U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) on Monday evening joined his Democratic Caucus colleagues in voting against confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the next associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Nevertheless, Barrett was confirmed in a 52-48 vote; those in the affirmative included U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).
Praise for Shelby — and criticism for Jones — poured in from across Alabama.
This included Republican nominee Tommy Tuberville, who will face Jones in November 3’s general election.
In a video released after the confirmation vote, Tuberville said, “[W]ell… liberal, Socialist Doug Jones has done it again.”
“Instead of standing up for our conservative Alabama values and voting to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Doug Jones voted against her nomination and represented the liberal beliefs of his high-dollar campaign donors in California and New York,” the former Auburn University head football coach remarked.
“But Doug can’t help himself because he’s a liberal to his core – just like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, and AOC,” he continued. “Take a look at his record.”
Tuberville then emphasized that Jones previously voted against confirming Justice Brett Kavanaugh, among other hot-button votes in which Jones has backed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
“Ever since becoming our temporary senator, Doug Jones has opposed everything Alabamians support and supported everything Alabamians oppose,” Tuberville added. “It’s time Alabama had a U.S. senator who represents our conservative beliefs and traditional values. It’s time Alabama had a U.S. senator who supports the Second Amendment, the right to life and putting God back in the classroom. It’s time Alabama sent Doug Jones packing so he can move to California and live among his campaign supporters. I’m excited about the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and the promise it holds for our nation.”
The GOP candidate advised, “We need more justices like Amy Coney Barrett and less senators like Desperate Doug Jones.
With your help and God’s blessings, Alabama can reclaim its U.S. Senate seat from the liberals and put our state back in the Republican column on November 3.”
Watch his full remarks:
This comes after a poll released Monday morning showed Jones losing to Tuberville by 14 percentage points.
Jones, in voting against Kavanaugh’s confirmation, said that representing the majority of his constituents is not “the be all to end all.”
“Anti-Trump Democrat Doug Jones has long since given up on representing Alabama, and his vote against Amy Coney Barrett is no different,” stated National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Paige Lindgren. “Alabamians overwhelmingly support Justice Barrett’s place on the Supreme Court and yet their junior Senator has obstructed President Trump at every turn. Jones has once again shown that his loyalty lies with Washington Democrats and not Alabama families.”
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan blasted Jones’ vote in a statement of her own.
“Once again, the U.S. Senate has confirmed one of President Donald Trump’s eminently qualified nominees to the United States Supreme Court. Amy Coney Barrett is an excellent addition to the high court. A jurist out of the originalist model, Justice Barrett will decide each case on its merits by overlaying it with the Constitution and not legislating from the bench,” Lathan commented.
“We offer our thanks to Senator Richard Shelby who consistently listens to the majority of his constituents. Senator Shelby wisely considered Justice Barrett’s sterling credentials and voted ‘yes’ on her confirmation,” she continued.
Lathan concluded, “In stark contrast, Senator Doug Jones continued to thumb his nose at our state’s majority with his ‘no’ vote. He has once again put the interests of his left wing groups first while ignoring those he is supposed to represent. The ‘third senator from California’ has repeatedly failed to remember the majority of our state. Alabama will relieve him of his duties on November 3rd when Tommy Tuberville is elected as Alabama’s new U. S. Senator. Doug Jones will be a paragraph in a history book as future political pundits study how to be a failure in the arena of public service – ignoring the majority ends your tenure.”
Monday’s vote comes after one group alone, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), organized a campaign in which Alabamians wrote 25,000 letters and made 6,500 calls to Jones in support of Barrett.
Unfortunately, Jones did not meet with Barrett and admitted he did not even watch her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Alabama’s junior senator also voted on Sunday against even considering Barrett’s nomination.
Last summer, Jones committed to opposing any hypothetical SCOTUS nominee during the final year of President Donald Trump’s current term. Following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month, Jones announced his opposition to anyone Trump would nominate, regardless of merits.
Casey Mattox, an Alabama native and AFP’s vice president for Legal and Judicial Strategy, stated to Yellowhammer News, “All Americans will benefit from having Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court. She is a highly-qualified and independent minded judge who will help ensure the Supreme Court upholds the Constitution and preserves our fundamental civil liberties for years to come. We thank President Trump for nominating, and the Senate for confirming, Justice Barrett to the high court.”
“Most importantly, we thank our grassroots for keeping the pressure up. We are in awe of our activists’ incredible work over the last several weeks, mobilizing across the country, at a moment’s notice, to talk with their fellow Americans about Justice Barrett’s judicial philosophy and record that puts the Constitution first,” Mattox added.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
