Strong secures wins for North Alabama in 2024

WASHINGTON — As the 118^th Congress comes to an end, U.S. Rep. Dale W. Strong released the following update on his work for North Alabamians in Congress this year:

“When the people of North Alabama sent me to Congress, I knew I wanted to focus on reforming how Washington does business for people,” said Strong (R-Monrovia). “I am proud that my office has assisted nearly 1,200 constituents this year with various issues like delayed tax returns, VA claim denials, and ensuring folks receive the Social Security benefits they’ve earned.

“I have also put forward a legislative agenda that supports American veterans and seniors, secures our borders, and protects our homeland, and strives to make our federal government smaller and more efficient.”

CONSTITUENT SERVICES

• 1,172 constituents were served through casework ranging from expedited passports, VA benefits, tax returns, social security benefits, and many other casework issues constituents have had with federal agencies.
• Over $3.01 million in constituent benefits was secured and returned to the district by my office.
• 19,634 individual response letters were mailed to constituents regarding comments sent to my office.
• 752 visits were made across the district to meet with small businesses, manufacturing plants, organizations, constituents, and elected officials.
• 20 mobile office hour events were held in communities across North Alabama, including Woodville, Eva, Elkmont, and Triana. Be on the lookout for mobile office hours in 2025.

KEY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

• Redivision Northern District of Alabama – H.R. 7177 – Signed into Law
  A bipartisan bill to improve the organization of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. It redraws divisional boundaries and assigns counties to divisions with the closest courthouse.
• DHS Biodetection Improvement Act – H.R. 6174 – Passed the House
  Would bolster U.S. biodefense by ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is positioned to combat bioterrorism threats.
• SHIELD Against CCP Act – H.R. 9668 – Passed the House
  Would establish a dedicated DHS working group to counter threats from China. Specifically, it would require the group to examine, assess, and report on the spectrum of nontraditional tactics employed by the Chinese and the efforts of DHS to counter these malign activities.
• National Training Center for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act – H.R. 8590
  Would establish a dedicated counter-UAS training program to train authorized personnel to operate counter-UAS detection and mitigation systems, equipment, or technology on measures to address a credible threat that a UAS poses to the safety or security of a covered facility or asset.
• Deport Illegal Voters Act of 2024 – H.R. 10081
  Would expedite the removal of aliens convicted of voting illegally by adding unlawful voting to the defined list of aggravated felonies under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and provide for the expedited deportation of convicted individuals.
• Small Modular Reactor Demonstration Act of 2024 – H.R. 9710
  Would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to support a program to advance the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and micro-reactors in the U.S.
• SPACEPORT Act – H.R. 10464
  The Spaceport Project Opportunities for Resilient Transportation (SPACEPORT) Act would modernize the Federal Aviation Administration’s Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching grants program to address the increased demand for civil, commercial, and national security space launch and reentry activities.
• SERVICE Act of 2024 – H.R. 8140
  The Supporting Every At-Risk Veteran In Critical Emergencies (SERVICE) Act would establish a pilot program to allow local law enforcement agencies to use the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to establish dedicated ‘Veterans Response Teams’ to respond to emergency calls involving veterans in crisis.