Congressman Dale Strong, who represents Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District, provided a Washington Update to hundreds of members of the Huntsville community on August 19 at a luncheon held at the Von Braun Center. Strong was accompanied to Huntsville by his wife, Laura Strong.

The luncheon afforded Congressman Strong with the opportunity to report on the achievements and challenges of his first term, and to discuss his future plans.

Meta was the presenting sponsor for the event.

Sameer Singhal, Chair of the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce, opened the meeting by introducing local business leaders, dignitaries from Redstone Arsenal, and local and national elected officials.

The program began with a video presentation, in which Strong detailed a number of the accomplishments and priorities of his first year and a half as a congressman.

“My job is to try to make your lives more predictable, from reducing regulatory burdens that choke American businesses, to representing our region through the annual defense bill and appropriations process. My staff and I are committed to making Washington work for you,” said Strong in the prerecorded video.

In an effort to hear directly from his constituents, Strong has held thirty “mobile office hours” across rural parts of the Fifth Congressional District; seven of these events were held here in Madison County.

“Since I’ve gotten to D.C., I’ve scored huge wins for North Alabama and brought hundreds of millions of dollars back home. I secured $18.5 million in last year’s appropriations bill to improve local infrastructure and ensure our law enforcement officers are equipped to protect our communities,” stated Strong.

Much of the video enumerated Strong’s financial wins for the district.

“The Fifth District has been awarded over $159 million in federal grants,” Strong said. “And to top it off, last year’s NDAA authorized over $500 million for research, development, and the continued improvements of North Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal.”

The upcoming presidential election was referenced several times throughout Strong’s video, as he took swipes at the record of the Biden Administration.

Strong praised bipartisan support of the House passage of H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), which will give a 19.5% pay bump to junior enlisted.

He also cheered successes made in the aerospace industry.

“Last year, NASA’s historical Test Stand 4670 roared back to life after 25 years of sitting empty. Last month, the House Science and Technology Committee passed a NASA Reauthorization Bill, marking a significant step forward for our space programs and community in North Alabama,” said Strong.

Artemis missions will be aimed at returning astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years, before setting sights on the journey to Mars.

Strong identified an absence of security along the nation’s southern border as one of the major challenges facing our nation. He believes that the U.S. should employ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) in service of responding to national security threats.

Following the video presentation, Steve Johnson — recently retired WHNT Channel 19 morning anchor — conducted a question and answer style interview with Strong.

Johnson put questions to Strong regarding the landscape of working in D.C., the impact of federal money on Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District, and key issues facing the community.

Strong stated that he is confident that the district will continue to be the recipient of federal funds as there is a direct relationship between the labor done in this area and the safety of the warfighter.

“The people in Washington, D.C. know who we are,” said Strong.

Strong believes that bringing fellow members of Congress — and their respective staffs — to Huntsville to see, firsthand, what the area’s labor force accomplishes is one of the keys to his success in getting votes for legislation that will be a boon to the area.

“When I’m trying to get votes to make things happen in our community, there’s nothing like having a staff member that has been here and has seen it,” stated Strong.

The congressman said that he is very pleased with the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center.

Johnson asked Strong if he believes there are any threats facing Marshall.

“I think the days ahead are bright,” said Strong. “The biggest problem I see is the $35 trillion [federal] debt. That is a concern for me, and it’s a concern for many members of Congress. There were monies that were spent in previous Congresses that just got off the hook and what we’ve got to do is reel it in. But I don’t believe it should be done through making cuts to the exploration of space.”

When Johnson asked Strong what his highest priority is while in office, Strong had a ready response.

“National security. That’s it. That’s why I ran,” stated Strong emphatically.

Strong stressed again that he views the southern border of the U.S. as the place where a consequential contest for national security takes place. He is especially concerned with the trafficking of fentanyl across the border with Mexico. Strong reemphasized his view that drones should be used to combat the illegal drug trade.

The cartels have seventeen drones for every drone that the U.S. Border Security is flying, Strong claimed.

Strong believes the state’s Fifth Congressional District holds the technical skills and expertise to become involved in practices that would thwart cartels’ usage of drones.

The congressman closed his remarks with an anecdote about successfully working across partisan lines.

Strong introduced legislation entitled “Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act.” If passed, the bill would forbid foreign adversaries “from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States.”

One of Strong’s key allies in this push was Congressman John Garamendi, a Democrat from California. Garamendi brought 26 Democratic votes with him.

Speaker McCarthy asked Strong how he was able to get Garamendi, and 26 other Democrats, to support his legislation.

“I said, ‘I talked to them.’ We talked to them and it made a difference,” said Strong to applause.