U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, harshly criticized federal spending and President Joe Biden’s policies while attacking what he called the administration’s “weaponization” of the Justice Department.
Speaking at a breakfast of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Moore repeatedly criticized federal spending on the war in Ukraine as well as federal energy policy, which he said is the “driving factor” in driving inflation up and economic challenges Americans may be facing.
“When energy fuel costs goes up, folks, everything you do, whether you build a house and when you buy a car, the parts that go into that — the petroleum investment in there is higher,” Moore said to the attendees.
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Moore blamed Biden for increasing energy costs, claiming he halted energy production “from day one.” Moore did not provide a specific example, butBiden did shut down oil and gas lease sales in public lands and waters in his first days in office due to concerns about climate change, according to The Associated Press.
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The move was seen as an effort to change the U.S. fossil-fuel economy into clean energy, but the rule has been on hold since February 2022 due to a Western District of Louisiana court decision after Louisiana and nine other states sued the Biden administration. It’s unclear the effect it has had on inflation due to energy, asU.S. energy exports hit a record high in 2023.
Moore also claimed the Biden administration added about $1 trillion to the national debt in the last one hundred days but did not cite a source. According to Politifact, Biden’s debt accumulation is expected to reach about $7.9 trillion by the end of his term in January. In his four-year term, former President Donald Trump added about $7.8 trillion.
When asked about Trump’s spending after his speech, Moore said that while they may occasionally have to reject Trump’s funding requests, he shifted to promoting energy independence, proposing “you drill here and you drill now” to bring down the national debt, as well as halting international aid.
“They told him no on the wall, $5 billion, and now we spend $176 billion in Ukraine. I think there’s some ways there. Then certainly go ahead and quit spending money all over the globe in the areas that we not even got oversight,” he said.
Trump in 2018 asked Congress for $5 billion to build a border wall, but the House of Representatives, headed by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, offered $1.3 billion for border security. As a result, Trump diverted $6 billion in military funds for the wall construction, which the Supreme Court in 2020 approved.
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Congress also has passed five bills appropriating $175 billion in response to the war in Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent thinktank, but $107 billion is directly spent on Ukraine. The remaining portion is funding other U.S. government activities associated with the war.
Moore also expressed concern over what he called the “weaponization” of federal agencies, including the FBI and the IRS. He claimed an incident, claimed by the Wall Street Journal editorial board, where the home of a journalist testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by House Freedom Caucus deputy chair Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, was visited by the IRS, which Moore suggested was an attempt to intimidate.
There has been no evidence of the incident, other than theJudiciary Committee sending a letter to the IRS asking for details.
Moore, who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, also denounced the Russian election interference “narrative,” calling it a hoax that top Democratic officials knowingly perpetuated, but on July 13, 2018, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for allegedly interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections. A bipartisan U.S. Senate committee concluded in 2020 that “Russia launched an aggressive effort to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf” and that Trump associates “were eager to exploit the Kremlin’s aid,” according to The Associated Press.
Moore insinuated that Democrats will use it again to try to win the election.
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“We certainly don’t want the federal government picking our next elected official. We want to have a fair election process,” Moore said.
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The first match of the 2025 Alabama Hi-Q season kicked off today.
The academic quiz competition for high school students with categories such as mathematics, history, physics and fine art and more.
Mobile County public and private schools compete in teams of eight to 10 students. At the end of the 15 contests, the top three teams win cash awards for their schools. Individual awards are given out, as well.
FOX10’s Lenise Ligon was invited to be the quizmaster, maintaining the tradition of fox10’s involvement. Bob Grip was quizmaster for 38 years.
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Students from Mary G. Montgomery High School, Blount High School, Theodore High School, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Satsuma High School and Barton Academy For Advanced World Studies competed in today’s event.
Blount got the win for the first match. There’s a challenge though and the win could go to MGM
St. Paul’s won the second match.
The competition ends in March when the overall winner is declared.
Alabama extended its winning streak to eight games on Saturday by beating Texas A&M on the road but will face another tough out on Tuesday when Ole Miss comes to Tuscaloosa.
The Rebels have been much improved in 2024 as Chris Beard continues to turn this program around and will look to score a signature win to propel the team to the NCAA Tournament by winning on the road as a big underdog. Ole Miss has been capable on both sides of the floor, will it be able to keep close to the Crimson Tide?
Here’s our betting preview.
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Moneyline
Total: 153.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Ole Miss
Sean Pedulla: The Virginia Tech transfer has provided some necessary floor spacing for the Rebels, shooting 40% from deep as the team has been able to take a big jump offensively. While his defense leaves some to be desired, he has proven he can hang on the floor with his sound playmaking, ball handling, and shooting.
Alabama
Mark Sears: Sears hasn’t been able to replicate his scorching 2023, but he remains a high-value player on an elite offense for the Crimson Tide. Sears is averaging 19 points with more than four assists per game but is off of one of his best games of the season in which he closed out Texas A&M on the road with 27 points.
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Ole Miss will face its first top-20 team in terms of KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rating, so there could be a bit of a setback for what has been an impressive season to date for the Rebels. However, I believe the offense can put points on the board against Alabama’s defense that plays drop coverage, and turns opponents over at a bottom 60 rate in the country.
The Rebels are a capable offense that has a bevy of players that can create off the dribble and attack Alabama in the paint, so I believe the visitors will be able to score at a healthy rate in this game.
On the other end, Alabama may be able to tee off from the perimeter against Ole Miss’ no-middle defense that lends itself to players open from beyond the arc. Further, if Sears can win in isolation sets, the rim should be easy pickings for the Crimson Tide to score at will.
In an up-tempo affair, I think both offenses rule the day and this game goes over the total.
PICK: OVER 153.5
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Ole Miss Rebels (14-2, 3-0 SEC) at Alabama Crimson Tide (14-2, 3-0 SEC)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Crimson Tide -11; over/under is 164
BOTTOM LINE: No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 21 Ole Miss after Mark Sears scored 27 points in Alabama’s 94-88 win against the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Crimson Tide are 7-0 in home games. Alabama ranks fourth in the SEC with 39.1 points per game in the paint led by Labaron Philon averaging 7.3.
The Rebels are 3-0 against SEC opponents. Ole Miss ranks sixth in the SEC with 16.0 assists per game led by Jaylen Murray averaging 4.1.
Alabama averages 10.3 made 3-pointers per game, 3.1 more made shots than the 7.2 per game Ole Miss gives up. Ole Miss has shot at a 45.4% clip from the field this season, 4.6 percentage points above the 40.8% shooting opponents of Alabama have averaged.
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The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting this season between the two teams in conference play.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sears is averaging 19.1 points and 4.5 assists for the Crimson Tide.
Sean Pedulla is scoring 14.1 points per game with 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Rebels.
LAST 10 GAMES: Crimson Tide: 9-1, averaging 92.5 points, 41.1 rebounds, 17.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 78.8 points per game.
Rebels: 8-2, averaging 76.4 points, 30.9 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 9.7 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.4 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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