Federal Agenda 2022 HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER, ALABAMA TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ALABAMA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND THEIR STAFF: We are grateful to the members of the Alabama Congressional delegation for their leadership on the issues critical to our Nation’s defense and space policies, especially those affecting the Huntsville/Madison County region. With your support, our region continues to prosper as a science and technology powerhouse. We are confident that the Air Force made the correct decision to locate the permanent U.S. Space Command HQ at Redstone based on their evaluation of the merits of the potential sites. Continued vigilance is required to maintain the integrity of the site selection process and to ensure that the decision is not altered based on political pressures. Our Federally focused business community functions best with predictable and dependable funding for federal programs. We request that our members vigorously support efforts to pass appropriations bills in a timely manner thus avoiding the prospect of continuing resolutions, which drive up program costs and adversely impact schedule delivery. We encourage Congress to support full funding for our Nation’s space exploration programs and defense programs, especially U.S. Army modernization programs. We urge Congress to continue its efforts to increase, across the board, overall funding for science and technology and advanced research and development for defense, justice and aerospace, programs. Implementing a responsible and transparent method of Congressionally directed appropriations (earmarks), would restore the Constitutional “power of the purse,” bring more lawmakers to the negotiating table, and make federal spending more responsive to the taxpayers’ needs. During the COVID crisis, federal contractors have had limited access to federal facilities. Rather than idle this critical workforce, Congress incorporated Section 3610 into the CARES Act, allowing for federal agencies to use their funds to reimburse contractors’ employees who are unable to access the worksites and unable to telework during the pandemic. We urge Congress to extend this authorization until such time that all contractors have full access restored to federal facilities. The Chamber requests the Delegation to indefinitely extend authorities granted by Section 1109 of the 2016 NDAA entitled “Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) Pilot Program on Dynamic Shaping of the Workforce,” that are currently set to expire at the end of 2023. These authorities provide STRLs, such as AvMC, with the ability to continually shape their personnel systems to meet their needs in attracting and retaining exceptional talent in today’s competitive economy. We also request that the Delegation would support reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs. These programs are the Nation’s largest source of early stage/high risk funding for start-ups and small businesses engaged in cutting edge research and technology development. Huntsville/Madison County has prided itself with its proactive approach to infrastructure development. Average local commute times are a fraction of those in other peer cities. Continued burgeoning economic expansion however will challenge our existing infrastructure’s capacity and our ability to accommodate further growth. Investments now in key infrastructure including new and improved roads, upgraded air service and airport facilities and enhanced workforce development will be critical. One critical project would add additional capacity to the I-565 Interchange with U.S. Highway 231. This Agenda summarizes the most critical federal issues facing our region. Additional information regarding these issues and a number of other important federal programs and issues that have significant local and national impact is included in an accompanying Issues Book.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO ON OUR BEHALF, THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER