U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) says Alabama is on the cusp of delivering a sixth Republican congressional seat, and with it, potentially the U.S. House majority itself.

“Getting one seat in November, this November, we don’t have to wait two years, could decide the majority for the Republicans,” Aderholt said today on “The Rightside” in partnership with Yellowhammer News, hosted by Allison Sinclair and Amie Beth Shaver.

“So that’s very appealing,” he added.

Aderholt predicted a return to the congressional map drawn and approved by the Alabama Legislature in 2023, before the federal courts stepped in and forced a redraw.

If the U.S. Supreme Court lifts the injunction barring Alabama from altering its congressional map before 2030, the state would go back to the one approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor that year.

The 2023 map essentially creates six Republican districts and one Democratic district.

The Alabama Legislature passed both chambers’ redistricting bills Wednesday as the special session continues in Montgomery.

Aderholt referenced the “Livingston map,” the Legislature’s 2023-approved plan in namesake of State Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro), arguing it was consistent with the Supreme Court’s recent direction that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing district lines.

“It would not put a second minority district, per se, but it would give opportunities for everybody in the state of Alabama to have equal opportunity to be elected to Congress, whether they’re black or whether white,” Aderholt said.

Some have called for state lawmakers to a map that would make all seven districts Republican-leaning, but Aderholt explained the issues with going down that route.

“There are some proposals out there to try to do a what is called a true 7-0 map where there’s no chance that a Democrat could be elected in any of the congressional districts…and there is some down there that are afraid that if you do away with that one, in addition to doing away with the new district that was drawn where Shomari Figures is that, that would be an overreach, and the court would put everything on hold, and we couldn’t do we couldn’t even get the additional seat until the court order, a different court order came through, and who knows when that would be.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee

FORT CHAFFEE JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ark., — Four Arkansas Army National Guard Soldiers were recognized here, May 7, 2026, for their heroic efforts to preserve a Soldier’s life after a May 4 vehicle mishap that injured eight Soldiers.

The Soldiers, who were on duty for annual training, jumped into action after three Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks were involved in a mishap. The first two trucks in the convoy stopped, but the third 10-ton tactical heavy transport truck was unable to stop and veered left to miss but collided with the rear of the middle truck. Each of the four Soldiers were awarded Meritorious Service Medals for their actions in the aftermath of the mishap.

“We’re going to recognize these NCOs,” Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas’ adjutant general told an assembled platoon of Soldiers, civic leaders, and news media. “The first stanza of the Noncommissioned Officer Creed is ‘No one is more professional than I.’ And whether they responded on scene or in the helicopter, they were being a noncommissioned officer, and supporting Soldiers, and doing their duty, and doing it in a professional, distinctive way, and giving of themselves to get the mission accomplished and to take care of each other, and to make things better.

Three of the Soldiers: Sgt. Eduardo Salazar, Staff Sgt. Ryan Niblett, and Staff Sgt. Jorge Ramirez assigned to 936th Forward Support Co., 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, provided immediate care and aid to a seriously injured Soldier who was extricated with the help of local first responders using the jaws of life. Their timely use of belts as make-shift tourniquets preserved a Soldier’s life until local emergency medical services could arrive, extract the injured Soldier, and prepare the injured Soldier for transport. The Soldier was airlifted to a hospital — nearly 60 miles by air — in Fayetteville, Ark., and after being stabilized, to a higher level of care 100 miles away by air at a hospital in Springfield, Mo.

Of the other seven injured Soldiers, six were transported by vehicles to a Fort Smith, Ark., hospital. One Soldier was airlifted by a 77th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade UH-72 Lakota to the same Fort Smith, Ark., hospital. The Black Hawk was in the area for annual training, and the crew loitered overhead after learning of the ground mishap to see if their services might be needed for casualty evacuation. The crew airlifted a Soldier for concussion protocol. All seven Soldiers have since returned to duty.

The fourth Soldier recognized was Staff Sgt. James Roach, a flight paramedic. He was recognized for his actions monitoring an injured Soldier while airlifting the Soldier to an area hospital on the Lakota helicopter and the seamless handoff that occurred to a civilian medical care team at the hospital’s heliport to ensure the Soldier received definitive trauma care.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. After the accident, a brigade-wide safety stand down went into effect to focus on hazard prevention, review safety procedures and reinforce safety training. Training resumed May 5, 2026.