Officials said the facility will bolster hands-on training for responders preparing for mass casualty incidents and hazardous materials emergencies nationwide.
Both the Republican incumbent and a challenger vying for District 5's Democratic nomination decried the shutdown, while splitting on the crisis's cause.
Democratic lawmakers demanded a federal investigation after the IRS shared confidential information belonging to 47,000 taxpayers with the Department of Homeland Security.
Sewell secured $5.5 million for nine local Alabama projects, including airport improvements in Selma and construction funding for a Bessemer community center.