By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Monday, November 10 U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R from Montgomery) received the “Minuteman of the Year” award from the Alabama Reserve Officers Association as part of National Veterans Day observances in Birmingham on Monday and Tuesday.
The award was presented at the annual National Veterans Day banquet in Birmingham at the Downtown Sheraton Hotel on Monday night.
The “Minuteman of the Year” Award is given to those who demonstrate distinguished leadership on issues affecting the military and national defense. Recent recipients have included U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R from Alabama), former Alabama Governor Bob Riley (R), and Major General James Stewart, the former commander of the Alabama based 908th Airlift Wing. Representative Roby is the first woman to ever receive the honor.
During her four years in the U.S. House Representative Roby been involved in numerous defense related issues and has emerged as a strong advocate for the military, both from a national perspective and locally within in her district, which includes Maxwell Air Force Base and Fort Rucker.
Rep. Roby defied her own party and opposed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which disproportionately reduced military funding and put into motion the automatic, recurring cuts known as sequestration. Rep. Roby believe that a properly-funded military is vital to our national security and has continually advocated for spending reforms that prevent “auto-pilot” government spending programs, including entitlements, from consuming a greater and greater share of the federal budget.
While she was the Chairman of the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Rep. Roby led the investigation into the military’s activities surrounding the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.
Recently Rep. Roby worked to expose major instances of misconduct, fraud and cover-up within the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) in Montgomery and demanded that CAVHCS director Talton be fired for his role in presiding over and covering up malfeasance at CAVHCS. Just last month he became the first VA official fired under new accountability measures in the recent VA reform law, legislation which Rep. Roby advocated and voted for.
Congresswoman Roby is nearing the conclusion of her second term representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Voters in Alabama’s Second Congressional District reelected Martha Roby to a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 4.
Rep. Roby said in a statement thanking the voters for allowing her to continue working on their behalf in Congress, “It has been my great honor to serve the people of Alabama in Congress these last four years, and I am grateful to have your support once again.”
Rep. Roby has fought against devastating defense cuts and has worked to expose widespread misconduct at CAVHCS in order to clean up the system and get veterans the proper care they were promised. Rep. Roby said, “Fighting to help the people I represent comes natural to me. My office has focused on getting results on behalf of the people I represent, and that will remain my focus going forward.”
The American people awarded Republicans control of the U.S Senate, an increased majority in the House and most of the Governor’s offices in the country on Tuesday. Rep. Roby said, “This is an historic election. I hope the results will make it clear that the status quo in Washington is unacceptable. The time for politics is over. It’s time for responsible governing. Elected leaders must return to Washington ready to listen to the people, uphold the Constitution, and govern responsibly. I will strive to do just that in the new Congress.”
Rep. Roby was first elected to Congress in 2010. Prior to her service in the Congress, Roby was an attorney and a Montgomery City Council woman.
