in fiscal 2017 for the Veterans Affairs Department, military construction and military housing. It also would provide $1.1 billion in funding to combat the Zika virus, with roughly $750 million in offsets. Passed House 239-171. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) Next week the House is in recess and will be back in session on Tuesday, July 5. Senate votes The Senate only voted on amendments this week and passed no legislation. The Senate is scheduled to be in session next week.
Alabama politicians react to U.S. Supreme Court immigration ruling
Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 4-4 tied ruling in the case of United States v. Texas, which effectively blocks President Barack Obama’s proposed immigration plan that sought to shield millions living in the U.S. illegally from deportation. The single-sentence opinion effectively kills the plan for the duration of Obama’s presidency. Obama expressed disappointment Thursday in the deadlocked ruling, saying the decision “takes us further from the country that we aspire to be.” “For more than two decades now our immigration system, everybody acknowledges, has been broken,” Obama continued. “And the fact that the Supreme Court wasn’t able to issue a decision today doesn’t just set the system back even further, it takes us further from the country that we aspire to be.” Here are reactions from elected officials and political groups in Alabama. We will be updating this post as they come in: U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby: Today’s Supreme Court decision, which effectively blocks President Obama’s immigration executive actions, is a victory for our system of checks and balances. Time and again, the Obama Administration has attempted to circumvent Congress and push its agenda on the American people through executive fiat. While I am pleased that the Supreme Court has halted this unprecedented power grab for now, today’s decision underscores the importance of electing a president in November who will put a conservative on the Court to defend our Constitution. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions: Today’s decision in United States v. Texas is not just a victory for Texas, Alabama, and a majority of the States in this great nation who challenged the lawless actions of the Obama Administration, but a victory for the American people and for the rule of law. Read his full statement here. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Once again, the Obama Administration has suffered defeat due to their failure to follow the Constitution and the laws of our country. This decision is a major victory for the rule of law and our opposition to illegal executive amnesty. Instead of continuing to encourage amnesty, the executive branch should enforce the immigration laws already on the books and finally secure our borders. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: The Supreme Court’s decision affirms the separation of powers, one of the most fundamental governing principles in our Constitution. The president cannot legislate or rule like a king. I believe this decision sends a strong message to President Obama and future presidents that constitutional order and the rule of law must prevail in this country. Our illegal immigration problem is very real. President Obama’s amnesty orders only served to exacerbate the problem by inviting even more illegal immigrants to cross our border and by poisoning any progress Congress could make toward meaningful solutions. Amnesty won’t solve our immigration problems. We have to secure the border and enact better polices that discourage illegal entry, punish lawbreakers and promote America’s economic interests. Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: Today’s decision to halt President Obama’s executive amnesty is an important victory for the rule of law and Constitutional government. I was proud to sign on to amicus briefs throughout this case and to give the House an official voice in the Supreme Court by voting for H. Res. 639 in March. I firmly believe the President’s unilateral act to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants clearly undermines the power of Congress and the Constitution’s system of checks and balances. Congress must move forward with legislation to secure our borders and create real consequences for people who openly flaunt our immigration laws. Alabama 6th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: Today the Supreme Court put the power back in the hands the American people, not President Obama’s,” said Palmer. “Their 4-4 tied decision thwarts the President’s attempt to unconstitutionally overrule current immigration laws. Laws are made by the people through their elected representative, not through executive action. We must work together to enforce our current immigration laws and secure our borders, but today we celebrate this victory for the American people. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange: This is a strong victory for the Constitution, the rule of law and for the conservative Attorneys General who took this important case all the way to the highest court in the land and prevailed,” said Attorney General Strange. Today’s Supreme Court 4-4 tie vote effectively blocks President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty program, allowing the lower federal court ruling against the immigration program to stand. Alabama was one of more than two dozen states joined in a legal challenge of President Obama’s plan to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Today’s decision should send a strong signal to the President and his administration that they cannot continue to ignore the Constitution, Congress and the rule of law.
Martha Roby: The Zika threat and our response
.By now you’ve probably heard of the Zika Virus and the harm it has caused in Brazil and other South and Central American countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Zika is comparable to the West Nile Virus, spread by mosquitoes and can cause fever, rash, joint pain and eye irritation. The real threat, however, is for pregnant women and their babies. Though rarely fatal, Zika can cause serious birth defects in newborn babies if an expectant mother is infected. Zika is also a growing threat in the United States, particularly here in the South where mosquitoes flourish in the Summertime. As of May 25, 591 Zika infections have been reported in the United States, including at least 162 in pregnant women. So far, all infections have be the result of travel and not local transmissions. This past week I met with CDC Director Dr. Thomas Freiden in my office for a briefing on the Zika situation. His team of experts is hard at work combatting this virus by closely monitoring its movement, controlling the mosquito population and educating the public about how best to avoid infections. The website www.CDC.gov/Zika is a great resource for anyone seeking information about the virus. Congress is also taking action to ensure our country is prepared to prevent and combat a Zika outbreak. The House recently passed bipartisan legislation to encourage the development, testing and distribution of a Zika vaccine as well as the Zika Vector Control Act to remove Environmental Protection Agency restrictions on mosquito sprays that can be essential to preventing infections. Of course, in situations like these it is also important to ensure our response agencies have the resources they need to meet the emerging threat. However, instead of writing a “blank check,” the House Appropriations Committee has sought to be responsible with the use of taxpayers’ money in crafting a funding plan. First, we insisted the Administration use existing funds left over from the Ebola outbreak response to meet any emergency needs. Next, we crafted a plan that includes $622 million allocated between the CDC, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Biomedical Advances Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and other agencies helping to administer Zika response and vaccine development. This appropriation is fully paid for through reprograming unused administrative funding from Health and Human Services and additional leftover Ebola response accounts. Finally, the House plan also places important constraints on the use of these funds and requires full transparency for how they are spent. House Speaker Paul Ryan asked me to serve on the Conference Committee charged with working out the differences between the House and Senate versions of Zika funding bills. I will work alongside my colleagues to reach a final bill that provides the needed resources to combat this virus while remaining responsible with the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband, Riley, and their two children.
