By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Tuesday, June 7, US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) released a statement saying that New York City billionaire and reality television star, Donald Trump (R), not former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D), is best suited to address the major issues facing this nation.
Congressman Byrne released this statement regarding the conclusion of the Republican presidential nominating process and the need for a bold, conservative agenda. Rep. Byrne said, “Today marks the end of the Republican nominating process, and it is time to stop with the political sideshows, and get serious about the issues facing the American people.”
Rep. Byrne said, “Just today, I stood with other House leaders as we outlined a plan to help lift Americans out of poverty. This is a bold agenda that requires a leader who is willing to take on big problems. Hillary Clinton has shown time-and-time again that she is a candidate stuck in the past, and ideas of the past have clearly failed our nation’s poor. We cannot afford eight more years of a lagging economy and more distance between Americans and their American dream.”
The conservative Alabama Congressman wrote, “I believe Donald Trump is the candidate willing to address the problems of today. He has the assertiveness and determination to tackle poverty head on by encouraging work, helping connect Americans with the educational experience they need, and growing the economy right here at home. If we make this election about solutions, I have great confidence we will be victorious in November.”
The Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus declared Trump the presumptive Republican Party nominee after Trump won the Indiana Republican Primary and US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suspended his campaign. Cruz has the second highest number of delegates. While the Associated Press has calculated that Trump has already amassed a sufficient number of delegates to secure the nomination, many of those delegates are not bound to Trump by rule……and some members of the party have questioned whether a delegate’s pledge is truly binding anyway. Trump’s wins on Tuesday gives the 69 years old businessman a sizable cushion in case there are unanticipated defections. The third highest delegate winner, US Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has released his delegates to support Trump making some sort of a brokered GOP convention even less likely to happen.
Sen. Rubio said, “I want to be helpful. I don’t want to be harmful, because I don’t want Hillary Clinton to be president.” Rubio has said that he does not want to be Trump’s vice presidential selection because of the policy differences between the two.
Donald Trump has said that Alabama’s US Senator Jeff Sessions (R) will be “absolutely considered for Vice President.”
Congressman Bradley Byrne represents Alabama’s First Congressional District.
