Defense Secretary: Paying for Service Members’ Travel to Obtain Abortions Is ‘a Readiness Issue’
Republican senator has been holding up military promotions over the issue
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed back hard against the lone Republican senator who is holding up approval of military promotions over the Pentagon policy to allow US service members access to legal abortions.
Sen Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is waging an unprecedented campaign to try to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions, forcing less experienced leaders into top jobs and raising concerns at the Pentagon about military readiness.
Senators in both parties — including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell — have pushed back on Tuberville’s blockade, but Tuberville is dug in.
Just one result of Tuberville's obstruction is that the US Marine Corps will be without a commandant for the first time in well more than a century.
The Pentagon chief denied Tuberville’s allegation that the military’s stance on allowing pregnant personnel to travel to states where they can receive legal abortions.
The Justice Department (DOJ) has affirmed the legality of that policy.
“I know Senator Tuberville said that it's illegal, it's not illegal, and we've made that point a number of times, and we point to the fact that there's an opinion that's posted on DOJ’s public facing website that really details this issue,” Austin said. “And so, this is a readiness issue.
“The fact that Senator Tuberville maintains this whole on the promotions of our senior officers, it cascades, it -- it creates friction throughout the entire chain, it disadvantages families,” he added.
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