Washington Week in Review

The following is a collection of the past week’s news and views from Alabama’s congressional delegation:

— Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) made use of his role as a member of the House Armed Services conference committee, which has been in negotiations with the Senate to authorize defense spending for fiscal year 2018. Byrne helped secure authorization for the construction of three Littoral Combat Ships in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The ships are manufactured in Mobile by Austal USA.

“Securing the authorization for three more Littoral Combat Ships is a big win for Southwest Alabama and the thousands of people who work at the Austal shipyard in Mobile,” Byrne said. “Just as important, it is good news for the U.S. Navy because it means we will have more highly-capable ships added to the fleet.”

— Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), who sits on the House Science, Space, and Technology committee, questioned witnesses on Thursday in a hearing titled “An Update on NASA Exploration Systems Development.”

“America’s ability to send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit hinges on completion of the Space Launch System (SLS), a portion of which is being developed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center,” Brooks said. “In this morning’s House Science, Space, and Technology Space Subcommittee hearing, I questioned Mr. William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, on developing processes and procedures to avoid delays to the SLS program and areas of concern in the upcoming test of SLS’s core stage element.”

— Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) took to the House floor this week to honor our veterans. Rep. Roby also spoke highly of VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin and his work to improve access and quality of care offered to our veterans.

“I take my responsibility to look out for veterans very seriously, whether through pushing for better policies, fighting to improve access to VA medical services, or going to bat for someone the bureaucracy has left behind,” Roby said. “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who has served this country and to their families. Our country is great because of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice on our behalf.”

— Congressman Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) was awarded in a big way this week for his constant commitment to repealing Obamacare. The Foundation for Government Accountability honored Palmer with its 2017 Congressman of the Year award, particularly for his work on the American Health Care Act, which passed the House earlier this year.

“It is an honor to receive this award from the Foundation for Government Accountability,” said Palmer. “FGA was indispensable in developing the amendment that I introduced on invisible risk sharing. This innovative approach would have driven down the cost of health insurance premiums and helped ensure that those with pre-existing conditions had access to affordable coverage. FGA is a tremendous asset and I look forward to more opportunities to work together to find solutions for major issues.”

— Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Saks) commended Congress, and particularly President Trump, this week for the level of funding that the NDAA provides for additional missile defense spending.

“I want to commend President Trump for agreeing with us that our Nation needs additional missile defense resources in light of the evolving North Korean ballistic missile threats,” Rogers said. “The request from the Office of Management and Budget this week on behalf of President Trump will aid our push for increased discrimination capabilities and the addition of a new field at Fort Greely will help build our capacity. I am proud to be able to work with President Trump to help further secure the homeland against these growing threats. America is already more secure because of President Trump’s leadership.”