Jones Says He'd Consider Voting With Republicans

The new senator-elect talks up bipartisanship after his stunning win last week
By Josh Rosenblatt,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 17, 2017 11:00 AM CST
Senator-Elect Doug Jones Talks Up Bipartisanship
Democrat Doug Jones speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Birmingham, Ala.   (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Doug Jones spent his first Sunday as the new senator-elect from Alabama promising to work with Republicans and even leaving the door open to voting with them. Five days after defeating Roy Moore and becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Alabama since 1992, Jones was on the Sunday morning show circuit talking up possibilities for bipartisanship. “I think there’s an opportunity at every turn,” he said on Fox News Sunday, but adding that bipartisan cooperation is a "two-way street." Jones also said that while he likes the idea of cutting the corporate tax rate, he doesn't "buy into the fact" that the Republicans' tax reform bill scheduled for a vote this week will promote economic growth, Politico reports.

Meanwhile, on CNN's State of the Union, Jones seemed to go a step further, saying he would "of course" consider voting with Republicans on certain issues and that he would take into consideration his state's strong Republican lean when thinking about his votes, the Hill reports. “I’m going to talk to people on both sides of the aisle, try to figure out what I think is in the best interest of my state and in the country,” Jones said. “Now, don’t expect me to vote solidly for Republicans or Democrats.” While Jones was talking bipartisanship, his opponent, Roy Moore, was still refusing to concede the race. On Friday Moore sent an email to supporters asking them to donate to his new "election integrity fund," saying his campaign team is "busy collecting numerous reported cases of voter fraud and irregularities for the Secretary of State’s office,” New York Magazine reports. (More Roy Moore stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X