Congress just finished up a District Work Period. This short break from voting in our Nation’s Capital gave representatives a weeklong chance to hear directly from folks back home what is going on in their area. This week, I wanted to share some tid-bits of where I went and what I heard first-hand from my different stops across East Alabama. President Obama said recently “the private sector is doi... Read more »

WASHINGTON - The head of the Transportation Security Administration rejected a suggestion today from an Alabama congressman that the agency could cut 30 percent of its officers and still effectively protect airlines from terrorist attacks. "Could you reduce the workforce of 46,000 screeners and still do the job?" asked U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks. "No, I don't agree with that. That's a huge numb... Read more »

For many, Memorial Day was the start to summer when school’s finally out and the swimming pools are open for business. But for other families, Memorial Day meant mourning the loss of loved ones in uniform who paid the ultimate sacrifice in wars like Iraq or Afghanistan or other conflicts in our history. We live in an amazing country. Although we are in tough economic times, America is resilient. O... Read more »

In recent weeks it seems too many in Washington, Republicans and Democrats alike, would rather focus on issues other than what’s most important – our economy. Across East Alabama folks are still hurting and are more interested in seeing our unemployment rate fall from 7.3 percent. At least Alabama is doing a little better than the national average of 8.1 percent. When the national unemployment num... Read more »

Today, Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03) of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security said TSA’s failure to properly report and monitor security breaches at our nation’s airports is “unacceptable” and must be immediately fixed. A recent DHS Inspector General’s report found up to 42 percent of all security breaches were not properly reported up the chain of command at TSA. The report... Read more »

Congressman Mike Rogers made the following remarks on the first anniversary of the deadly tornadoes that struck across Alabama on April 27, 2011, killing over 250 Alabamians. “So many families were devastated by these storms. Hundreds of lives were lost. People lost their homes and businesses. Entire communities were simply destroyed, all during a horrible show of nature’s wrath a year ago today. ... Read more »

Every year, every one of us across East Alabama prepares for and usually dreads Tax Day. That day in mid-April when we ensure we have gotten our tax returns filed on time. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, each American will work 107 days just to pay their Federal, state and local taxes. That’s a lot of work, and Americans are rightly asking these days what exactly they’re getting for ... Read more »

As we approach the 2nd anniversary of the passage of President Obama’s signature healthcare law, many folks across East Alabama remain deeply concerned about its impact on our economy and want the law repealed. I agree. According to a March 19th Ramussen survey, 56 percent of those surveyed favor repeal of the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare. Hardworking families and our na... Read more »

Congressman Mike Rogers made the following remarks following passage of H.R. 3606, the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, that passed the House 390-23. “With the current state of our economy, Congress should be doing everything it can to help the heartbeat of our local economies – small businesses and entrepreneurs – have the opportunity to grow and create good paying jobs for hard-workin... Read more »

Across East Alabama, folks are downright angry about the rising costs of gas and they have every reason to be. So am I. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.76. In February it was $3.47, so in one month, it has increased 29 cents and from the way things are going, it seems that trend will continue. With our national unemployment at 8.3 percent and Alabama’s... Read more »