Britt making rescheduled visit for Washington Update

HUNTSVILLE — U.S. Sen. Katie Britt was slated to speak at the annual Washington Update breakfast on the first day of March, but duties in the nation’s capitol caused her to reschedule.

The Republican junior senator from Montgomery will headline the gathering next week at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce event is March 19 at 8 a.m., but is already sold out.

On the heels of current events involving Britt, this visit is more intriguing than it would have been on the original date.

For the uninitiated, Britt gave the GOP rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address last week on national television, and her appearance drew criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. Sketch comedy staple “Saturday Night Live” parodied her speech over the weekend with Scarlett Johansson as Britt.

On Friday, Britt helped secure funding for several military-related projects in the state, including more than $173 million for Redstone Arsenal.

The appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 directly earmarks more than $786 million for critical Alabama priorities, of which, more than $232 million is for strategic, targeted investments across the state.

“I am proud to support these major victories for Alabama’s military installations, veterans, family farmers, incredible law enforcement, infrastructure, economic development, and local communities,” Britt said in a statement.

The Redstone Arsenal projects ($25.3 million) are:

• Airport Runway Extension (overruns) – $5.5 million. Construct an overrun on the north and south end of runway to support Redstone Arsenal Airfield’s multiple DOD and DOJ missions.
• Airfield Fire and Rescue Station – $5.6 million. To provide a three company Airfield Fire and Rescue Station.
• Access Control Building – $4 million. To build an access control building to support Redstone Arsenal.
• Natural Gas Expansion and Meter Station – $4.8 million. Build and update the gas meter stations on Redstone.
• Test Area 7 Relocation – $ 5.4 million. Funds to relocate Test Area 7 on Redstone

Also, $147.975 million has been appropriated for ground test facility infrastructure on Redstone Arsenal.

Britt serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations; the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Development; and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

Britt, who replaced Richard Shelby in the Senate, is the first woman to be elected to that chamber in Alabama. She is also the youngest member of the Senate.