Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is not budging, saying on the evening of March 26 that he will continue to block Biden administration military promotions unless the Pentagon ends its policy on reimbursement for abortion services.
Tuberville remains steadfast in his position, even as members of his own party have joined with Democrats to voice their disapproval of Tuberville holding up a vote on 160 military promotions unless the Department of Defense (DOD) ends its policy of repaying members of the armed forces for travel expenses to obtain abortions, and also providing paid time off for service members who accompany a spouse to and from an appointment to terminate a pregnancy.
Critics of Tuberville’s stance maintain that by blocking a vote on the Pentagon’s nominees, the senator imperils national security and defense.
The senator initially declared his stance on Feb. 17, the day after the DOD announced its policy.
In a Senate floor debate on March 23, Tuberville, the former coach of the Auburn University football team, took on the DOD’s action on abortion services.
“Federal law only allows the military to provide abortions in three very narrow circumstances: rape, incest, and threat to the life of the mother,” said Tuberville. “Yet the Biden administration has turned the DOD into an abortion travel agency. They did it by using just a memo.”
Continuing in his comments on the floor of the Senate, Tuberville said: “In December, I warned the Department that I would hold their nominees if they tried to force abortion-on-demand on our military, and they did it anyway. The Department knew what the consequences would be. It was clear. This was their choice.”
Military Leaders Say Holdup Is Harmful
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in testimony he delivered on March 27 at a Senate Armed Services hearing, didn’t mention Tuberville by name, nor the policy the senator opposes, but did say that a holdup on promotions has an “absolutely critical” effect on the ability and readiness of the nation’s armed forces during a period of rising international tensions.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Nov. 29, 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“There are a number of things happening globally that indicate that we could be in a contest on any one given day,” Austin said. “Not approving the recommendations for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be.”
The DOD announced its abortion policy amid a period of heightened discontent and emotion on the divisive issue after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and declared that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion.
Tuberville, a conservative, is a fervent opponent of abortion and has made no friends among those organizations advocating expansion of access to abortion, including Planned Parenthood.
In its 2021–2022 scorecard of the voting records of members of Congress, Planned Parenthood indicated that Tuberville was “Not aligned with PP” on all 10 of the bills included in the scorecard.
