For more than 40 years, I have dedicated my life to advancing the economic interests of Alabama. I’ve spent time in the state legislature as a representative of my hometown district and was honored to be selected speaker of the House for Alabama. I served the governor as the director of what is now the […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As folks across East Alabama know all too well, we have a serious national security and humanitarian crisis at our Southwest border with Mexico that worsens every day. Because Democrats are so dug in against President Trump, they are choosing to play political games over keeping our homeland safe and dealing with […]

For most of the history of our country, it was widely accepted, as I firmly believe now, that life begins at conception, that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. The thought of prematurely ending a pregnancy was considered in stark, unreconcilable contrast to the principles of our founding of life, liberty […]

As those of us who live and work in the Second District remember well, last year on October 10, Hurricane Michael made landfall and ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida and Georgia. This storm was the third most powerful hurricane to ever descend upon the United States mainland. The destruction left in its wake was devastating, […]

When Alabama historians look back at this era decades from now, they may well determine that the recently completed 2019 regular legislative session was the most important and influential of its time. In terms of the depth and breadth of important issues that were debated, considered, and voted upon, the session set new precedents that […]

Last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) visited Alabama where he held campaign rallies and town halls in Birmingham and Montgomery touting his Medicare for All plan. His staunch opposition to anything other than a complete overhaul of the U.S. health care system has often dominated political and health care conversations. Every American deserves access to […]

It is fitting that last week, now-former special counsel Robert Mueller announced his resignation and return to private life and his shuttering the office of the special counsel. Just the day before his announcement, I filed a bill to get some real transparency from those who undertook this costly, wasteful and pointless investigation and to […]

This is my 28th year in politics, and I have seen firsthand that with every election cycle, opposition research becomes a more valuable tool used in political campaigns. Many people had never heard of “Oppo” or were even aware that campaigns aggressively looked for information on their opponents until the Trump Dossier complied by Fusion […]

For the last week of May, Congress was out of session for a district work period, and I had the opportunity to travel around the Second District. Throughout the week, I visited with constituents and local leaders, toured businesses and industries and spent time with some of our servicemembers at Dannelly Field in Montgomery. During […]

Alabama and other states have recently passed new laws restricting or criminalizing abortion to challenge the Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade in the wake of Justice Kavanaugh’s appointment. America’s founders saw a role for federalism in managing disagreements. But recent abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender bathroom controversies raise doubts whether federalism […]

Lottery supporters were left saying “so close …” last week after the latest attempt to establish the game in Alabama collapsed under the weight of competing interests and power plays. It was reminiscent of the failed lotto player, successfully matching his numbers one-by-one until his hopes are dashed when that final digit proves ever elusive. […]

War-time letters throughout our nation’s history can offer us a window into the personal sacrifices of our fighting men and women. Perhaps one of the most famous was by Major Sullivan Ballou of the Second Rhode Island Infantry, written just before the First Battle of Manassas in the Civil War. In it, he talks of […]

Every year, on the last Monday in May, our country takes a collective pause to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation. Memorial Day isn’t simply a day off work, and it is much more significant than just marking the unofficial start of summer. This special holiday is […]

The Alabama legislature lowered the minimum age for a truck driver’s (CDL) license to 18 for within-state transport (the minimum age remains 21 in interstate trucking) to help alleviate a driver shortage the American Trucking Associations (ATA) says has existed since 2005. Trucking has long been a major employer in Alabama and Pike County. What […]

The cast was about 2 inches too long, and the topwater fly plopped down gently on a chunk of flat rock underneath the blooming mountain laurels on the Tallapoosa River north of Lake Martin. One slight twitch of the fly rod tip and the Ol’ Mr. Wiggly fly slid into the current. The fly didn’t […]

For a bill called the “Protect Alabama Small Business Act,” SB 129 sure would hurt small businesses like mine. I own the FASTSIGNS locations in Mobile and Daphne, and I know firsthand what it takes for small franchise businesses to succeed. This bill simply isn’t it. SB 129 would take private franchise contracts like mine […]

Last week I had the great experience to join my colleagues in a little friendly competition at the Congressional Clays Competition hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. It was great to express our Second Amendment rights with some healthy rivalry, but it reminded me of those in this country who cannot express this right freely. […]

Trillions of pieces of plastic are creating huge garbage patches in the world’s oceans. One company’s efforts to do something about this problem can lead us to rethink some perceived economic wisdom. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that two million tons of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year. Most of this waste […]

Throughout my time in Congress, I have been staunchly and unapologetically pro-life. I will continue to use this platform to fight for life at every stage because unborn babies cannot fight for themselves. Since much of the news in our state and throughout the country lately has focused on recent pro-life efforts, I would like […]

The five-day special legislative session that addressed the increase in the gas tax to fund an Infrastructure Rebuilding Program for the state was a remarkable success. I still marvel at the adroitness, efficiency and expediency in which the governor accomplished this monumental initiative. She called for a special session on the night of her State […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Recently in the halls of Congress, it’s become a much too common practice for some Democrats to spew hatred and anti-Semitism. From Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez to Representative Rashida Tlaib to Representative Illhan Omar, their words cut deeply. Their spreading of anti-Semitism is harmful to all Americans. On the world stage, we have […]

The Auburn Tigers’ great basketball season — culminating with a trip to the Final Four — drew much national attention to Auburn and the state of Alabama, as the team touched the hearts of countless fans, old and new, and became the state’s first school to reach that milestone. It’s an excitement Auburn and our […]

They say time heals all wounds, but for me, it’s not so easy. You see, just over a year ago my only child was killed just 26 days before her 18th birthday, and three months to the day before she would have graduated from Thompson High School. My sweet daughter Cici was distracted by her […]

Since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, they have turned a blind eye to infanticide, promoted overregulation of American businesses, and sought socialist measures in the United States, oftentimes at the expense of the taxpayer. They have also made it clear that they stand for open borders by ignoring the ongoing crisis at […]