Latest news with #Tuberville
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Targeting Democrats, Alabama's Tommy Tuberville flunks a test of self-awareness
Under the Senate's current rules, members of the Democratic minority have no practical way of stopping Donald Trump's nominees. They can delay confirmation votes; they can make spirited cases against the nominees; and they can plead with members of the Republican majority to exercise good judgment. But when it comes time for a final vote on the president's picks, if 50 GOP senators back the nominees, they prevail. That said, Democrats are making the process as difficult as possible. The Hill reported: Democrats are retaliating against President Trump's broad assault on their most cherished policy priorities by turning the Senate's confirmation proceedings for relatively noncontroversial executive branch nominees into pitched partisan battles, forcing Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to burn up the calendar on routine matters. The Hill's report added that Senate Democrats agreed to an expedited process for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's nomination — the Florida Republican was a sitting senator at the time — but since then, 'they have insisted on holding procedural votes to invoke cloture on the next 106 nominees who came to the floor.' Not surprisingly, GOP senators have complained bitterly about this in recent months, but there was one specific criticism that stood out for me. 'When a new coach is hired, they get to pick their team. It's that simple,' Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama complained via social media. The coach-turned-politician added, '77 million Americans PICKED President Trump to lead our country. And yet, radical Democrats continue to BLOCK over 150 of his nominees. RIDICULOUS. It's time we buckle up and get @POTUS's [the president's] team confirmed.' I can appreciate why Trump loyalists on Capitol Hill would be eager to do the president's bidding, but Tuberville's complaints represent an incredible failure of self-awareness. To know anything about the Alabaman's tenure in the Senate is to acknowledge his most notable effort: In 2023, Tuberville became the first and only senator in American history to impose a 10-month blockade against confirming U.S. military officials, as part of an anti-abortion fight that he didn't seem to fully understand. To borrow the Republican's phrasing, Joe Biden picked his own team, and 81 million Americans cast ballots for the Democrat to lead the nation. And yet, a radical Republican spent nearly a year blocking Biden's highly qualified military leaders. The gambit left Tuberville's reputation on Capitol Hill in tatters. Indeed, in the midst of his blockade, several Senate Republicans publicly accused him of, among other things, being dishonest, damaging the military during international crises, assisting U.S. adversaries abroad and relying on tactics that were 'ridiculous' and 'dumb.' If the Alabama Republican, who'll soon give up his seat to run for governor, wants to be taken seriously, he'll need to think of something else to complain about. This article was originally published on
The Hill
20-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Tuberville says Trump health issues exacerbated by ‘fighting the radicals'
After President Trump was diagnosed with a chronic vein condition, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) suggested the president's health condition could be a result of his efforts in 'fighting the radicals.' 'The pressure on somebody like President Trump right now, not just from outside entities … all over the world but also fighting the radicals in this country,' Tuberville said during a Sunday interview with radio host John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM's 'The Cats Roundtable. 'Every day it's almost like a fistfight.' The White House announced Thursday that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where leg veins have difficulty sending blood back to the heart. It often results in ankle swelling and is common in people over the age of 70. On the show, Tuberville repeated baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump and claimed that illegal immigrants were voting in droves for Democrats. Tuberville also bashed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. 'He's a communist! No police? Are you kidding me?' the Alabama senator exclaimed. Mamdani called for defunding the police in 2020, but vowed not to do so during a June debate. He identifies as a Democratic socialist. Catsimatidis is leading a coalition of wealthy business leaders to back Mayor Eric Adams' bid for re-election as a way to oppose Mamdani, Politico reported in June.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dates to remember for Guntersville municipal elections
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Municipal elections are coming up this fall in many North Alabama municipalities, including Guntersville. News 19 is Your Local Election Headquarters, and we are compiling a list of important dates so you don't get left behind on election day. 'Forefront of the Golden Age': Tuberville says Huntsville could play major role in Golden Dome project First off, the big one: Election Day for Guntersville is Aug. 26, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For candidates, qualifying began on June 10 and ended on June 24. Additionally, there are other dates you need to remember that can be found below: July 27 – Last day to establish residency to vote Aug. 11 – Last day to register to vote Aug. 21 – Last day to hand-deliver an application for an absentee ballot Aug. 25 – Last day to deliver a non-emergency absentee ballot and apply for an emergency absentee ballot Aug. 26 – Election Day In Alabama, residents can apply for an emergency absentee ballot if they cannot vote at a polling place due to reasons such as: Having work commitments that keep them from voting during the regular time frame. Being the caregiver of a person needing emergency treatment within five days of the election. Have an immediate family member who died within five days of the election. In the event of a runoff, Sept. 8 will be the last day to register to vote in the runoff, which will then be held on Sept. 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP senator calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired after ruling against Medicaid cuts
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) on Thursday called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough 'ASAP,' hours after she delivered a major ruling against a Republican proposal to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending to help pay for President Trump's tax agenda. The parliamentarian also ruled against provisions to prohibit federal funding of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for adults or kids whose immigration status cannot be immediately verified and to lower federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to immigrants in the country illegally. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,' Tuberville posted on the social platform X. 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP,' he said. Tuberville posted his comments publicly around the same time that Thune told reporters that he would not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian with a simple-majority vote on the floor. A Senate GOP source familiar with the parliamentarian's ruling on Medicaid eligibility and health care provider taxes said Republicans will try to rework the provisions to keep them in the massive bill. 'We'll continue our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results. Also, this is not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be,' the source said. Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) told reporters Thursday that he doesn't think the GOP leadership would attempt to oust MacDonough from the parliamentarian's office, asserting Republicans 'respect' her rulings. 'I don't think that will happen,' he said. 'We all have respect for the parliamentarian. I think that she's very fair, and I don't think that she should be fired nor do I think she will be fired.' Thune told reporters Thursday morning that he would not push a vote to overrule the parliamentarian. 'That would not be a good outcome for getting a bill done,' he said. Thune said he doesn't view the parliamentarian's ruling against the biggest spending cut in the bill as necessarily fatal to getting the legislation passed. 'We were obviously trying to get as much in terms of savings as we could. We pushed hard to try and achieve that, and we knew that it was going to be an interesting conversation and we didn't know for sure how she was going to come down on it,' he said. 'There are things we can do. There are other ways of getting to that same outcome. We may not have everything that we wanted in terms of the provider tax reforms, but if we can get most of the reforms there, get the savings that come with it — this is all about saving the taxpayers money,' Thune said. Senate Republicans are using budget reconciliations rules to pass their bill so they can get around a Senate filibuster, which would otherwise allow Democrats to block the measure. The parliamentarian is charged with determining whether parts of the bill comply with the Byrd rule, which requires provisions in a budget reconciliation measure to pass a multi-part test including that they are primarily budgetary in nature. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed MacDonough in January 2012 to serve as parliamentarian. She is the first woman to serve in the role. She is the sixth Senate parliamentarian, and worked in the parliamentarian's office for nearly a decade before she was tapped to replace Alan Frumin. Al Weaver contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
GOP senator calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired after ruling against Medicaid cuts
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) on Thursday called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough 'ASAP,' hours after she delivered a major ruling against a Republican proposal to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending to help pay for President Trump's tax agenda. The parliamentarian also ruled against provisions to prohibit federal funding of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for adults or kids whose immigration status cannot be immediately verified and to lower federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to immigrants in the country illegally. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,' Tuberville posted on X, the social media site. 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP,' he said. Tuberville posted his comments publicly around the same time that Thune told reporters that he would not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian with a simple-majority vote on the floor. A Senate GOP source familiar with the parliamentarian's ruling on Medicaid eligibility and health care provider taxes said that Republicans will try to rework the provisions to keep them in the massive bill. 'We'll continue our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results. Also, this is not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be,' the source said. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed MacDonough in January of 2012 to serve as parliamentarian. She is the first woman to serve in the role. She is the sixth Senate parliamentarian, and worked in the parliamentarian's office for nearly a decade before she was tapped to replace Alan Frumin.
