Tag: U.S. Senate
Tuberville Talks Military, Vaccines in Montgomery Stop
MONTGOMERY — U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville made stops in the Capital City Thursday as part of his swing through the state during the Senate recess.
After visits to Maxwell Air Force Base and the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field, Tuberville lauded the missions of Alabama’s military installations and spoke of the importance of maintaining them.
“There’s a lot of tradition here,” he said, speaking of Montgomery’s history with the Air Force and the “Red Tails” legacy of the 187th. “It’s important that we keep it going. Obviously, coming here in the future we’ve got one of the best weapons the world has ever known in the F-35. We’re excited about that. I’m here today to walk around and take a look to see what we can do to move that up, get the needed buildings built quicker and faster…”
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Recent Contributors to Jones and Tuberville
Following are contributions of $5,000 and up to U.S. Senate candidates Doug Jones and Tommy Tuberville, as listed in reports filed Thursday with the Federal Elections Commission for the period of July 1 through Sept. 30. Read more.
The Partisan Divide Isn’t That Wide Between Alabama’s Two US Senators, Though It Still Is a Canyon Among House Members
Although they differ on many high-profile issues, Alabama’s two U.S. senators voted together about half the time on key issues during 2019.
Republican Richard Shelby, who has served in the Senate for 31 years, and freshman Democrat Doug Jones have voted together 11 times and on opposite sides on 10 occasions this year, according to weekly reports compiled by Voterama in Congress for BirminghamWatch.
The two have parted ways, however, over many of President Trump’s nominations for federal judgeships, cabinet posts and other positions, according to weekly reports by Voterama. Jones voted to confirm five of the president’s nominees and against nine. Shelby voted for all 14. Read more.
Byrne Touts Protest at Impeachment Hearings While Qualifying for Senate Race
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne officially entered Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate race Friday, and moments after signing qualifying documents, he fired back at criticism by some — including incumbent opponent Doug Jones — over his participation in a recent Republican protest of House impeachment hearings.
“I’ve got years of experience and a track record of fighting and fighting successfully for the things that matter,” Byrne said. “We just had a fight in Washington this week, and I’ve proven as recently as just a few days ago, that I’m willing to do what it takes, to do whatever we have to do to fight for the values that matter to the American people and to fight for President Trump.”
On Wednesday, a group of Republican congressmen, including Byrne and fellow Alabama representatives Mo Brooks and Gary Palmer, pushed into a closed-door hearing being held by the House Intelligence Committee. Republicans told members of the media that they objected to impeachment proceedings being held behind closed doors, which Byrne reiterated Friday. Read more.
Jones Stockpiles $5 Million for Senate Race, Byrne Leads GOP Candidates With $2.5 Million Nest Egg
Sen. Doug Jones enters the final quarter of 2019 with more than $5 million in the bank as he campaigns for a full term in the U.S. Senate.
Jones, who became the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the Senate since 1997 when he defeated Roy Moore in a special election in December 2017, has amassed almost twice as much cash as any of his potential Republican challengers. Read more.
Sen. Jones Proposes Easier Access and a Central Clearinghouse for Civil Rights Cold Cases
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make it easier to obtain records for unsolved civil rights cases.
The proposed legislation, the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, would mandate that criminal civil rights records held by the government be gathered and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection would be available for public viewing. The proposal also would establish a Civil Rights Records Review Board, made up of impartial citizens, that would facilitate the review and transfer of records going into the collection.
Jones said the improved accessibility would allow a wider range of people to participate more easily in unearthing details related to unsolved civil rights cases, many of which are more than 50 years old.
Jones Introduces Bill Requiring Reports on Money Forfeited When States Bypassed Medicaid Expansion
Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, has introduced a bill that would require a federal agency to show how much states such as Alabama have left on the table by refusing to expand Medicaid.
The Smart Choices Act would mandate that the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, or MACPAC, annually publish reports showing how much states receive under expanded Medicaid. In particular, the reports would show how much the states that refused expansion under the Affordable Care Act would have gotten if they had joined the program. Read more.
Little-Known PACs Fund a Deluge of Ads in the Days Leading Up to the Senate Election
Alabama’s two U.S Senate candidates and independent groups working on their behalf have raised more than $20 million that they are using to bombard voters with broadcast and internet ads, mail, and phone calls as the Dec. 12 special election approaches.
The candidates’ final pre-election financial reports, filed with the Federal Election Commission on Nov. 22, show Democrat Doug Jones has raised $11,707,585 this year, with $10,182,025 coming in since Oct. 1, a few days after the Republican runoff. Republican Roy Moore reported a total of $5,260,974, with $1,767,693 of that collected during the same period.
The FEC has not finished processing the detailed lists showing people, PACs and committees and the amounts they gave to Moore and Jones.
In addition to the money contributed to the candidates, outside groups and political action committees reported spending about $5.7 million in support or opposition of Moore and Jones since Moore won the GOP nomination Sept. 26. Much of that money flooded in during the final few weeks of the campaign.
Some PACs supporting each of the candidates have found legal loopholes that allow them to avoid naming contributors until after the election.
The majority of the money spent by independent groups came from Highway 31, a super PAC working to elect Jones. Read more.
How Much Is a Senate Seat Worth? The Cost is Closing in on $5 Million so Far.
Who’s running for the U.S. Senate?
Ten Republicans and eight Democrats are running for the open U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he took the U.S. attorney general job. Wednesday was the deadline to file papers qualifying to run for the office.
See the list.
