At a press conference last week, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin argued that recent actions from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) could play directly into the interests of adversaries of the United States who’d like to see disruption in the military readiness of the country.
In protest of a Pentagon policy providing indirect support for service members seeking reproductive care including abortions, Tuberville has objected to and upended the planned nominations and promotions of hundreds of intended military officers. Some of these responsibilities can generally be fulfilled on an acting basis, but an official simply taking over a role in the absence of Senate confirmation does not necessarily have the same authorities as generally expected. And in general, Tuberville’s procedural blockade has upended personnel plans throughout the nation’s armed forces, making basic planning especially difficult.
“I know Senator Tuberville has said that it’s illegal — it’s not illegal, and we’ve made that point a number of times,” Austin argued of the Defense Department’s disputed policy. The military is providing support for individuals who may seek an abortion, but the support covers travel costs rather than directly covering any procedure. The U.S. now has a patchwork of abortion availability as GOP officials have taken the chance presented by the decision in Dobbs to restrict abortion. The military leader added that Tuberville’s action “cascades, it creates friction throughout the entire chain, it disadvantages families… I would imagine our adversaries would look at something like this and be pretty happy that we create this kind of turbulence within our force.”
Austin and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth have also indicated that they’re standing by the policy, no matter Tuberville’s debilitating opposition. Fervent criticism for Tuberville’s moves has been wide-ranging, from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to the progressive advocacy group called VoteVets.
.@SecDef Austin on Sen. Tuberville’s hold on military promotions: “I would ask Senator Tuberville to lift his hold…I would imagine our adversaries would look at something like this and be pretty happy that we create this kind of turbulence with within our force.” pic.twitter.com/pMGpnCqEo8
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 18, 2023
