Next Monday marks exactly one year since I was sworn in to represent Alabama’s First District in the 117th Congress. It’s hard to believe a year has passed by already, but I’m proud of the work we’ve done this past year, and I am excited to continue serving in 2022.

Although serving in a Democrat-controlled Congress with Nancy Pelosi in charge can be challenging and frustrating, I’ve remained focused on restoring some common sense to Washington and bringing home some positive results for south Alabama.

I have the privilege of serving on both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, where I’ve consistently worked to protect our district’s natural resources (like protecting our Red Snapper season), push back on President Biden’s war against American domestic energy production, and authorize over $700 million in funding for two Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels (EPF) and two towing, salvage, and rescue ships to be built by Austal USA in Mobile.

A few months ago, I was able to bring the ranking members of both my committees to our district to show them firsthand different priorities I am fighting for in Congress. These two members will be the chairmen of their respective committees when we take the House back in 2022, so it is a huge deal to be able to host both of them in south Alabama.

During this first year in Congress, I’ve voted more than 450 times (not including votes in my various committees and subcommittees) to do things like push back on the Democrats’ agenda, secure our borders, keep our nation secure, and protect life.

I’m also proud to have introduced seven pieces of legislation this year. I’ve introduced legislation to hold Dr. Fauci accountable for his lies and deceit, protect the ancient underwater forest off our coast, improve the VA healthcare system, protect our monuments and statues from government bureaucrats, eliminate wasteful government programs, hold the Biden Administration responsible for canceling oil and gas lease sales, and fix our broken immigration system. Although Speaker Pelosi has refused to allow any of these bills to come to the House floor for a vote, I am confident we can make good progress on these issues once Republicans take control of the House.

I’ve also cosponsored 145 pieces of legislation to shrink the size of the federal government, protect Americans from government overreach, and defend our most fundamental rights. Whether it’s cosponsoring legislation to prevent President Biden from mandating vaccines on Americans or cosponsoring legislation to build the wall and keep Americans safe, I’m proud of the work many of my colleagues and I have done this year.

Our work extends beyond votes and legislation in Washington. I’ve got an outstanding district staff based out of our district, and they work around the clock solving cases for constituents. This year, they’ve successfully solved cases for more than 1,000 constituents. These cases include resolving passport issues, helping small business owners, and helping our veterans navigate the VA system.

This year has been an absolute blessing to my family and me, and it’s the honor of a lifetime to serve south Alabama in Congress. I’m excited for the upcoming year, but I’m especially excited about the prospect of Republicans taking the House back in 2022 so we can start getting this country back on track.

Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.