Federal Agenda 2024 HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNT Y CHAMBER, AL ABAMA
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ALABAMA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND THEIR STAFF: Thank you to the members of the Alabama Congressional delegation for your leadership on the issues that are critical to secure the United States’ role as a global leader in space exploration and national defense, especially those issues affecting the Huntsville/Madison County region. With your support, our region continues to prosper as a science and technology powerhouse. Our federally focused business community functions best with predictable and dependable funding for federal programs. As such, we urge congress to vigorously support timely passage of appropriation bills to avoid the detrimental impacts of continuing resolution on federal programs and the north Alabama economy; to continue efforts to increase overall funding for science and technology and advanced research and development for defense, justice, and aerospace programs; and to continue implementation of a fiscally responsible and transparent method of congressionally directed appropriations (earmarks) to maximize benefit to the north Alabama economy. Ongoing partnerships between the companies in north Alabama and the federal organizations are critical to the economic health of the region and are dependent on the timely and efficient contractual operations that facilitate these partnerships. Recent interpretation and implementation guidance of 10 U.S.C. § 3133 limits contract flexibility required to effectively execute RDTE funded activities. As such, we urge Congress to explore the rational for this recent change of opinion to ensure congressional intent of statutory authority granted is being met. The health of the north Alabama economy and future growth of this region are dependent on the continued health of the federal organizations resident on Redstone Arsenal and the advancement of the programs under their purview. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a recognized 60-year heritage in human spaceflight and exploration and remains a foundational pillar to the north Alabama economy through its investments in RDTE and production activities associated with several programs critical to our nations worldwide leadership in Space. Similarly, Army procurement organizations (PEO Aviation and PEO Missiles & Space) have oversight of critical Army modernization programs that will ensure U.S. leadership in rotary wing and unmanned aviation and air and missile defense, respectively. Some of the Nation’s leading RDT&E organizations are also resident on Redstone Arsenal and are working to advance the state of the art in unmanned systems, rotary wing aviation, directed energy and many other disciplines. Huntsville’s HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology leads the world in bioscience research and development and has secured north Alabama as an incubator of innovation in this evolving field. We offer comprehensive insight into the key programs requiring congressional attention and recommendations on how Congress might weigh in to ensure advancement of these programs. As our lives – and the world in general – become more digitally dependent, cybersecurity and resilience lies at the heart of U.S. weapon system effectiveness, infrastructure integrity, and personal vulnerability. We offer a comprehensive look at cybersecurity threats and proposed congressional support actions in the Chamber’s Issues Book, which accompanies this Federal Agenda. This input describes key cyber resilience efforts on U.S. Army weapons platforms being performed at Redstone Arsenal with our regional industry partners. These requirements cross all platforms, commands, and federal agencies. Fortunately, Huntsville and Redstone offer a robust approach to address these concerns, starting with programs at our Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) and U.S Cyber Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, through partnerships with local universities, local industry, and extensive interaction with Redstone tenants including AMC, PEO Missiles & Space, PEO Aviation, the Futures Command’s Aviation & Missile Center, the Army’s Space & Missile Defense Command, the Missile Defense Agency, NASA, and the FBI. The continued growth of Huntsville and Madison County necessitates significant investments in our road infrastructure. While the area’s issues with traffic remain far below the levels experienced by other growing cities in the southeastern region, major upgrades to federal routes in the area will be necessary to keep the flow of traffic manageable for local commuters, including the many thousands of workers who drive to Redstone Arsenal each day. Local leaders are entering into an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to expedite the construction of seven major projects, all of which involve or connect to federal highways and interstates. Every effort made by our congressional delegation to help procure funds for these projects will improve the lives of citizens across north Alabama. We greatly appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Alabama Congressional Delegation to defend the Air Force criteria-based selection of Redstone as the preferred site for SPACECOM and any investigations related to that decision being politically changed. 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