HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Wednesday, U.S. Senator for Alabama, Tommy Tuberville visited Huntsville to give an update on what he’s been working on in Washington, D.C.
The Senator spoke to members of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce and local military and government officials.
He said it is good to be back in Alabama for a few days.
“It’s good to be away from the clown show for a few days, in Washington, D.C., and that’s exactly what it is,” he said. “I’m going to tell the truth, I deal with a lot of people up there that every day you wonder ‘How the heck did this person get up there?’ But we have managed to continue to make this country strong.”
Throughout his speech, he continued his lighthearted jabs about the job.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘Coach, how do you like it?'” he said. “I don’t really like what I’m doing, but I’m glad I’m there.”
Sen. Tuberville continued his speech by saying, “I believe in this country, and I believe in what we’re doing.”
The Senator said working in D.C. is frustrating due to political divisions.
“We’re divided as bad as, probably, the Auburn and Alabama football teams,” he said.
He continued the football analogy by saying, “Everybody asks me what it’s like, it’s like you start a football game and you can’t finish it.”
“You can’t even get the first quarter over with because everybody has got an opinion,” Tuberville said. “I’m fine with that, but I’m up there to help and get something done.”
The Senator said he is working on a lot of issues in Washington, as part of his committee assignments.
For the 118th congress, Sen. Tuberville is part of several committees:
- Armed Services
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
- Veterans’ Affairs
In an interview with News 19, he said agriculture is a big focus for him, and he is putting Alabama farmers first when it comes to the 2023 Farm Bill.
“You do the Farm Bill every five years,” he said. “This Farm Bill will be $1.2 trillion dollars or more, the most it’s ever been.”
“What we want to do with our Farm Bill is protect our farmers, especially our small farmers,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Food security is very important, and we’re going to look into crop insurance, make sure that stays.”
In addition to agriculture, he said fixing problems in the education system is a priority.
He said expanding access to broadband internet is key for students to learn.
“You know we’ve had internet for what 20 years and the most developed country on the face of the earth does not have broadband for everybody,” he said. “That’s a fault of the government, the state government, the county, local, and we’ve got to get that done.”
Sen. Tuberville also addressed the issue of Space Command and if Huntsville will be selected for the new headquarters.
“Lord help me, we’re fighting every day for Space Command,” he said. “It should be here already, it’s already been appointed here, we’ve passed every hurdle, we made it to the point where it should be here. It’s all about politics.”
Ultimately, the decision for the new permanent location of Space Command headquarters hinges on the Secretary of the Air Force.
“It could be tomorrow, it could be tomorrow, but we can’t get an answer,” said Sen. Tuberville.
Sen. Tuberville said he has gotten to be “good friends with the Secretary of the Air Force, and he’ll tell me ‘don’t call me again, I’ll let you know when we’re going to make the decision.'”
Senator Tuberville also spoke on the Russia/Ukraine war and U.S. relations with China.
