U.S. Congressman Robert B. Aderholt

October 14, 2019

Dear Friend,

It has been a busy past few weeks. Summer is over and fall is here. I enjoyed being able to spend time with many of you in Alabama last month. I thought I would give you some of the highlights from our district visits during August and issues we have been working on in Washington since we returned in September.

August

August is one of my favorite parts of the year. It's a tradition that dates to 1791 when many Members of Congress were still farmers and needed to get back to their fields and the sweltering August day. Today, we use the recess as a District Work Period.

I use this time to meet with constituents across the 4^th District and visit counties to share what's happening in Congress. It also gives me the opportunity to hear what's on your minds and about issues that most concern you. It was great to see so many new and old friends and hear directly from the people in the 4^th District.

I invited the U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham to Cullman to discuss the importance of the 2020 Census with elected officials in our area. In the 2010 Census, Alabama had a participation rate of only 72 percent. If that rate were repeated, Alabama could not only be at risk for losing a congressional seat, but also significant amounts of federal support for the state as well.

The data collected by the Census Bureau determines how nearly half of $1 trillion of federal funding is spent each year. This money goes to various infrastructure projects and services such as schools, highways, hospitals, senior centers, emergency services, bridges and other public works plans.

Congressman Aderholt and U.S. Census Bureau Director Dillingham are interviewed by Alabama Public Television on the importance of the 2020 Census.

This year, completing the Census is easier than ever. Everyone still has the option to complete the Census on paper, but it will also offer options to complete it over the phone, on your computer or even a smartphone.

I also invited NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine to stop in the 4^th District during the August Work Period. North Alabama is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal. These sites are key to the US's space program and to North Alabama's economy. The sites provide thousands of jobs to Alabamians in our district and neighboring districts, while providing space education opportunities for the next generation of leaders across the state. Administrator Bridenstine visited pre-engineering students at Arab High School on August 16^th. The Administrator and I were able to see the student-made moon buggy created for the NASA national moon buggy race competition. We also met with robotics students at Arab High School and saw their award-winning entry in last year's First Robotics competition in Houston.

After leaving Arab, Administrator Bridenstine and I went to the United States Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville where even more 4^th District students were waiting. Rocketry teams from Russellville, Tharptown High School, and Cullman County were also able to meet with the Administrator and hear his vision for our space program, including a planned return to the moon in 2024 and going on to Mars.

The various programs these students are involved in help to prepare them for their future. If we want the United States to continue to lead the world in innovation, we must continue to see the value in STEM education programs and promote them throughout the 4^th District and other rural areas around the country.

Administrator Bridenstine and I were both very impressed by the work the students produced, and we look forward to seeing their contributions to NASA's missions in the future.

August also allowed me to sit down with other elected leaders from our district. I met the mayors of Marshall County (pictured above) and the Shoals area (pictured below) to hear about issues directly impacting their communities. We further discussed topics like the importance of the 2020 Census, transportation and economic development.

Furthermore, I was able to share with them some of the work I'm doing in Washington. It's discussions like these that equip me to best serve you in our nation's capital.

Found below are more photos from the August District Work Period:

Congressman Aderholt visits with members of the Red Bay High School FFA String Band. The band won the 2019 Alabama State Championship.

Congressman Aderholt meets with Colbert County Superintendent Gale Satchel and President Glenda Colagross of Northwest Shoals Community College at the annual Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments fish fry on August 29 ^th, 2019.

Congressman Aderholt speaks in Rainbow City at a meeting specifically focused on issues facing the Coosa River and the Neely-Henry Lake.

Congressman Aderholt stopped by WVTM 13 in Birmingham for an interview with anchor Ian Reitz about current issues facing our state and nation.

Congressman Aderholt is interviewed by Archie Anderson on WRAB radio in Arab on August 21, 2019.

Return to Washington

When my colleagues and I returned from the August recess, we got straight to work. One of the first things upon returning was House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, Pro-Life Caucus Chair Chris Smith, Rep. Ann Wagner and I participated in a hearing on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This legislation would require those who perform abortions and health care professionals to treat infants born during abortions with same degree of care that any other infant would receive. It is hard to believe, but under current law, infants who are born and survive abortions can be left to die with no care. Every person has a right to life, even those babies who were targeted for abortion.

For months, House Republicans have asked the Democratic leadership to take up this legislation to protect innocent lives. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill along with over 180 of my colleagues.

Despite some Democrats' efforts to block this important piece of legislation, House Republicans will continue to do everything in our power to bring attention to the need for legal and medical protections for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The least the Democratic could do is let us vote on the legislation. Let the record show which sitting members of the United States Congress will stand to protect life and which ones won't. We must end infanticide now.

The Trump Administration has continued to take steps to enact pro-life policies that protect the unborn. In February 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Title X Family Planning Rule. This rule would require abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood to financially and physically separate their abortion practices from their taxpayer-supported family planning practices.

Because of that, in August 2019, Planned Parenthood announced it would stop participating in the Title X family planning grants program. It is unfortunate, but, Planned Parenthood has chosen to prioritize its abortion business over caring for women seeking other services.

Please know that I will continue to fight to protect all life and we must continue to work with the President to make additional changes to federal policy. I believe we should do all we can to stop abortions in the United States.

What's Ahead

As we finish the appropriations process for the new fiscal year, if you need assistance with a federal agency or an upcoming visit to Washington DC, please don't hesitate to contact me. I, along with my staff, are happy to answer any questions you may have and help in any way we can. You can contact my Washington DC office at 202-225-4876 or you can email me directly here. Additionally, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date on the latest events.