Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is waging an unprecedented campaign to try to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions.
The Pentagon and lawmakers opposed to Tuberville’s actions say the holds create a trickle-down effect that is hurting military readiness, preventing scores of officers from moving to new jobs, either as nominees or staff members. They argue that less experienced leaders are being forced to step in.
In a memo, Austin said service members and their families were worried they may not get equal access to health care, including abortions. And as many states began to impose more abortion restrictions, he noted that service members who often must move for various missions or training would be forced to travel further, take more time off work and pay more to access reproductive health care.
The policy does not fund abortions. Under federal law, Defense Department facilities can perform abortions only when the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape or incest, and those instances have been extremely rare. According to the department, there were 91 abortions performed in military medical facilities between 2016 and 2021.The impasse in confirmations fueled sharp debates this week during Senate Armed Services Committee hearings.
“I think all of us are concerned — we want to get these key positions filled,” said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican.on Friday that would reverse the new abortion policy. But Tuberville has said that’s not enough to get him to drop the holds.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
TV ad rips ‘traitor’ Sen. Tommy Tuberville: ‘Small man with big mouth’“Tuberville insults every Marine who ever served and puts the men and women of the Marine Corps on the line in danger,” the ad says. “Every U.S. Marine is a patriot. Tommy Tuberville is a traitor.”
Read more »
Sen. Tommy Tuberville: 'I Reject White Nationalism or Racism of Any Kind'Sen. Tommy Tuberville told Breitbart News that he rejects white nationalism and racism, after he made controversial remarks in a recent CNN interview that prompted critics to paint him as a racist.
Read more »
Biden authorizes Pentagon to deploy 3K reserve troops to Europe in response to Ukraine warPresident Biden on Thursday authorized US military leaders to deploy as many as 3,000 reservists to Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read more »
Pentagon may activate up to 3,000 reservists for Russia deterrencePresident Biden authorized the Pentagon to mobilize up to 3,000 military reservists for duty in Europe, a signal that ongoing efforts to deter Russia and reassure NATO allies have taxed active-duty forces deployed across the continent since war erupted.
Read more »
Ukraine live briefing: Wagner no longer significant in Ukraine, Pentagon says; Kyiv receives cluster munitionsThe Pentagon has assessed that Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that conducted a brief but dramatic mutiny against the Kremlin last month, is not “participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”
Read more »
Controversial US cluster munitions are now in Ukraine, say Ukrainian general and Pentagon | CNNThe much-anticipated and controversial American-made cluster munitions that the United States agreed to supply to Kyiv are now in Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian general and the Pentagon.
Read more »