There is no more important function of the federal government than to provide for our common defense. Unfortunately, for nearly seven years, Democrats have held funding for our military hostage, and as a result, we are facing a serious readiness crisis in our military. We have planes unable to fly and ships that cannot sail. […]

Each year, during Holy Week, Christians gather in the pews to remember the death and crucifixion of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection. As we retell the story of the Passion and celebrate Easter, we count our many blessings and profess our faith as Christians. For many Americans, Easter marks a time of reflection and celebration […]

For much of the year, the safety of our students rests in the hands of the faculty, staff, and resource officers at our schools.  Without a shadow of a doubt, the people who know best how to protect our schools are the teachers, parents, administrators, police officers, and students in their own communities. In February, […]

Last week, the House took a big step toward long overdue tax reform when we passed our budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The budget is important because it opens up the process by which we can bypass a Democrat filibuster and pass tax reform with 51 votes in the Senate. If you read last week’s […]

Last week was a hectic and monumental week at the U.S. Capitol. As we prepared to mark the 7th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, President Trump was pushing the House to pass his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Known as the American Health Care Act, the bill would have repealed Obamacare, […]

“In a death spiral.” Those are the words Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, one of our nation’s largest insurance companies, used to describe the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. When I first ran for Congress in 2013, repealing and replacing Obamacare was a top priority. I introduced a bill to repeal the law, which passed […]

I’ve held over 75 town hall meetings since being elected to Congress, and these meetings allow me to get a feel for what issues are most important to the people I represent. At every single town hall meeting, I get at least one question about problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We have […]

The United States has no stronger ally than Israel. Our relationship has always been strong, both economically and militarily. Israel plays an especially important role in helping us combat radical Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. In other words, Israel serves as a beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity in a very dangerous part of […]

In 2017, Republicans will have control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. This is a rare situation that has happened only 16 times the past 100 years. Under a unified Republican government, there is great potential for important reforms. Here are five areas where I hope to see progress in […]

Over the last few weeks, reporters with television cameras have stood watch in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City to see who is coming and going from meetings with President-elect Donald Trump. Most of the visitors are there to talk to the President-elect about opportunities to serve in his administration, and based […]

On June 24, 2015, President Obama stood in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and said “I am reaffirming that the United States government will not make concessions, such as paying ransom, to terrorist groups holding American hostages.” This position shouldn’t have been too surprising because it has long been the position of the […]

Obaidullah is an al Qaeda terrorist operative. He specializes in the creation of improvised explosive devices (IED), which are manmade bombs that have wreaked havoc on U.S. service members and our allies during conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obaidullah was captured by U.S. Special Forces during a raid on his compound. During the raid, 23 […]

You have all heard the quote before: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Just this week, many Americans are scrambling as we hit the filing deadline for 2016 individual tax returns. Studies have shown that American families spend over 6 billion hours a year filing their taxes. […]

For over a year now, I have been pointing out that the Obama Administration lacks a clear strategy to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This is the brutal terrorist organization that holds significant territory in the Middle East and claims responsibility for attacks in Brussels, Paris, and San Bernardino, California. When […]

We are in the midst of Holy Week, a time filled with both highs and lows as we follow Jesus’s path from crucifixion to resurrection. In the Christian faith, this is our most sacred occasion. It also serves as an opportunity to spend time with family and loved ones. Sadly, for too many people around […]

On November 13, humanity paused as we learned of a string of terror attacks in Paris, France. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed over 125 innocent people. These men and women were simply heading to a sporting event, enjoying dinner at an outdoor café, or watching a concert. Common activities we […]

I’ve written many times about the need for Congress to pass a reliable, long-term bill to fund our nation’s highway system. I’ve considered this one of my top priorities in Congress because of how important a new highway bill would be for our area. I have repeatedly voted against short-term highway bills that simply put […]

It has been said that one of the hardest jobs around is being a teacher. Even though it may be hard, teaching is one of the most important professions. Teachers have the great responsibility of training the next generation in our society. Recently, I’ve spent time reflecting on some of the important teachers from my […]

When Republicans took control of the Senate last year, we looked forward to sending commonsense, conservative bills to the President’s desk. This process would put pressure on the President to decide whether he would sign or veto the bills. In the House, we have held up our end of the deal, sending countless conservative-reform bills […]

Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a major power play in an effort to exert control over Ukraine, a sovereign nation to Russia’s west. After the citizens of Ukraine ousted their Russian-backed president, Putin sent Russian troops into Ukraine and eventually annexed a portion of Ukraine, known as Crimea. Throughout this conflict, Vladimir Putin […]

When considering whether to vote in favor of legislation, I often ask myself a simple question: Is this in the best interest of the American people? I believe that should be a guiding principle for all our elected officials when they are faced with a major decision. Recently, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State […]

As I was touring the manufacturing operation at Quality Filters in Robertsdale, I was struck by just how much manufacturing has grown in Southwest Alabama over the last decade. I paid a visit to Quality Filters to help celebrate National Manufacturing Day, which took place on October 2nd. We have seen a large increase in […]

All eyes were on Washington last week as Pope Francis became the first pope to address a joint session of Congress in our nation’s history. As one of the most influential moral leaders in the world, it was an honor to welcome Pope Francis to the Capitol for his historic address. While I am not […]

I have proudly called Southwest Alabama home for my entire life, but I don’t know that I have ever felt as much pride for our area as I did last week while standing on the stage at the grand opening ceremony for the new Airbus Manufacturing Facility in Mobile. It wasn’t an easy road to […]