CULLMAN RESIDENT CREATES AN ORNAMENT FOR A WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS TREE WASHINGTON, D.C. – A constituent of Congressman Robert Aderholt was recognized for her Holiday artwork at the White House today at the public unveiling of the White House Christmas Tree Ornament decorations. Mona Ivey's Ornament was chosen in November to represent Alabama's Fourth Congressional District and be a part of the decorations for the official White House Christmas Trees, and today the ornament made its debut along with other ornaments representing the patriotic spirit of our nation's states, districts, and territories. Mona Ivey is the Art Instructor at West Point High School and St. Bernard High School in Cullman, AL. Earlier this year, three of Ivey's art students at St. Bernard Preparatory School were also honored with two first place finishes and one second place finish in the Congressional Art Competition. Every year the White House solicits ornaments from every state in the country. Ivey's Ornament will be on display on the Christmas Tree in the Blue Room of the White House. For the past 8 years, First Lady Laura Bush has asked members of Congress to pick artists to decorate ornaments for the White House tree to showcase all 435 congressional districts. The 370 artists who submitted ornaments were invited to a reception at the White House on Tuesday to see their ornaments sparkling on a cluster of trees on the White House lawn. In addition, Mrs. Laura Bush announced the 2008 White House holiday theme today: "A Red, White and Blue Christmas". The White House encouraged the artists to have the freedom to produce what they wanted within the theme of red, white and blue This year, President and Mrs. Bush will welcome more than 60,000 visitors to the White House to tour the holiday decorations. ###

Rep. Aderhot Op-Ed: We Have Much For Which To Be Thankful, Even In Days Like These Thursday, November 27, 2008 This Thanksgiving, I can't help but be thankful for so many things about our great country. You may be asking, "Isn't our country facing its worst economic recession in decades? How can you be so thankful?" Well, the answer may be "yes" to this question, but I can't help but remain positive on this Thanksgiving because of how blessed America really is. There is no question that we are all being impacted by the state of our economy, but I remain pleased that the state of Alabama has not been as negatively impacted in comparison to the rest of the country. Earlier this fall, an FDIC manager told a group of realtors and bankers during a Coastal Economy Outlook conference in Mobile that Alabama's financial and real-estate markets were doing better than most of the country, even adding 3,300 jobs. No doubt we have problems in our state on the economic front, as all states do. However, when I talk to my fellow Representatives from other states, I am reminded that we do have much to be thankful for. My heart goes out to employees of the "Big 3" U.S. automakers and the entire automobile industry because of the uncertainty we hear about in the news. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler may be in a tough situation but I'm confident that the United States of America can rebound from this economic downturn with the same ingenuity, work ethic and innovation that jumpstarted the technology burst of the 1980's and 90's. I was pleased with the response from Congress by not promising anything to the "The Big 3" executives who flew in to Washington to ask for a bailout last week. I fear that without real changes at these companies, we would be delaying the inevitable. These automakers must come to Congress with a specific plan on how they will do things differently if they expect any help from Congress. In relation to possible legislation that would provide aid to U.S. automakers, I hope that we take our time and consider all possible alternatives to protect hard-working taxpayers' money, while not just providing a multi-billion dollar band-aid to a problem that more money simply cannot fix. I voted in opposition to the first financial industry bailout in October because it became increasingly clear to me that there were other ways to address the instability in the markets, not to mention that the American people thought it outrageous for Congress to support a bailout at the taxpayers' expense. Many of us were disappointed at the result of that vote because of a foundational governing belief of limited government, but I remain positive that Alabamians still have many reasons to be thankful for as our economy experiences some growth and stability amid national downturn. As E.P. Powell once said, "Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude." In the midst of all the negative that surrounds us, let us take a moment to consider our many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving! ###

CONGRESSMAN ADERHOLT WELCOMES SECRETARY OF THE ARMY TO REDSTONE ARSENAL WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) today welcomed the Secretary of the United States Army, the honorable Pete Geren, to Redstone Arsenal for his first visit to the North Alabama Army base as Secretary. The Secretary's visit to Redstone Arsenal was at the invitation of Congressman Aderholt for the purpose of briefings on base operations and the realignment process. Throughout the day, Mr. Geren and Congressman Aderholt took part in a working lunch with Arsenal Commanders, participated in a special coin presentation to Redstone Arsenal employees, and joined Arsenal leadership in Community Outreach. The Secretary also met with leadership of the Redstone's Army Aviation and Missile Command and took part in an aerial tour of the entire military base. "I'm tremendously honored that the Secretary accepted my invitation to visit Redstone Arsenal so that he could observe the base realignment process firsthand," said Congressman Aderholt. "I am confident that the Secretary was pleased with the facilities and the professional workforce that make Redstone Arsenal a great United States military installation. "I believe that continuing funding for Redstone Arsenal and the next generation of missile defense, such as the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program, is absolutely crucial to our national defense and I remain committed to providing the necessary support to Secretary Geren so that he can provide the best defense service to our nation." Congressman Aderholt, who will be Alabama's second longest serving House member when Rep. Everett and Rep. Cramer retire in January, has helped secure millions of dollars in funding for missile defense and Redstone Arsenal since being elected in 1996. The Redstone Arsenal Army Base sits on the Northern border of the District that Congressman Aderholt represents and hundreds of Aderholt's constituents work and commute to the Arsenal everyday. Over the last decade, Rep. Aderholt has worked very closely with Senator Shelby and Senator Sessions on securing the needed funds for Military base infrastructure as a member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. ###

Gadsden Times: Aderholt wins seventh term in Congress Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Republican U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt of Haleyville won a seventh term today representing Alabama's 4th Congressional District. Aderholt easily defeated Jasper attorney Nick Sparks to win re-election in a district that stretches across north Alabama. The victory will make Aderholt Alabama's second-longest serving House member behind Rep. Spencer Bachus of Birmingham. With 410 of 474 precincts reporting, Aderholt had 167,139 votes, or 76 percent, to Sparks 52,061 votes, or 24 percent. The 43-year-old Aderholt moved the 4th District into GOP hands in 1996 after the retirement of a longtime Democratic power, Rep. Tom Bevill. Sparks was making his first race for political office. "I'm very fortunate, I'm very thankful for the votes I got," Aderholt said tonight from an election watch party in Guntersville. "I take every election seriously and I know that I have no guarantee, going on Election Day I'm always a little bit nervous," Aderholt said. Aderholt said he had felt good about the election but "until you see those returns coming in you never know."

ADERHOLT ANNOUNCES CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CONTENT TO BE ADDED TO THE NEW CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER WASHINGTON – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) announces that the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee have agreed to include references to our nation's Christian heritage in the new Capitol Visitor Center, scheduled to open in December 2008. The addition comes in response to a letter that Congressman Aderholt and over 100 Members of Congress sent to the Architect of the Capitol expressing their concerns with inaccurate and incomplete historical religious content in the Capitol Visitor Center, including omission of the current national motto "In God We Trust", factual inaccuracies regarding Capitol church services, and the exclusion of the reference to "religion, morality, and knowledge" in the Northwest Ordinance. "The Capitol Visitor Center tells the story about how our Nation was founded and I feel that it's important that the Capitol's nearly 3 million annual visitors see that America's Christian history is an important part of our Nation's story," said Aderholt. "I am very pleased that the Committee on House Administration and Senate Rules Committee have acknowledged this important part of our nation's history." Rep. Aderholt welcomes dozens of visitors per month from North Alabama to the Capitol during the Fall and Winter seasons, and hundreds per month during the Spring and Summer seasons. Beginning in December, all visitors who participate in a Capitol tour will be escorted through the new Capitol Visitors Center. Among the additions recommended by Rep. Aderholt and the Congressional Prayer Caucus, the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee have agreed to include the engraving of "In God We Trust" in stone in a prominent location within the Capitol Visitor Center, and the proper acknowledgement that it is our national motto. The Congressional Prayer Caucus was formed in 2005 for the purpose of encouraging prayer for America's leaders and the legislation they face. ###

CONGRESSMAN ROBERT ADERHOLT WINS PRO-FAMILY, PRO-LIFE AWARD WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) has been recognized as a "True Blue" Member of Congress by FRC Action and Focus on the Family Action for his unwavering commitment to the family. The award honors Members of Congress who have exhibited extraordinary leadership and commitment to the defense of family, faith, and freedom, according to FRC Action's scorecard covering House and Senate votes of the 110th Congress. Recipients of the award voted consistently for pro-life and pro-family issues. FRC Action and Focus on the Family Action based this award on votes that include pro-family legislation, such as defending restrictions on funding international abortion groups, protection of abstinence programs and HIV/AIDs prevention, and other conservative family votes. "The Members of the 110th Congress who received this award have been consistent, stalwart allies of American families," said FRC Action President Tony Perkins. "These Members are to be commended for supporting public policy that values human life, protects our religious liberties, and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family." Perkins continued, "I applaud these Members for defending pro-family and pro-life policies that have been under attack this past year. Values voters should be encouraged by these Members who have shown a commitment to protecting and strengthening the family." FRC Action is the Legislative Action Arm of the Family Research Council. Focus on the Family Action is a cultural action organization that aims to provide a platform for informing, inspiring and rallying those who care deeply about the family to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our nation. ###

Roll Call Newspaper: Hill Climbers: Football Fever By Casey Hynes Roll Call Staff October 1, 2008 DJ JORDAN The excitement of the election season isn't lost on the communications director for Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.). But as a former sports reporter, Darrell "D.J." Jordan can't help but long for the days when he was part of a different kind of action, when he would spend the fall covering his beloved Washington Redskins. "I got to go to Redskins practices and games," he said of his days as a reporter. "I got to meet a lot of the players I had been following for so long." He admits that he does miss it sometimes. "That'll kind of fade away," though, he said. "It's way more exciting to be involved in politics, especially this year." He should be well-practiced by now — he turned from sports to news reporting in 2003. He worked for the Washington bureaus of Fox News and CNN before making the switch to politics. He's been living in the D.C. metropolitan area since 2001, and the lure of politics and policy eventually overshadowed his love of sports. "I love the pace and significance of Washington," he said. "Washington is arguably the most important city in the world." Jordan left his job as an assignment desk editor at Fox to become Aderholt's communications director in early July. He got a fast introduction to politics at the Republican National Convention in early September. He recalled "the electricity in the air" during Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech when she accepted the vice presidential nomination, and the enthusiasm Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) garnered when he officially became the GOP's presidential candidate. "It was pretty incredible to see so many people energized for the candidate," Jordan said. At 30, Jordan is a "self-professed old man" who owns a minivan, enjoys reading the newspaper front to back when he has downtime and likes to go to bed before 11 p.m. Of course, as the married father of three young sons, he probably needs all the sleep he can get. MARK BIESZKA Mark Bieszka also joined Aderholt's office in July, working as a staff assistant to the Alabama Congressman. Bieszka learned early on to be self-sufficient. His parents divorced when he was young, and he took the term "man of the house" to heart. He is a handy repairman around the house and can sew his own clothes, a skill he learned in home economics class in junior high school. "Growing up, my mom, brother and I really didn't have the means to afford a repair guy when things broke," he recalled. "We were living in the original farmhouse in the area, so a lot would go wrong. If something broke, I figured out how to fix it, and if I couldn't figure it out, I would call my uncles, or my dad as to how to fix it. I simply learned as I went." He is proud of this talent and says it is one avenue through which he can be creative. "I do that in a very manly way, with woodworking and designing," he said. Bieszka, 24, graduated from Indiana University with a degree in biochemistry in 2006. After spending the summer in Washington as part of a leadership program, he decided to stick around. "I love the people, the culture, and I sensed the Lord directing me to stay, and the opportunity presented itself," Bieszka said of his decision. He turns to his faith when making any big decision, and this one was no different. "I figure if God is creator and sustainer of this world, then he's probably got the best advice on how to navi