U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he is receiving strong veteran support amid a standoff with President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the department’s decision to pay for abortion-related expenses for servicemembers using taxpayer dollars.
More than 5,000 veterans expressed their support for Tuberville’s decision to place a hold on Pentagon general and flag officer promotions, joining a growing army of those backing the senator, his office said Tuesday.
Tuberville reportedly had a phone call Tuesday evening with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
According to a spokesman in Tuberville’s office, “Coach is grateful for another cordial conversation with the Secretary. The Secretary and the Senator discussed (Wednesday’s) Senate briefing with Pentagon officials on the effects of the Pentagon’s new abortion policy. Coach looks forward to the briefing and to further discussions to resolve the situation.”
Meanwhile, the holds are having a direct impact on a command at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal, where its “leaders are experiencing both personal and professional consequences.”
Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler’s stay with the Space and Missile Defense Command has been extended by the hold, the SMDC said in a statement. Karbler is commanding general of SMDC.
“The ongoing confirmation holds on military nominees cause unnecessary risks to the readiness of the force,” the statement said. “These holds also impact military families. The inability of senior officers to assume new assignments triggers a chain of events affecting junior officers and military families down the chain of command.
“While we welcome additional time with LTG Karbler as commanding general, we also recognize the impact on him and his family.”
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the veterans outline the need for a strong military that is focused on fighting to preserve life, rather than end it.
“As current and former service members of the United States Military, and organizations which support and advocate for the safety and well-being of our service members, we firmly support Senator Tuberville’s position of holding civilian, general, and flag officers from confirmation by unanimous consent until the DoD rescinds its recently instituted policy of subsidizing abortion,” the letter reads.
“The undersigned stand united in condemning this policy. This policy is not just illegal, it
shamefully politicizes the military, circumvents the authority of Congress, and exceeds the
authority of the Department of Defense.”
The complete text of the letter can be found here. It is signed by several members of Congress who are veterans.
The Garrison Command Public Affairs Office at Redstone Arsenal said, “Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is on record describing the broad impact the nominations hold is having on leaders and their families throughout the DOD.
“Those same impacts are felt here at Redstone where some of our leaders are experiencing both personal and professional consequences.”
