President calls out Alabama senator over broadband funds

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – President Joe Biden, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell, and several others are calling out Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville for celebrating funding that he voted against.

On Wednesday, the senator and former football coach shared an article from “Yellowhammer News” tweeting:

“Broadband is vital for the success of our rural communities and for our entire economy. Great to see Alabama receive crucial funds to boost ongoing broadband efforts.”

The state of Alabama is getting more than $1 billion for broadband efforts as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – a bill that he voted against.

Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell retweeted Tuberville with a screenshot showing where he voted against the bill and Thursday morning, President Joe Biden chimed in tweeting:

Senator Tuberville responded to the president’s tweet with:

The president and Tuberville have been at odds now for months when it comes to the Space Command Headquarters. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense named Huntsville “the preferred location for the Space Command headquarters.” Space Command is temporarily headquartered in Colorado Springs and so far, there hasn’t been any movement.

Recently, a report from NBC News stated the White House was laying down the groundwork to halt the move to Alabama citing the state’s abortion laws.

When asked about the tweet and subsequent interaction, Tuberville said he voted against the bill because it “wasted Alabamians’ tax dollars.” His office sent the following statement from 2021:

“I’ve traveled the state from top to bottom, and I know firsthand that Alabama, like many states across the country, needs a robust investment in real infrastructure. I’ve said all along I’d be for a bill that invests every penny of every dollar in improvements to our roads, bridges, waterways, and rural broadband. Unfortunately, Democrats have missed an opportunity to deliver the bill that the American people truly need. Instead, the final legislation is loaded with giveaways to big cities and pet projects that have little to do with real infrastructure. Worse, we’re using fuzzy math and IOU’s to hide the real cost of this massive legislation. I can’t vote for a bill that fails to give Alabama a fair slice of the pie while also saddling Alabama taxpayers with even more debt.”

However, since the bill’s passage, Tuberville says the people of Alabama deserve their fair share and is proud to advocate for this funding.

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