Tuberville Again Blocks Military Promotions Over Abortion

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Tuesday blocked a move by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that would give the go-ahead to almost 200 military promotions that Tuberville has held up over his objection to the Pentagon’s new abortion policy.

“One senator is personally standing in the way of promotions for 184 of our top-level military leaders,” Warren said Tuesday on the Senate floor. “One senator is holding up pay raises for men and women in uniform. One senator is blocking key senior military leaders from taking their posts. One senator is jeopardizing America’s national security.”

Warren requested unanimous consent for the Senate to immediately consider Shoshana Chatfield’s confirmation as vice admiral to serve as the U.S. representative to the NATO military committee, The Hill reported.

“At this critical juncture of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, we need her leadership in NATO now more than ever,” Warren said.

But Tuberville stuck to his guns, saying that the Pentagon’s policy, which grants members of the military up to three weeks of leave to travel to have abortions, violates federal law.

“I warned Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin that if he did this and changed this, I would put a hold on his highest-level nominees,” Tuberville said from the floor. “Secretary Austin went through with the policy anyway in February of this year, so I am keeping my word.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, joined Tuberville in objecting to unanimous consent, preventing the military promotions.