Senator Tommy Tuberville visited Redstone Arsenal on Thursday, addressing key concerns for Alabamians, including the future of education, government efficiency, Space Command’s headquarters and even a possible bid for the governorship.

Tuberville voiced strong support for President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). He argued that eliminating the federal agency would benefit Alabama schools, shifting control and funding directly to the states.

“The DOE has a budget of about $280 billion, and between 60 to 80 percent of that goes toward administration, not teachers or education directly,” Tuberville said. “Let’s take that money, disperse it across the country, and let states use it how they see fit.”

With a 40-year background in education, the senator emphasized that cutting bureaucratic overhead would be a step toward improving the nation’s struggling school systems.

“We’re behind. Our education system is broken,” Tuberville said. “This is one part of getting it going in the right direction.”

Tuberville also responded to concerns about potential job losses due to cuts under the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He stressed that the goal is not to eliminate jobs but to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.

“We lose between $500 and $700 billion to fraud and theft every year,” Tuberville said. “DOGE will help ensure money is going to the right places, whether it’s the VA, education, or other critical services.”

He added that the department’s mission is to streamline government operations while reducing waste and fraud, ultimately returning funds to the states.

Another major topic of discussion was the ongoing effort to bring the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) to Huntsville. Tuberville has long been a strong advocate for locating the command’s headquarters at Redstone Arsenal.

“We’ve been pushing real hard,” Tuberville said. “Huntsville won the bid in 2020, but because of politics, it was taken away. Now, we’re making sure we’re organized and ready to go when the final decision is made,” he continued. “We don’t want to have to adjust for the next six months. So, we have to have a new Secretary of Air Force. That’ll happen in the next three or four weeks. Secretary Air Force makes the decision. President Trump’s Secretary of Air Force, the first time, picked Huntsville. Biden’s Secretary of Air Force picked Huntsville. I would imagine this Secretary of Air Force will pick Huntsville, and we’ll get it moved back. Now that’s up to President Trump and this secretary.”

“So, at the end of the day, when that happens, we want to be 100% ready to go. Everything’s ready. We’ve got the land. We’ve got the process. We’ve got the organization of what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do it, and it won’t take long to get it moving once it’s allocated,” stated Tuberville.

The senator said that once the new Secretary of the Air Force is confirmed in the next few weeks, a final decision on SPACECOM’s headquarters will be made.

Tuberville’s trip to Huntsville came just one day after rumors emerged regarding a potential run for governor of Alabama in 2026. Tuberville maintained that though he hasn’t made a final decision, he believes he would have a strong chance at winning the state’s highest office.

“It would be hard to leave the Republican majority in Congress, but the governor’s office does interest me,” Tuberville admitted.

For now, the senator remains focused on pushing his legislative priorities, including bringing SPACECOM to Huntsville and overhauling federal education policies.