Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin argued against criticisms from Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Tuesday and implored him to support the department’s officer nominations, which Tuberville has vowed to block until Austin reverses his stance on policies supporting service members seeking abortions.
“Not approving the recommendation for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be,” Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Tuberville has said he would hold up Defense Department nominations for flag and general officers until Austin “rescinds or suspends” the new policies, which largely focus on providing support for service members who have to travel out of state for care – including abortions and other non-covered reproductive health care like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI).
“The effects are cumulative, and it will effect families,” Austin added of the delay, “it will effect kids going to schools because they won’t be able to change their duty station, and so it’s a powerful effect and will impact on our readiness.”
Tuberville said Tuesday during the committee hearing that his hold is about “not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortion.”
The Pentagon has been authorized to provide abortions in limited circumstances for decades; the 1976 Hyde Amendment said that federal funds can be used to perform abortions in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is at risk. Tuberville acknowledged that the “military has performed abortions for years,” but that he doesn’t “recall one military person ever complaining that we weren’t performing enough abortions.”
The new Pentagon policies were released in response to a Supreme Court ruling in June which removed the federal right to…
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