Senator Tammy Duckworth is the latest Democrat to berate Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville for holding back military promotion and nominations in objection to the Pentagon’s reimbursement of abortion travel expenses.
Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost her legs in Iraq in 2004, was aggravated when she expressed her belief that Senator Tuberville is threatening US national security with the stunt.
“It’s bizarre for Senator Tuberville to say he’s not endangering national security when he injects politics into the defense process,” the Democratic senator said in a Sunday morning interview with NBC’s Meet the Press program.
“And frankly, this isn’t the time to do it,” she complained. “Not when there is war in Europe, not when American leadership is vital to the international world order.”
“It is extremely disturbing that he is really endangering our national security by injecting politics and preventing our military leaders from taking their positions and doing their jobs.”
Her remarks follow President Joe Biden who said it was ridiculous that the Alabama senator is blocking military promotions because of the Pentagon’s new policy that reimburses military personnel who leave the state for abortions.
Senator Tammy Duckworth (pictured) said Sunday it is “beyond disgusting” that Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking promotions and nominations of senior military leaders in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy
Senator Tuberville said he would end the blockade if the Pentagon reversed its directive to use taxpayers’ money to reimburse service members to travel out of state for abortions
Senator Duckworth explained that lawmakers have tried to give Tuberville a way to vote on the issue of halting the Pentagon’s compensation program, but he has refused to agree to the terms of a vote on the ground.
“We gave him a lot of options to vote, and he turned them all down,” Senator Duckworth told NBC host Chuck Todd. “Republican leaders have offered him multiple exits for this, and he’s backed himself into a corner.
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“What he says is what the Democrats need to pass a national codification of Roe v. Wade,” she continued. ‘We like to do that. Of course that won’t happen anytime soon now that the Senate is so divided.’
Biden was clearly fed up with the mugging of his Pentagon nominees and promotions last week during remarks in Helsinki, Finland.
Asked about the stunt at a press conference in Europe, Biden said Tuberville “endangers” US military preparedness and called on the Republican Party to do something about their colleague blocking the movement of military leaders within the ranks.
Tuberville said he will stop blocking the Armed Services Committee’s actions once the policy is reversed and taxpayers’ money no longer funds travel for abortion services.
“I would be willing to talk to him if I thought there was any possibility of him changing his ridiculous position that he has,” Biden said.
“He’s endangering American security by what he’s doing. I expect the Republican Party to stand up, stand up and do something about it.”
President Joe Biden criticized Senator Tommy Tuberville’s ‘ridiculous’ stunt last week at a press conference in Helsinki, Finland
The bloc is holding back confirmation of the next Marine Corps commander, leaving the department without an official leader for the first time in 100 years.
Outgoing Commander David Berger resigned from his post on Monday after reaching the term of office. Tuberville holds back General Eric Smith, currently the assistant commander, from being confirmed as his successor by the Senate.
Biden’s choice as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Congress on Wednesday that the Tuberville bloc could cause any establishment to lose top talent.
Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown shared his perspective during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee on Tuesday, where Tuberville was present.
Abortion is now illegal in Tuberville’s home state of Alabama, meaning that if a service member wants an abortion, they must travel out of the state for the procedure.
Secretary of the Department of Defense Lloyd Austin, after last June’s Dobbs ruling, ordered that service members be paid for their time and that travel costs for the procedure be reimbursed.
The Tuberville blockade, Progressive Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren noted at Tuesday’s hearing, will leave 650 leaders in limbo as they await promotions and nominations.
“My concern is there is future retention,” General Brown warned at the hearing.
He added: “We have our junior officers now looking up and saying, ‘If that’s the challenge we could face in the future. I’m going to balance between my family and fulfilling a higher position.’ And because of those challenges, we are going to lose talent.’
Brown noted that not only are service members affected, but husbands and children are now uncertain about the future as well.
He told the Senate panel on Tuesday that some families have already sold their homes pending relocation and are now in temporary basic housing and others were preparing for retirement but are now being held pending replacements.
Biden’s choice as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown (pictured) warned during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that the military will “lose talent” if the wait of promotions and senior officer appointments continues
Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade last summer, Secretary Austin unveiled a rule that allows the use of funds to pay service workers to leave the state for abortion services if necessary.
The Dobbs Supreme Court decision in June 2022 sent abortion laws back to the states — and more conservative jurisdictions, such as Alabama, imposed restrictive laws on termination of pregnancy.
“The spouse network is alive and well and the spouses will compare notes,” Brown added during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. “The member may want to serve, but the spouses and the families get a huge voice.”
Caught in the crosshairs of the bloc is the appointment of Assistant Marine Corps Commander Eric Smith to take over when outgoing Commander Berger’s term expires. The Marine Corps now has no Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in 100 years
He said that if families are unhappy, they can influence their spouses or senior officer parents to end their military service.
No nominee for general or admiral has been confirmed for months because of the Tuberville blockade.
The Alabama senator said he would give up the watch if the Pentagon reversed its policy to reimburse travel for troops undergoing abortions.
There are currently over 250 senior promotions pending Senate approval.
Tuberville did not mention the blockade or the DoD’s abortion policy in general during Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.
The Democrats, however, did not pass up their chance to call on the Republican senator.
“What he could do to help is lift this stay before it does more damage to this country,” Senator Warren said.
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine argued during his time that Tuberville punishes apolitical military personnel for policies beyond their control.
“I’m not aware of anything they’ve done that would disrespect them, punish them or slow them down in their careers,” Kaine said. “Just because a privilege can be exercised doesn’t mean it should be exercised.
“I urge all my colleagues to turn away from the path we are on, where we disrespect and punish people because we are not satisfied with policies in the military that these individuals had nothing to do with.”