Insane.
Abortion.
This is a subject that has the country in an uproar. With strong opinions from all parties involved, and protests all over the country. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville has taken a different approach to protest abortion.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that an abortion is not a constitutional right. After this ruling, the Pentagon put in a new policy for the women serving our country regarding reproductive care. Sen. Tuberville is outrageous and selfish for this hold. Not only is he jeopardizing the readiness of our military during a very crucial time (rising tensions between China and Russia), he is trying to change a policy that has nothing to do with him.
The Pentagon policy reimburses service members for travel expenses and offers up to 21 days of leave for abortions and fertility treatment. For months Sen. Tuberville has held up almost 400 military promotions because he wants the Pentagon’s policy regarding reproductive care for women in the military changed. Sen. Tuberville says he will not drop the holds until there is a vote on the Pentagon policy.
He has not introduced legislation to overturn it and insists that debate on amendments to change the policy would not count. Instead, he has proposed a very specific, unusual strategy: Democrats should introduce their own bill on the policy and hold a vote.
Sen. Tuberville told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a committee hearing earlier this year that the taxpayers should not be “on the hook” for such costs. He says it violates the Hyde Amendment that bans federal funding for abortion.
By holding these nominations, Sen. Tuberville is risking military preparedness and putting hundreds of military families at risk financially as well, and for what? Because a woman should have a choice when it comes to her body and the Pentagon policy gives women in the military that control when it comes to their reproductive care.
How can just one senator have this power? This is possible because of unanimous consent. Unanimous consent is an agreement on any question or matter before the Senate sets aside a rule of procedure to expedite proceedings. Many requests for unanimous consent are routine, but if any senator objects, the request is rejected.
This entire situation is just flat out unfair. It is unfair for the families going through it. It is also unfair that we citizens have to sit and fear that our military will not be ready to defend us if we need them to. It also saddens me to see how far our politicians are willing to go to have their way and how unbothered they are by it.
I do not know what our government will do regarding Sen. Tuberville’s hold, but I believe they should stand firm and not give in to Sen. Tuberville’s demands. It is important for our senators to know that our government does not revolve around them, and they can not make radical decisions because they disagree with a policy.
In conclusion, there is a huge hold on hundreds of military nominations thanks to Sen. Tuberville. He is refusing to release this hold until there is a vote on the Pentagon’s policy regarding women in the military seeking reproductive healthcare. This hold is extremely ridiculous and selfish and has placed a lot of people in an unfair situation. The federal government should continue to stand their ground against Sen. Tuberville and make an example out of him to show other senators that ridiculous “solutions” such as Sen. Tuberville’s are not the way to get things done.