What Does it Mean to Be an American — Timeout With Tuberville

From the office of Senator Tommy Tuberville

Coach Tuberville here…

This week, America celebrates a massive milestone in our country’s history: our 250th birthday. In 1776, our Founding Fathers came together to draft the Declaration of Independence, severing ties with Great Britain and creating the greatest country on Earth. And over the past 250 years, countless lives have been lost fighting to defend our country and the values we hold dear.
 
But what does it really mean to be an American? For much of American history, the answer was relatively straightforward. Being American was not about ancestry, appearance, or religion. It meant adherence to a set of principles: the rule of law, individual liberty, personal responsibility, and equality under the Constitution. Those principles did more than define the country—they built it. Assimilation has been a cornerstone of our nation since day one. Being a member of our country is a privilege, not a right. 
 
The Supreme Court had the opportunity this week to reaffirm the Constitution and align with our 250-year history. Instead, six gutless Justices folded to the woke mob and ruled in favor of birthright citizenship. I wish I could say I was surprised. Ever since the Communist Left’s meltdown over Roe v. Wade, some of our Justices have been scared of their own shadows. Thankfully, we have patriots like Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito trying to hold the line, but it’s an uphill battle against the Democrat Communists and the Uniparty.
 
If the Supreme Court won’t do their job and stand up for Americans, Congress has to. Now’s our chance to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that will preserve our country for generations to come. If we don’t, our 250th birthday may very well be our last.

Tuberville Leads HELP Subcommittee Hearing on AI in K-12 Education

Senator Tuberville recently chaired a HELP Education & the American Family Subcommittee hearing on “The Future of K-12 Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” During the hearing, Sen. Tuberville spoke about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can best be utilized in the classroom. Witnesses included QuantHub CEO Joshua Jones of Birmingham.

Sen. Tuberville’s opening statement can be watched below or on YouTube or Rumble.

Tuberville Announces 25 Alabamians Appointed to U.S. Service Academies for Class of 2030

This month, Senator Tuberville announced 25 Alabamians have accepted their appointment to a U.S. service academy. Senator Tuberville nominated these students to represent Alabama in the class of 2030 at one of the four service academies: the United States Air Force Academy, Military Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, and Naval Academy. This is Senator Tuberville’s fifth round of appointments since assuming office.

“America’s national security depends on brave young men and women who answer the call to serve in our armed forces,” said Senator Tuberville. “I am so proud of the appointees that will represent Alabama in our military service academies for the Class of 2030. Receiving an appointment to one of these academies requires grit, dedication, and commitment, and I’m confident these students will carry these values with them to our service academies. It was an honor to nominate these young Alabamians for an appointment, and I have full faith that they’ll continue to make our state and country proud.”

A complete list of the appointees can be found here.

Tuberville Commemorates Anniversary of SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

Senator Tuberville joined U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) in introducing legislation commemorating the fourth anniversary of the historic Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Four years ago, the Supreme Court made a historic decision that has saved the lives of countless unborn children,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We have more work to do, but I am proud of the progress we have made to eradicate this barbaric practice from our country. I will always fight for the lives of the most vulnerable among us.”

Read full text of the resolution here. 

Tuberville Forces Senate Showdown on the Future of College Sports

This month, Senator Tuberville moved to pass his bill, the Student Athlete Act, by unanimous consent, forcing the Senate to confront the growing crisis in college athletics.

The Student Athlete Act would rein in the transfer portal, clarify eligibility requirements, protect scholarship commitments, and empower the NCAA to enforce basic rules. Introduced earlier this year, the legislation aligns with President Trump’s April 2026 Executive Order on college athletics and would address the vast majority of the issues fueling instability across campuses, athletic departments, and locker rooms nationwide.

Despite widespread agreement that the transfer portal is broken and eligibility rules need clarity, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) blocked Sen. Tuberville’s bill and instead pushed their own bill, the Protect College Sports Act, which would amount to a federal takeover of college sports.

Watch the full exchange with Senators Cruz and Cantwell below or on YouTube or Rumble.

Tuberville Secures NDAA Amendments Officially Designating Department of War, Expanding Title IX Protections

Senator Tuberville released the following statement after the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). During the committee’s markup process, Sen. Tuberville successfully introduced multiple amendments, including officially renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War (DoW), expanding Title IX protections, and authorizing billions in funding for SPACECOM and Alabama’s five installations.

“The United States was constantly on our heels and playing defense under the Biden administration. Those days are over thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. The U.S. military is not interested in appeasement, but in winning wars and keeping Americans safe. That’s why I introduced an amendment to this year’s NDAA that officially returns the Department of Defense to its original name given by President George Washington, the Department of War. 

As chairman of the SASC Subcommittee on Personnel, I was also proud to secure several amendments that will make a real difference in the lives of our troops. During last year’s NDAA process, I introduced an amendment protecting women’s sports at our service academies. This year, we expanded those protections to more education activities at the DoW. I also fought hard for an amendment increasing the number of cadets who are eligible to play professional sports. This new policy will help with both recruiting and personnel development at our service academies.

I was also proud to secure funding to support Alabama’s troops, installations, and defense industry. In addition to a 3.6% pay raise for troops, we also authorized nearly $500 million for improvements to our five bases, along with $2 billion for the new SPACECOM headquarters at Redstone Arsenal. This year’s NDAA will make sure Alabama continues playing an outsized role in our national defense.”

More information on the Senate’s NDAA can be found here.

COACH’S MONTHLY COLUMN: DON’T MISTAKE MOMENTUM FOR MERIT IN COLLEGE SPORTS REFORM

June 26

I spent nearly 40 years coaching football, including more than two decades as a head coach in the SEC, the Big 12, and the American Athletic Conference. I recruited thousands of student-athletes, worked with university presidents, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and NCAA officials. Along the way, I learned a thing or two about the rules and regulations governing college sports. 

When I retired from coaching in 2016, I thought my days of working in college athletics were over. But now in my role as Alabama’s senior U.S. senator, I’m in meetings almost daily regarding the future of college sports.

The current buzz in D.C. is around the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill put together by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). I have read the bill. I have read the letters its sponsors cite as “support.” Unfortunately, I don’t believe this bill is the answer to the many problems facing college athletics today. 

To be clear, Congress does need to act – we can all agree on that. Since the Supreme Court ruling in 2021, college sports have operated under a fragmented and often conflicting set of rules as states have enacted their own laws governing how athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). At the same time, federal courts have issued rulings that reshape the boundaries of what schools and conferences can do, and new settlement agreements are redefining how revenue may be shared with athletes. The result is a confusing and unstable environment where athletes, schools, coaches, and conferences are forced to navigate shifting rules that vary by state, institution, and circumstance. 

That instability is not limited to NIL. One of my main concerns facing college athletics today is the out-of-control transfer portal. The current environment allows student-athletes to transfer basically at any time and for any reason. Not only is this horrible for team morale, but it is catastrophic for education – and the academic fallout is being ignored. Credits don’t transfer, degree paths get derailed, and graduation timelines keep slipping. What should be an education is turning into a revolving door with no clear finish line. It’s a damn shame and we need to do a better job of making sure student-athletes are set up for success in life beyond sports. 

That is why any federal legislation in this space should be judged on whether it actually brings stability, protects student-athletes, and preserves educational opportunity. Unfortunately, the Protect College Sports Act falls short on all three – and in some cases, could make these problems worse. For starters, it is way too broad of a bill and gives the government too much control. It gets too deep into the business of universities, conferences and athletic departments, while doing far too little to give student-athletes the stability and clarity they actually need. It opens the door for endless lawsuits by creating new avenues for student-athletes to sue schools, conferences, and the NCAA. It also sets a permanent cap on revenue sharing for student-athletes, something that the federal government has no business getting involved in. 

The bill claims to fix the transfer portal and eligibility – but it includes so many waivers and loopholes that would allow student-athletes to still transfer anytime they want. It also doesn’t do enough to protect women’s sports. Dozens of states have already passed laws protecting women’s sports, but the Protect College Sports Act would potentially override some of those state laws, hanging female athletes out to dry. 

Beyond what the bill fails to fix, I am just as concerned about what it puts Washington in charge of. This bill drags the federal government into decisions that should be made by schools and conferences – not D.C. bureaucrats – including how conferences are structured, how games are scheduled, how media rights are managed, and how athletic departments are run. In other words, it is a 111-page federal government takeover of college sports. 

I’ve had dozens of conversations with coaches, athletic directors, university presidents, and conference commissioners about this bill over the past few weeks, many of whom share my concerns. The two biggest conferences in college athletics – the SEC and the Big Ten – have issued statements slamming the legislation. So, why is the public being led to believe that the majority of stakeholders in college sports are 100% behind this bill? 

I know many of the institutions and organizations whose letters are being cited as evidence of “support.” Heck, I spent decades in the system and know how these people and conferences operate. I have read those letters carefully. Some clearly support the legislation, and others express support for federal action generally. Some offer feedback, concerns, or suggestions for further discussion. But that is not the same thing as support.

Congress should not rush to pass a bill based on supposed “support,” fluffed-up news coverage, or the desire to tell people back home you are doing something to “fix college sports” during an election year. People need to understand that laws passed up here are hard to undo. If we’re going to successfully pass a law to help save college athletics, we don’t just need a playbook, we need a winning gameplan. I sincerely appreciate my colleagues’ efforts to get something done, but this bill isn’t the answer. College athletics deserve real reform, not rushed legislation that will only make the problems worse.