White House says it is Pentagon’s ‘sacred obligation’ to help troops get abortions: Tears into Republicans and says U.S. military will ‘lose talent’ if access to the procedure is limited
Strict abortion restrictions in states like Alabama are impacting morale in the U.S. military, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday, while making an impassioned defense of the Pentagon’s policy.
It comes as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, blocks hundreds of senior military appointments in protest.
He says he won’t back down unless the Defense Department scraps its policy supporting military personnel who must leave the state for discharge after the Supreme Court struck down abortion protections last year.
“I’m really glad you asked that question,” Kirby, who is an admiral in the Navy, said in response to a question about whether the policy was necessary for military readiness.
He said for all-volunteer service, it was part of the contract between military leaders and the men and women who volunteered to serve.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (left) on Monday gave an impassioned defense of the Pentagon’s policy on abortion. It comes as Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking hundreds of senior military appointments in protest
Whether it’s women in the military, one in five, or female family members who can count on the types of health care and reproductive care they specifically need,” he said at the White House briefing, “that’s a fundamental sacred obligation of military leaders across the river.”
The Pentagon, across the Potomac in Virginia, has often been targeted by conservatives for building a sort of diverse military force that reflects the nation.
Republicans have accused it of being more interested in “waking up” than warfare.
The Department of Defense says Tuberville’s stance has already blocked more than 260 senior officer nominations. That number could rise to 650 by the end of the year.
He refuses to lift his blockade until a vote is taken on the Pentagon’s policy of offering paid time off and expenses to military personnel who must travel for an abortion.
“I don’t know if it will continue,” he said last week. ‘It’s possible. I do not give a hoot.
“I just want the American people to have a say on this, not the Pentagon.”
At the same time, House Republicans signaled that no policy area is safe from their culture war attacks.
“I’m really glad you asked that question,” Kirby, who is an admiral in the Navy, said in response to a question about whether the policy was necessary for military readiness.
Kirby pointed out that one in five military personnel is now a woman
Last week, they passed an annual defense-approval bill that included restrictions on abortion, transgender transition treatment, and diversity training. In doing so, they ended a long-standing practice of passing such bills with bipartisan support, ensuring that it would be rejected by the Senate.
Against that background, Kirby said active duty personnel and spouses recently told him that abortion restrictions affected their willingness to serve.
“So if you think there’s not going to be a retention and morale issue, think again, because it’s already having that effect,” he said.
Service members cannot choose where they are stationed, he continued, citing the example of his son and son-in-law who are both in the Navy.
“And what happens when you’re assigned to a state like Alabama, which has a pretty restrictive abortion law, and you’re worried about your reproductive care?” he asked.
‘What are you doing? Do you say no and get out?
“Well, some people might decide to do that. And what does that mean?
‘Then we lose talent, important talent.
“And we are an all-volunteer corps. Recruiting is hard enough as it is with a very strong economy out there.
“We want to keep the people we get and we want to make sure they can continue to serve.”
Moreover, he added, “It’s just the right thing to do for people who raise their hands and agree to serve in the military.”
President Joe Biden also expressed his frustration with Tuberville last week.
“I’d be willing to talk to him if I thought there’s any possibility of him changing the ridiculous position he’s in,” he said in Helsinki, Finland.
“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.”