Some Republican senators are expressing their help for Sen. Tommy Tuberville‘s efforts to overturn the Pentagon’s coverage of subsidizing abortions by holding up the promotions of high-ranking army officers.
The primary-term Republican senator from Alabama has spent months combating in opposition to the Protection Division’s woke agenda by blocking the Senate’s approval of practically 200 promotions for army generals and flag officers.
The Protection Division issued its policy Feb. 16, offering three weeks of taxpayer-funded paid go away and reimbursement of journey bills for army personnel and dependents who’re searching for an abortion.
The Every day Sign contacted each different Senate Republican, asking whether or not she or he helps the Alabama senator’s efforts.
“Senator [Josh] Hawley opposes the DOD abortion coverage and helps all efforts to overturn it,” a spokesperson for Hawley, R-Mo., advised The Every day Sign in an electronic mail.
Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., additionally expressed help for Tuberville’s efforts.
“I help Sen. Tuberville’s principled stand,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., advised The Every day Sign in an emailed assertion. “For many years, Democrats and Republicans joined collectively to forbid federal funds from getting used for abortion. To permit taxpayer-funded abortions can be a disservice to all those that have a honest non secular objection.”
“The Biden administration is radically pro-abortion. I’m glad to see Senator Tuberville take a brave stance in opposition to their unlawful motion to make use of taxpayer {dollars} to fund abortions for members of our army,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., advised The Every day Sign in an emailed assertion.
Daines famous that Tuberville has known as for the Senate to vote on the abortion coverage throughout an interview this week.
“Sen. Tuberville has stated, ‘Simply give us an up or down vote on the ground of the U.S. Senate. Let’s deliver this struggle to the sunshine of day … in entrance of the those who despatched us right here to serve and deliberate about these points,’” Daines stated.
In an announcement to The Every day Sign, Tuberville’s fellow Alabama Republican senator, Katie Britt, weighed in, saying:
It’s crucial that we defend life at each flip. As a substitute of utilizing Division of Protection funds to finest equip, useful resource, and prepare our warfighters to defend our nation, the Biden administration is utilizing these taxpayer {dollars} to struggle a tradition struggle to advance its personal left-wing political agenda.
Not solely is that this one other instance of far-left Democrats making an attempt to chip away on the long-standing, bipartisan Hyde Modification, it’s a clear abuse of army funding and an affront to the army’s nonpartisan mission.
[Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] ought to permit this to return to a vote at once. The rationale he has refused to take action is as a result of that Congress is not going to approve a radical measure that forces American households to subsidize abortions with their hard-earned tax {dollars}.
The White Home and Schumer’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to The Every day Sign’s request for remark.
“Completely, Senator Lankford believes what the DoD is doing is unsuitable and is ignoring federal regulation,” a spokeswoman for Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., advised The Every day Sign in an emailed assertion.
Different Senate Republicans who’ve beforehand expressed their help for Tuberville’s efforts embody Sens. J. D. Vance of Ohio, John Cornyn of Texas, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Todd Younger of Indiana, and John Thune and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.
“The Pentagon is unlawfully declaring struggle on the unborn. Their coverage dodges congressional intent and can’t stand,” Ernst advised The Every day Sign in an emailed assertion. “I share Senator Tuberville’s want to overturn this coverage and am main the Senate’s effort to undo it via laws.”
Republican Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, and Susan Collins of Maine have beforehand expressed concern over Tuberville’s efforts, POLITICO reported. Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., can be against Tuberville’s efforts, the Associated Press reported.
The Protection Division declined to remark for this text.
Along with the senators’ help, greater than 3,000 veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces expressed their help for Tuberville and calling on the Pentagon to rescind its abortion coverage in a new letter addressed to Schumer and McConnell. The letter was shared first with The Every day Sign.
4 members of Home of Representatives joined state lawmakers, nationwide leaders, and 1000’s of on a regular basis People who’ve served their nation within the army among the many signatories.
“The undersigned stand united in condemning this coverage,” they write within the letter to Schumer and McConnell. “This coverage isn’t just unlawful, it shamefully politicizes the army, circumvents the authority of Congress, and exceeds the authority of the Division of Protection.”
The letter contains 593 particular person names—together with Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Ronny Jackson, R-Texas; and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.—plus 32 endorsers and companions with the Chaplain Alliance for Non secular Liberty, which represents the place of greater than 2,500 army chaplains.
This text could also be up to date ought to extra Republican senators categorical their help for, or opposition to, Tuberville’s efforts.
The Every day Sign’s Rob Bluey contributed to this report.
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