This week marks the one-year anniversary of my swearing-in in the United States Senate, completing a whirlwind 12 months on behalf of the people of Alabama. That my team and I hit the ground running from day one and worked diligently to not only deliver real results for our state, but to lead the fight to uphold the fundamental principles of faith, family, and family. I'm proud. freedom.

I have never forgotten that the Senate seat I currently occupy does not belong to one person, but to the people of Alabama. I do not take lightly the responsibility that the people of Alabama have entrusted to me. I wake up every day determined to do the right thing by following the hardworking men and women who sent me here to fight for the people, values, and interests of our state. That means actually rolling up our sleeves, sitting across the table from our colleagues, and doing the hard work of enacting substantive solutions that truly get our country back on track.

Much of this research won't grab headlines or spread on social media, but it's absolutely critical to the daily lives of Alabamians and the future of this country. My team and I have been working carefully behind the scenes to solve complex problems and support Alabamians. In 2023, we sent more than 61,000 communications to voters answering their questions and addressing their priorities, and assisted thousands of Alabamians with casework involving federal agencies.

This year has also been busy with legislative issues. From protecting children on social media, to ensuring mental health services are available to all Alabamians, to expanding educational freedoms to holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable, to protecting American farmland and critical industries, Sponsored or co-sponsored nearly 200 bills ranging from protections for. They are pushing back against rampant overregulation that threatens Alabamians' ability to access banking services. We have already been able to pass several bills on the Senate floor, and we continue to work every day to move the ball on the ground on a number of important priorities.

There is no more pressing issue for the safety and well-being of our families and communities than the current national security, humanitarian, and economic crisis at our southern border. In my first two months in office, I went to the border three times. Because we believe it is important to see and learn first-hand from situations on the ground in order to truly understand problems and develop and promote effective and powerful policy solutions.

For the past three years, we have shattered and shattered every relevant record on our books. The crisis continues to worsen, with the number of encounters with people crossing the border illegally on track to exceed 10 million by the end of President Biden's term. Approximately 300,000 illegal encounters occurred in December, significantly exceeding the previous record of approximately 270,000 in September. Perhaps most alarmingly, our nation is approaching 2 million known escapes under the Biden administration. We don't know who these people are, where they are, where they are going, or what their intentions are.

We cannot allow this crisis to continue. We must take strong action now to secure our borders and enforce our laws throughout our homeland's interior. He introduced three bills and co-sponsored more than a dozen more to make this happen. And I'm fighting to get Senate Democrats to wake up and join their Republican colleagues in doing what it takes to protect America.

But our legitimate sense of crisis must not lead us to rush into wrong actions that will not end the crisis. A Band-Aid that simply covers the problem with paper is no solution at all. That's why, as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I have led my colleagues to oppose the Biden administration's efforts to fund inflammatory policies that will only incite and encourage further mass immigration. It is. This crisis will continue to intensify until we reverse President Biden's disastrous policies, crack down on asylum abuses, end blanket parole, end capture and release, and actually encourage the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants. Dew.

Of course, national security threats at our borders cannot be viewed in isolation.

Our enemies, whether communist China, Iran (and its terrorist proxies), Russia, or North Korea, continue to escalate their aggression, emboldened by the current regime's consistent pattern of appeasement and cowardice. . This is a generationally dangerous moment in our nation's history, and I continue to support a return to peace through force to keep Americans safe at home and abroad. This year, I was proud to support legislation that will ensure our men and women in uniform have access to the best equipment, resources, and training in the world.

The challenges we have faced over the past year go beyond physical threats and foreign adversaries. All of Alabama's hard-working families are struggling with the consequences of Bidennomics (tax and spending policies that siphon more money from taxpayer pockets to fuel inflation and fund far-left partisan pet projects). We are facing a crisis in our diet. Just last week, the national debt exceeded $34 trillion for the first time. That's why one of my top priorities as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee is to restore the appropriations process to full regular order for the first time since the 1990s, so we can truly tackle waste in government spending. , we can stop accumulating immoral and irresponsible burdens. About our children and our children's children.

I strongly believe that every penny of taxpayers' hard-earned money should be spent responsibly, carefully and transparently. This is why I have worked tirelessly to return as much money as possible to Alabama instead of it being spent on the Pelosi project in California or the Schumer feature in New York. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I was proud that last year he was able to secure more than $1.2 billion in strategic investments for Alabama. These include projects at military bases in Alabama, critical improvements to local roads and waterways, and addressing critical needs such as expanding ambulance coverage in rural Alabama.

The first 12 months were fruitful. But we're just getting started.

When I took the oath of office on a cold January morning a year ago, I was filled with not only pride but great hope for the future. Although 2023 has had its fair share of crises, I still believe that as long as we keep fighting, the best days are ahead for our state and nation.

As President Reagan said, “The future belongs not to the faint of heart, but to the brave.”

I wish all Alabamians a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2024. Let's tackle the challenges and opportunities we face head-on.