During his final weekly press call of the year, Sen. Doug Jones, D-AL, looked back on all of his successes during his first year in the United States Senate.

Jones took his seat in the Senate in January 2018 after a contentious electoral battle against former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore in 2017.

Jones narrowly claimed victory over Moore, with 50 percent of the vote to Moore’s 48 percent, and will be up for reelection in 2020.

During the press call, which Jones undertakes weekly with members of Alabama news agencies, Jones noted that the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) had lapsed for four months upon his arrival, a fact he pressed throughout his campaign.

Jones co-sponsored a bill to have it renewed for four years and, in the budget passed in early 2018, the program was extended for an additional four, ensuring it will remain intact for another decade.

Jones also discussed efforts he undertook regarding healthcare, including legislation aimed at helping people with pre-existing conditions and provide assistance for people reeling from the ongoing opioid epidemic.

A fact not lost on those in the news media was Jones’ work against the newsprint tariff. After hearing from publishers throughout the state, Jones launched a “grassroots” effort to have the tariff reversed and claimed victory in August.

Jones also noted the impact the Chinese tariffs, part of the ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington, have had on Alabama soy bean producers and supported relief payments from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be made to Alabama farmers.

In education, Jones supported efforts to increase resources, including the securing of additional funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and an $800,000 grant for student parents at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

UAB was able to establish childcare facilities on its campus as a result, making it one of only two campuses in the nation to offer such assistance.

Jones also backed efforts to maintain net neutrality, provide rural broadband services and wastewater infrastructure, supported efforts to close the wage gap and expand access to the ballot box.

Jones called the recently approved Civil Rights Cold Case Act, now waiting to be signed by the president, a “remarkable team effort.”

“I know how much this effort means to those who have been affected by these crimes,” Jones said during the press conference. “I am tremendously proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year, I don’t take anything for granted. There will be plenty more work awaiting us in 2019.”

Jones plans to hit the ground running in 2019 by reintroducing legislation that didn’t survive the contentious 2018 session, including legislation tackling predatory lending practices, Medicaid expansion and financial literacy.

The Alabama senator also plans to introduce “new original bills” and is looking forward to hosting his first HBCU summit in Birmingham in February.