Chuck Schumer calls Tuberville’s blocking of Pentagon appointments ‘outrageous’
Hailey Bullis
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) criticized Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Tuesday for “endlessly” holding up the confirmations of 184 military leaders, calling the Alabama senator’s stonewalling “outrageous.”
Tuberville has been blocking the promotions of senior military officers since March due to the Pentagon’s decision to pay for the travel expenses of service members or their spouses who must leave the state to obtain an abortion.
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“It is outrageous for GOP Senator Tuberville to endlessly hold up the promotions of military leaders who’ve dedicated their lives to serving our country,” Schumer tweeted Tuesday evening. “He’s meddling with American security—all because he wants to block service members from accessing reproductive health care.”
Schumer’s statement comes after Tuberville blocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren‘s (D-MA) attempts to push through the promotions with unanimous consent in the Senate earlier on Tuesday.
Tuberville defended his efforts on the Senate floor, saying he was not going to budge on his decision.
“I will come down here as many times as it takes day to night to vote. I’m not afraid to vote,” Tuberville said. “I am keeping my word. This is [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin’s choice, not mine. He knew the consequences for months.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also condemned Tuberville’s actions, calling his efforts “political showmanship” that could affect military readiness.
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“It prevents officers from taking on their new commands and deprives our force of leadership,” she said during Tuesday’s press briefing. “It also affects military families and the kids of military officers and what schools they go to because they won’t be able to change their duty station.”
Schumer could force through the nominees by convening additional procedural votes, but the process would be long and labor intensive.