funding

National

Border crisis needs lawful fix, not amnesty

Decades of bad immigration policies have undermined our laws and led to the worst conditions at our border we’ve ever seen. U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended a staggering 56,278 unaccompanied minors this fiscal year. The Department of Health & Human Services, tasked with housing the largest number of children in its history, had 13,200 … Continued

Bradley Byrne

June 18, 2019

Opinion

100 days of Democrats

This week will mark a hundred days Democrats have held power in the House of Representatives in Washington. I considered listing tangible Democrat achievements so far this Congress, but that would result in a blank page. Instead, all Democrats have managed to do in 14 weeks is obstruct what is best for the American people, … Continued

Bradley Byrne

April 8, 2019

Opinion

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

One of the problems exposed during the gas tax debate was the fact that $63 million a year gets diverted out of the Alabama Department of Transportation’s road and bridge funding to pay for state troopers and the court system. The logic (if you can call it that) for this transfer of funds is that … Continued

Craig Ford

March 21, 2019

Opinion

Why we should avoid an immediate special session for the gas tax?

Many Alabamians, including the conservative-leaning Alabama Policy Institute, agree our state needs to increase funding for roads and bridges. And Gov. Kay Ivey hasn’t yet ruled out calling the state Legislature into a special session to raise the gas tax when lawmakers convene Tuesday in Montgomery. But, is fast-tracking a $300 million tax increase a … Continued

J. Pepper Bryars

March 5, 2019

Opinion

Baldwin County school board sues state Superintendent Eric Mackey

Three weeks ago, we told you about the mess in Baldwin County regarding the effort of Gulf Shores to start its own city school system. The county school board was not happy at all with the way in which state superintendent, Eric Mackey, seemed to be tipping the scales in favor of Gulf Shores. They felt he … Continued

Larry Lee

February 18, 2019

Shelby calls for bipartisanship, “strategic” barriers during border security negotiations

During the first conference committee meeting in Congress to work out a deal on border security funding, Republican Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby called for bipartisanship and strategic border barriers. Shelby, who chairs the Senate appropriations committee and largely steered the budget bills passed to reopen the government, said physical barriers are needed not “from coast … Continued

Chip Brownlee

January 31, 2019

More than 240 federal workers apply for unemployment compensation in Alabama as shutdown drags on

The true effects of the prolonged partial government shutdown are appearing as the impasse preventing funding for about a quarter of the federal government drags on toward its third week. The Alabama Department of Labor clarified Wednesday that furloughed federal employees meet state eligibility requirements. At least 240 federal workers have applied for unemployment compensation … Continued

Chip Brownlee

January 10, 2019

Opinion

A week of good news

There was much to celebrate this past week in Washington. That sentence may surprise you if you just go off what you hear from the national news media, but the reality is we continue to get work done here in the People’s House. To be clear, there is still work to be done, and that … Continued

Bradley Byrne

December 17, 2018

Opinion

Fighting for those who fight for us

When we go to bed at night, whether we think about it or not, we are safe knowing that our servicemen and women stand at the ready throughout the world; ready to defend our nation, our values, and us here at home. But, without the appropriate funding, our military does not have the necessary equipment … Continued

Bradley Byrne

October 2, 2018

Alabama Arise sets Medicaid expansion, end to grocery tax as priorities

Arise Alabama, a liberal-leaning statewide non-partisan group that works to better policy for low-income individuals, chose Medicaid expansion and working to end the state grocery tax as two of its top policy priorities going into the general election season and ahead of next year’s legislative session. More than 200 Arise members chose those priorities and … Continued

Chip Brownlee

September 14, 2018