Congressman Bradley Byrne, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s decision to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of leaking classified information.

Byrne said: “I have strongly disagreed with many of President Obama’s decisions over the last eight years, but this one may be a new low. It is disturbing and appalling that President Obama would reward someone whose actions put American lives at risk by exposing classified information. This decision sends entirely the wrong message to our military men and women who put their lives on the line every day to serve our country.”

$1,000,000,000,000. That’s the estimated total cost of regulations issued by the Obama Administration. These regulations have resulted in over 754,000,000 hours of paperwork.

These numbers are pretty remarkable. The wide range of regulations cover everything from energy to agriculture to the environment.

In addition to having a negative effect on all those directly impacted, the regulations have a larger impact by stunting economic growth and increasing costs for consumers across the country.  When I talk to Alabama employers, they almost always tell me the cost of regulations issued by the Obama Administration is the top reason they cannot create more jobs. 

One of the most frustrating things about most of these government regulations is the fact they are written and pushed out by unelected government bureaucrats. If Congress passes a law that negatively impacts the American people, then they can face repercussions in the next election. 

The unelected federal bureaucracies do not face that voter accountability. They can ignore the concerns of the American people because they are not accountable to them. But, for decades, liberal Congresses have given them more and more power.  It is a deeply troubling situation.

Thankfully, President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make regulatory reform one of his top priorities. He has indicated he will remove two regulations for every one new regulation put in place.

In Congress, we must also do our part. We have to take back the power to write the law from those who are unelected, stop the crushing effect of regulation on the economy, and make the regulatory process more open and transparent.  And, over the last few weeks, the House has focused on bills to do just that.

One of the very first bills we passed in the new year was the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.  This bill requires both the House and the Senate to vote on any new major rule or regulation before it can take effect. This change would ensure that the elected Congress has the ability to block costly, unnecessary, or illegal regulations.

Last week, the House passed H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act. This bill puts in place a wide range of regulatory reforms including requiring agencies to choose the lowest-cost option, ensuring greater opportunity for public input and comments, and forcing agencies to publish plain-language, online summaries of new proposed rules.  The Regulatory Accountability Act also reverses a Supreme Court decision that remarkably allows federal agencies to interpret what authority Congress has given them.

We also passed the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act this week.  The Dodd-Frank Act gave bureaucrats at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wide power to hand down crushing regulations without adequately considering the impact those regulations have on jobs.  This bill would simply require the SEC to confirm that its regulation passes a cost-benefit analysis, meaning its benefits outweigh its cost to our economy. 

Sometimes presidents, including President Obama, try and push through a large amount of regulations in the last days of their administration.  Often times these rules are rushed and not well considered.  In response to this, the House also passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which would allow Congress to overturn multiple proposed regulations issued by a lame duck Administration in one bill.

Each of these bills demonstrate our effort to turn the tide away from a heavy-handed federal government back towards the free enterprise principles that empower the American people.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced today that Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) will serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Byrne said: “I appreciate Chairwoman Foxx giving me the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Over the last eight years, there has been an effort to fundamentally change the way we deal with labor and employment issues. These changes have largely reduced opportunities for advancement and weakened the standing of American workers. My goal will be to right the ship in favor of policies that benefit workers across our country and empower them to succeed.”

Chairwoman Foxx said: “We have assembled a strong team to advance the commonsense solutions our nation’s workers, students, families, and small businesses urgently need,” Chairwoman Foxx said. “This committee will play a central role in Congress’s broader efforts to grow the economy, advance patient-centered health care, and promote greater prosperity for all Americans. Working closely with our members, subcommittee leaders, and all our colleagues, the committee will do its part to move the country in a better direction.”

The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections has jurisdiction over wages and hours of workers, workers’ compensation, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, trade and immigration issues as they impact employers and workers; workers’ safety and health, and all matters related to equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment. 

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) voted today in favor of a resolution to move forward the process of repealing Obamacare.

Congressman Byrne noted that today’s vote was the first step in fulfilling an important promise made to the American people.

Byrne said: “Over the last few years, Republicans around the country have campaigned on repealing Obamacare and instead moving forward with patient-centered health care reforms that lower costs for American families. Today’s vote was an important first step in that process.

“It is important to remember that this will be a multi-step process, but Congress must act. Obamacare is imploding before our eyes. Premiums have skyrocketed, deductibles are unaffordable, and patients have fewer and fewer health care options. This process is about addressing those issues and bringing real relief to the American people.”

The resolution passed today instructs the relevant committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate to begin work on the Obamacare repeal legislation. The process, known as reconciliation, is necessary to overcome the 60 vote threshold in the Senate, where Republicans have only 52 seats. Bills moved through the reconciliation process must be budgetary in nature, but they only require a simple majority vote to pass in the Senate.

The resolution passed the Senate earlier this week and does not require the president’s signature. 

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, addressed the Surface Navy Association’s 29th Annual National Symposium today and stressed the importance of advocating for a larger fleet.

In his remarks, Byrne said: “I could stand up here all day and continue to explain why having a strong, capable fleet is so important, but you already know that. But are we spreading that message outside our sphere of influence? In Congress, I can tell you that not enough Members understand and respect the need for a larger, more capable fleet.

“It is easy to just talk to the people who know and agree with us, but we must reject that notion and spread our message to a larger audience. We need to broaden our outreach in order to have success in a complicated budgetary and political environment. This should matter to everyone because having a strong Navy is a key component of who we are as a nation.”

Byrne also shared his support for the Naval Surface Force strategy of “Distributed Lethality.”

Byrne said: “A larger Navy encompassing the correct compliment of capable ships disbursed globally changes the calculus for our adversaries.  Giving our Navy ‘Distributed Lethality’ poses a significant risk to our adversaries, unmatched by none.”

While at the Surface Navy Association Symposium, Congressman Byrne also visited the booths of companies with a presence on the Gulf Coast, including Austal USA, BAE Systems, and Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) issued the following statement applauding Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions’ testimony in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

Byrne said: “Senator Sessions’ ethical nature, dedication to public service, and commitment to the rule of law shined throughout his confirmation hearing today. He showed great poise and a deep understanding on a wide range of important issues. All the petty political attacks on his character fell flat, and Senator Sessions just further indicated why he is the perfect choice to lead the Justice Department.”

Byrne appeared on national television this morning to outline his strong support for Senator Sessions. Click here to watch Rep. Byrne’s interview. Byrne also defended Sessions’ record in a recent op-ed. 

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) is currently seeking applications for summer interns in both his Washington, D.C. and Mobile offices. Applicants should be current college students.

The application can be found online at Byrne.House.Gov, and deadline to apply is January 31, 2017.

Byrne said: “It is an honor to once again provide summer internships to students from Alabama. Congressional internships are an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience that allow students to see our nation’s legislative process firsthand. Just as important, the internships provide practical work experience that cannot be obtained in the classroom. I encourage all interested students to apply by January 31st.”

Intern responsibilities include answering phones, running errands, researching legislation for the Congressman and legislative staff, attending hearings and briefings, and answering constituent letters on various issues. As a result, interns learn about the legislative process and the many other functions of a congressional office.

More information on the internship program can be found by clicking here.

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 the world.  That is why support for Israel has always been a bipartisan priority shared by Democrats and Republicans.

While serving in Congress, I have had the opportunity to visit Israel on multiple occasions to meet with the leaders and discuss the relationship between our two countries.  During these trips, the Israeli people always share their deep appreciation for the partnership between our two countries, but they also make clear the fact they face very significant challenges.

For decades now, Israel has been in a long running dispute regarding its very right to exist. The dispute is complicated and deeply personal as it is based on religious, ethnic, and cultural ties. This struggle has resulted in multiple wars and placed Israel in a constant state of conflict.

Given the importance of the relationship between the United States and Israel and the sensitivities related to the ongoing conflict with the Palestinian Authority, I was deeply disappointed to see the United Nations (UN) recently pass a flawed, anti-Israel resolution that will only make it more difficult to achieve peace.

Since 1972, the United States has used our position as a UN Security Council member to veto 42 anti-Israel amendments. As the vote grew closer on this most recent resolution, the hope was that the United States would once again use our veto power.

Instead, the United States Ambassador “abstained” from the vote altogether. In other words, the United States turned our back and looked the other way as the UN passed a flawed resolution attacking Israel. This represents a dangerous break in a long-standing and bipartisan policy to protect our sole democratic ally in the region from one-sided resolutions at the UN.

This resolution does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying issues. In fact, it muddies the water and only further complicates what is already a very complex issue. The resolution also failed to make mention of the fact that Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, continues work with the Palestinian Authority and engage in hostile actions against Israel.

To be clear: no solution to the ongoing problems with Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going to come from an international body, like the United Nations, telling them what to do. Any real solution must come from negotiations between the involved parties.

Given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action should not be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous foreign policy legacy.

Last week, as one of the first actions in the new year, the House of Representatives passed a bill opposing the UN’s anti-Israel resolution and condemning the inability of the Obama Administration to stand up for Israel.

This wasn’t a one sided vote. In fact, 109 Democrats joined with 233 Republicans to pass the resolution with over 340 votes. This is a strong message to our friends in Israel that the United States still has their backs.

Now is the time to stand up for Israel, not turn away from them. It is my sincere hope and belief, that under President-elect Trump, the United States will once again stand arm-in-arm with Israel. This bipartisan resolution was an important step in that direction.

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) voted today in favor of House Resolution 11, which objects to the United Nations (UN) Security Resolution relating to Israel. The House resolution calls the UN action an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace.

House Resolution 11 passed on a bipartisan vote of 342 to 80.

Congressman Byrne, a stronger supporter of Israel, delivered a speech from the floor of the House of Representatives in support of the legislation.

Byrne said: “Honestly, given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action shouldn’t be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous legacy.

“Now is the time to be standing up for Israel, not turning away from them. It is my hope and my belief, that under President-elect Trump, the United States will once again stand arm in arm with Israel, and this resolution is an important step in that direction.”

A complete transcript of Congressman Byrne’s remarks can be found below.

Byrne said: “Mr. Speaker, there is no greater friend to the United States than Israel. Israel is a beacon of hope in a very dangerous part of the world. They are an important economic and military partner of the United States, and they play a critical role when it comes to fighting radical Islamic terrorism.

“Given the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, I was deeply disappointed to see the United Nations recently pass a flawed, anti-Israel resolution that will only make it more difficult to achieve peace in the Middle East.

“Even more disappointing was the fact the United States just stood by and did nothing as it happened. Instead of vetoing the resolution, the U.S. Ambassador “abstained” from voting at all.

“In other words, the United States turned our back and looked the other way as the UN passed a flawed resolution attacking Israel.  This represents a dangerous break in a long-standing and bipartisan policy to protect our sole democratic ally in the region from one-sided resolutions at the UN.

“And, let’s be clear: this resolution does absolutely nothing to make peace more likely in the region. Instead, it muddies the water and only further complicates what is already a very complex issue.

“No solution to the ongoing problems with Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going to come from an international body, like the United Nations, telling them what to do. Any real solution must come through negotiations between the involved parties.

“Honestly, given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action shouldn’t be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous legacy.

“By abstaining and allowing this resolution to pass, the Obama Administration has upset decades of bipartisan policy as it relates to Israel and put a pathway to peace even further out of reach.

“Now is the time to be standing up for Israel, not turning away from them. It is my hope and my belief, that under President-elect Trump, the United States will once again stand arm in arm with Israel, and this resolution is an important step in that direction.

“So, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this rule and the underlying legislation.”

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) today introduced House Joint Resolution 14, a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution.

The bill marks the first piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Byrne in the 115th Congress, which officially convened on January 3rd.

Byrne said: “I thought it was important and fitting for my first bill introduced in the 115th Congress to be a balanced budget amendment. With the national debt over $19 trillion dollars, it is no secret the federal government has serious spending issues, and I believe a balanced budget amendment is the best way to ensure responsible budgeting.

“Requiring balanced budgets is not a far flung idea. Already, most states are required to have a balanced budget, and families and small businesses face the challenge of living within their means every single day. The federal government should have to play by the same rules in order to restore fiscal sanity in Washington.”

If adopted by Congress and passed by three-fourths of state legislatures, Congressman Byrne’s constitutional amendment would force the federal government to live within its means. The major provisions of the proposed amendment require that:

• total outlays for any fiscal year do not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year,
• total outlays for any fiscal year do not exceed one-fifth of economic output of the United States, and
• the President submits a balanced budget proposal to Congress each year.

Byrne introduced a similar bill at the start of the 114th Congress in 2015.