It’s not easy to discuss immigration these days. Nuance is out. We’re pressured to pick a side—either you favor open borders, or you’re anti-immigrant, right? Take it from me, the grandson of four immigrants to America, that kind of polarized, either/or mindset is nonsense. I grew up nearly 60 years ago in a community in […]

April kicks off marathon season. I’m in the middle of training for the Nashville Marathon on April 28. It isn’t often that my love for long-distance running intersects with the topic I have written a book on—like transgenderism. But with the world’s most prestigious marathon happening next Monday in Boston, and with news that the Boston Athletic […]

We’ve all heard about how important it is to recruit out-of-state businesses to Alabama. As Governor, that will be a top priority of mine. That said, I’ll never forget a comment from a Birmingham CEO as we met in his boardroom. He said that every month, sitting around that table, he and his colleagues joke […]

As you may have recently seen on the news, President Trump has called for the National Guard to assist Customs and Border Patrol Agents with securing our southern border. The Trump Administration has made securing our porous southwest border with Mexico a top priority, and we cannot wait another minute to stop the influx of […]

The U.S. has a long history and a vested interest in the Baltic States. On the heels of the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia celebrating 100 years of independence with President Trump at the Whitehouse, law makers and pundits continue wringing their hands and bemoaning Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election. Meanwhile in […]

There are dramatic differences between our congressional delegation of the 1940s-1960s and our group on the Potomac today. Obviously, their partisan badges have changed, as have Alabamians. There is also a tremendous difference in power and seniority of that era versus today’s group. That bygone era of Alabama congressmen were very progressive New Deal Democrats; […]

America’s Armed Forces are made up of young men and women who bravely answered the call of service and have accepted the challenge of defending our great nation. As a Member of Congress, I have the distinct privilege each year of nominating outstanding young individuals from Southwest Alabama to attend our nation’s military service academies.  […]

As a trained military combat veteran with deployments in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I have sat through more hours of instruction, live fire exercises, and combat drills in my nearly eight years of service than I care to remember. Prior to a deployment it was essential that every soldier in my company understand what a […]

During the second and final week of Congress’ Easter district work period, I traveled throughout the Second District to visit with constituents, small business owners, and local leaders. I also had the privilege of stopping by both of the fine military installations in our district, Fort Rucker and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, for meetings with […]

April is National Autism Awareness Month and as the father of a child on the autism spectrum, I know firsthand the importance of raising awareness for the 50,000 Alabamians impacted by autism. Affecting one in every 68 people, autism has become the country’s fastest growing developmental disability. I have spent the past decade advocating to […]

I recently read with interest an op-ed written by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens calling on the American people to “repeal the Second Amendment” in the name of making us safer. I could not disagree more. I have been a prosecutor for 20 years. I support efforts proven to reduce crime, protect […]

Let’s face it: It can be tough to eat right. My wife and I do our best to ensure we eat a balanced, nutritious diet full of leafy greens, fish and lean proteins—but I’ll be the first to admit we’re not perfect. The truth is, most Americans aren’t perfect when it comes to their diets. […]

My faith has always come first for me. From my earliest days on our family farm in lower Alabama, to my teenage years when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, and every single day since. That’s why as Governor, protecting religious freedom, and our values, remains my top priority. And make […]

Republicans took control of federal offices and presidential races in 1964 in Alabama. It was referred to as the Goldwater Landslide. The Baxley-Graddick fiasco in 1986 was the game changer for governor. In the last 32 years there have been eight governor’s races. Republicans have won all of them, with one exception. Don Siegelman was an interloper […]

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. […]

This week, the reports of students taking to the streets to demand Congress enact gun-control legislation dominated the news. While some people argue about the issues of gun control and others debate the size of the student movement itself, the very real fact is that many young people across Alabama and the nation are forming their political opinions […]

Part of my job as your Representative in Congress is to listen to the people I have the privilege of working for and to ensure that you have a direct voice in Washington as we debate policy that impacts your everyday life. While I hear from my constituents when Congress is in session through letters, […]

Every constitutional statewide office is up for election this year. Just like the governor’s office you can serve two consecutive four-year terms and then you are through. Kay Ivey would have been term limited as Lt. Governor. She could not have run again for that post even though she ascended to governor last year. Young […]

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 […]

As a mother of two young children, I know how important it is that we get it right when it comes to education. I believe decisions about education are best made locally, so throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to implement policies that give local teachers and parents more control over making needed […]

Across the country, lawmakers are realizing the costs associated with the rampant overuse of occupational licensing laws. Alabama Policy Institute’s recent report shows that over 21% of Alabama workers are licensed. This means that more than one in five Alabamians need a government permission slip to work. Although the original impetus behind states’ licensing practices […]

I was always curious why Facebook, did not have a “dislike” button to complement its “like” button. Now we know. The Cambridge Analytica outrage is now a major scandal – both financially and morally – for the multi-billion-dollar business. Surprisingly, and disappointingly for some, the scandal is not about politics or elections.  Instead it’s the massive […]

Fiscal restraint is dead in Washington, and no one seems to care. The March Omnibus spending deal follows through on an agreement to spend significantly more over the next two years than any Obama-era spending cap increase. Such a dramatic departure from fiscal sanity is reckless. The now-certain return of trillion-dollar deficits threaten to undermine Republicans’ most significant legislative accomplishment: tax reform.

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, […]