Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama remains resolute in his pro-life stance, refusing to back down in the face of the Pentagon’s illegal abortion funding. Despite the displeasure of pro-abortion Democrats urging him to abandon his fight to protect babies and enforce pro-life laws, Tuberville continues to stand as a champion for the unborn.
The Department of Defense’s new policy mandates that taxpayers cover travel expenses and paid time off for military service members and their families seeking to commit abortions. This policy is projected to result in approximately 4,100 additional children being aborted annually, at least partly funded by taxpayers.
Tuberville, along with U.S. Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana and others, has pointed out the clear violation of Title 10 Section 1093 of the U.S. Code by the new pro-abortion policy. This section explicitly states that Department of Defense funds should not be utilized for performing abortions, except in cases where the mother’s life is at risk or in instances of rape or incest.
According to an AP report, Tuberville has not wavered:
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville rejected a proposal from Senate Democrats on Monday, aimed at ending his hold on military promotions due to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policies.
Some senators suggested that the Senate debate its abortion policies during the annual defense bill negotiations to convince Tuberville to lift the holds. However, Tuberville’s office, realizing that his leverage would be eliminated by the Democrat’s suggestion, declared his opposition to the proposal.
Senator Tuberville’s legislative standoff places the blame squarely on the Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for prioritizing pro-abortion politics over military promotions.
“This is about an overbearing executive branch disregarding the United States Senate and neglecting our duties,” Tuberville stated. “Secretary Austin made the choice to prioritize abortion over the nominations of our top military officials.”
Tuberville’s actions do not entirely block nominees. Rather, they require individual votes on each nominee instead of confirming long lists of nominees at once, as is customary. This process takes longer but ensures careful consideration.
Hopes for a swift resolution to the Senate standoff, which has delayed over 200 military officer promotions and the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were dashed on Monday.
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has been using holds to pressure the Defense Department to rescind its policy of reimbursing service members for out-of-state abortions. Alabama is one of the states where the right to life of pre-born children is protected and abortion is currently illegal.
The pentagon’s insistence on illegally funding abortion is affects a wide range of individuals, from four-star Air Force General CQ Brown, who was nominated to be the next chairman of the joint chiefs, to numerous one, two, and three-star officers assigned to new base commands.
Families of these officers are also affected by the impasse, as they typically relocate over the summer to new military communities, allowing their school-age children to settle in before the fall semester.
Additionally, the hold impacts hundreds of younger military personnel who do not require Senate confirmation but are indirectly affected since they serve as staff or aides to the relocating generals. These aides, too, face significant obstacles due to the hold.
Essentially, two options remain. First, Tuberville’s office suggests that Congress could vote to amend the U.S. law that prohibits federal funding for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. Tuberville argues that the Pentagon is bypassing this law with its new policy. However, changing the law is unlikely with a Republican-controlled House. The policy is also likely to be highly unpopular with the American people who do not support taxpayer funding of abortion.
This leaves Senate Democratic leadership with the unappealing option of circumventing Tuberville’s hold by calling for separate Senate votes on each individual nomination. Due to the rules of debate, this process is estimated to take two to three days per nomination, possibly delaying completion until the end of the year, assuming no other Senate business were to be conducted.
Soldiers Support Senator’s Efforts
Senator Tuberville’s stance has garnered significant support, with over 3,000 veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces expressing their solidarity in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
In the letter, the signatories condemn the Pentagon’s abortion policy as both illegal and politically motivated, circumventing Congress’s authority and exceeding the Department of Defense’s jurisdiction. The letter includes the names of 593 individuals, including several members of Congress, and is endorsed by the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, representing over 2,500 military chaplains.
The letter, first obtained by the Daily Signal can be read in its entirety on the Daily Signal website.