Doug Jones discusses big issues at Washington Update in Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE — Sen. Doug Jones addressed hundreds at the Von Braun Center Friday afternoon for his first 2018 Washington Update luncheon.

In his 30-minute address, Jones discussed several hot topics including health care, tariffs, Russian interference and Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. He also explained how these issues affect Alabama and its citizens.

NOMINATION OF KAVANAUGH

According to Jones, he receives a new set of papers on Kavanaugh to review every day and learn as much as he can about the nominee. Like his former boss, Judge Howell Heflin, Jones said he takes the role of judicial nominations “very seriously,” as well as his role of advice and consent as a senator.

“I believe the confirmation process should be exercised in a judicial manner without predecision leanings, biases or allegiances,” Jones said, echoing Heflin’s words at the opening of the confirmation hearings of Justice Anthony Kennedy. “To do otherwise makes the hearing process a waste of time and a perfunctory process. My decision is going to be based on my own and no one else’s assessment of Judge Kavanaugh’s commitment to the judicial system, the American people and the Constitution.”

Jones also expressed his concern that only three percent of Kavanaugh’s records have been made available to the Senate as the Sept. 4 hearing draws near. With this in mind, he called for a more transparent, less politicized process with judicial nominations.

“We are sunken to a really bad place in this country where the independent judiciary and the nomination for a lifetime of appointment to the United States Supreme Court has been relegated to a political campaign,” Jones said. “You’re either a Republican or you’re a Democrat, you’re conservative, you’re a liberal, you’re either for us or against us—that’s just wrong.”

SENATE WORK ON BILLS

When addressing the appropriations process this year, Jones praised Sens. Richard Shelby and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in moving the process along and exemplifying how the Senate is working behind the scenes in a more bipartisan way than most people realize.

“Thanks to Senator Shelby, thanks to Senator Leahy, we are getting there,” Jones said. “That is something you ought to be very, very proud of. They deserve a lot of credit.”

Jones also noted that the Senate will finish its spending bills before the House of Representatives for the first time since 1976.

As a Democrat, Jones urged Alabamians not to “underestimate the significance of having one of your voices in a place other than the Republican Caucus.”

Since he joined the Senate in January, Jones has co-sponsored 106 bills. Of these, he said more than 90 have been bipartisan bills. He and Sen. Ted Cruz are lead co-sponsors on the Civil Rights Cold Case Recollection Act, a bill designed to bring reconciliation and create a commission for cold cases from the Civil Rights era that will never be prosecuted because of time and deaths.

Omnibus bills, Jones said, have been important to Huntsville. He gave all credit to Shelby for getting $110 million in the budget to build a new federal courthouse in the city. He also said the spending bill lifted defense caps by more than $80 billion, $20.7 billion for NASA.

The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act contained a 2.6-percent military pay raise according to Jones. It also authorized the following: $9.7 billion for the Missile Defense  Agency, $1.25 billion to Redstone for procurement and repairs, $192 million for Blackhawk upgrades and $671 million for standard missile procurement.

“There is so much about our federal budget that goes right back here into this community,” Jones said. “It is truly astounding, and you and all of your leaders—the mayors, the county commission and all you business leaders, military leaders—are to be commended for everything you are doing for this incredible, incredible community.”

HEALTH CARE

Jones touched on the need for better access to health care in Alabama’s rural communities.

“In Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, you kind of take for granted some of the incredible health care that we have, but when you go into these rural areas, it’s failing,” Jones emphasized. “Our hospitals are operating at losses. So many of them are in danger of closing, and we’ve got to work to try to fix that.”

Besides fixing the Medicaid wage index, Jones said he believes this can be helped by expanding Medicaid. He said he has co-sponsored a bill that, if passed, would allow states like Alabama that didn’t expand Medicaid when they had the chance to have three years to “step it up.”

According to Jones, CHIP (Child Health Insurance Program) will also be funded for 10 more years, which will help 150,000 kids in Alabama that were in danger of losing their health insurance.

Jones has also co-sponsored a rural health liaison act and the Opioid Crisis Response Act. In regards to opioids, Jones called the epidemic “truly a crisis in this state from one end of the state to the other.”

TARIFFS

Jones emphasized the negative effect that trade wars and NAFTA have had on Alabama, noting the past suffering of the textile and automotive industries—industries that had previously been booming in the state.

“The president wants to impose tariffs on automobiles—foreign automobiles and foreign auto parts … It is putting in jeopardy about 57,000 jobs,” Jones explained. “Not every job is going to be lost for sure, but that is a very real concern, and being done under the guise of national security.”

With other senators, Jones said he is sponsoring bills to “put the brakes” on automobile tariffs and prevent the Commerce Department from deciding what is a national security concern.

Jones said he agrees with President Trump using the tariff program as a political move to see that the United States is treated fairly. However, he criticized Trump’s hostility to European allies and insults against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Instead, Jones called for him to enlist their help in handling nations like China.

“[China] can withstand a lot more than what I think that the American people think that they can with a lot of the trade wars talk that we’ve got going on right now,” Jones warned. “And for some of the industries—some of the markets like farmers—they’re going to lose to Chinese markets if we’re not careful.”

Jones also expressed a deep concern about the tariffs now imposed on newsprint and wood coming out of Canada, as well as the general negativity toward the media.

“I do not believe that the media is an enemy of the people,” Jones said. “Local newspapers are so important to the communities. It’s not just where you get your coupons, just where you get your local news. It’s how you keep the mayors and the commissioners and others responsible—not corrupt. It’s shining that light, and I know Tommy [Battle] and everyone else agrees with that.”

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

Expressing his fear about Russian interference since the 2016 presidential election, Jones said that despite sanctions, he does “not think that we are doing enough.”

“I don’t mean this to be political, I truly, honest-to-God do not mean to be political when I say this—but the president is doing all of us a disservice when he conflates the term ‘collusion’ with ‘interference,’” Jones said. He urged everyone to read the indictments of the Russian nationals to understand how successful their efforts were in dividing Americans, especially over social media.

“The thing that we can trust the least is what we read on Facebook or Twitter,” Jones said. “We’re falling into that trap. … Please speak up if you hear someone talking about and conflating collusion and interference with our elections. We have to protect this democracy.”

In closing, Jones expressed how “proud, honored and humbled” he is to walk the floor of the Senate. He also stressed how hard he and his staff work to do what is in the state and country’s best interest, understanding that not everyone is going to agree with the way he goes about it.

“At the end of the day, public service is a good thing,” Jones said. “We can make great things happen. You’re making it happen here with all these great officials that I’ve been privileged to know over the years and to work with to try to make your communities and our country and our state a better and safer place.”

To read more about Jones and his committee assignments, visit jones.senate.gov .