Tommy Tuberville Celebrates Broadband Funding He Voted Against
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on Tuesday celebrated his state getting more than $1 billion for broadband efforts, thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law ― a bill he voted against.
“Broadband is vital for the success of our rural communities and for our entire economy,” Tuberville tweeted, along with a link to an article about his state getting $1.4 billion for expanding broadband access to underserved areas. “Great to see Alabama receive crucial funds to boost ongoing broadband efforts.”
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. https://t.co/bLvQlSS3LH— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) June 27, 2023
The article spells out where that money is coming from: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which oversees grant programs related to broadband, has announced how much money each state will get from the Commerce Department’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. States getting this money now have 180 days to submit a plan to NTIA for how they plan to use those funds.
The money for this initiative is flowing from the bipartisan bill, which included a historic $65 billion investment in expanding high-speed, affordable broadband. President Joe Biden signed it into law in November 2021.
When the bill came before the Senate in August 2021, Tuberville voted no.
Beyond that, NTIA’s website notes that Biden’s investment in broadband builds on funding provided by the American Rescue Plan, which Tuberville also voted against.
Tuberville spokesperson Steven Stafford dismissed the idea that there’s anything hypocritical about the senator hailing the benefits of legislation he opposed.
“There’s no discrepancy,” Stafford said, pointing to Tuberville’s statement from 2021 in opposition to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Coach voted against the infrastructure bill because it wasted Alabamians’ tax dollars,” he said of Tuberville, a former college football coach. “It spent too much to get too little in return for Alabama. But now that it is law of the land, the people of Alabama deserve their fair share.”
“Coach is proud to advocate for this funding to go to Alabama,” Stafford said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) similarly tweeted about his state getting $3.3 billion for broadband expansion.
And just like Tuberville, he voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
