U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) published an op-ed in The Washington Times on Thursday to defend his hold on military promotions to combat a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) policy that financially facilitates abortions.
After the U.S. Supreme Court brought the abortion issue back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade last summer, the Pentagon decided to aid female soldiers in obtaining abortions by offering them up to three weeks of leave and transportation allowances to travel to states where abortion is legal.
"Nobody in Congress voted for this," Tuberville said about the abortion policy in the op-ed. "The Pentagon did it unilaterally in February by sending a policy memo. That's not how our system is supposed to work. Under the Constitution, Congress writes the laws and Congress directs all federal spending."
Tuberville, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, threatened to impede President Joe Biden's DOD nominations if the policy is implemented without congressional approval. His decision slows Biden's efforts to fill DOD positions without a formal Senate vote.
Tuberville clarified that his hold does not stop all nominees from being confirmed but rather prevents the Senate from confirming them in large swaths instead of individually.
"It is entirely reasonable for the United States Senate to vote on these nominations," Tuberville argued. "Shouldn't we thoughtfully consider the nominees for some of the most powerful positions in the military?"
"If Democrats want me to drop my hold, then the answer is very simple," he continued. "I have laid out two conditions for me to allow batch approvals of promotions and nominees: either follow the law or change the law."
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