CV NEWS FEED // In an interview with The Daily Signal, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, vowed to continue his holds on military promotions until the Pentagon ends its “unprecedented” taxpayer-funded abortion policy.
“So we’re to this point, it’s been going on seven months now,” he said to the Signal’s Samantha Aschieris. Tuberville’s holds began back in February, and he has faced increasing pressure from President Joe Biden and other officials in the administration ever since.
“They’re really complaining. We’re up to, as you said, 300 generals and admirals, but it is not affecting anything. Readiness is still there with people that were in those positions are still in those positions,” Tuberville said.
Critics of the holds have noted that Tuberville’s actions have caused the Army, Navy, and Marines to all be leaderless for the first time in American history. However, all three branches continue to have an acting chief, which Tuberville says makes no difference with regard to readiness.
“Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion,” the senator wrote in June. “The hold affects only those at the very top — generals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all.”
In the Signal interview, Tuberville explained that exercising his holds on nominations is a rare ability he can perform as a member of the Republican Senate minority. “It’s the only power that you have as a minority senator, and we’re in the minority as Republicans. We can put a hold on anything.”
He also sharply criticized the way the Senate votes on military nominations to begin with.
“Now you got to remember this,” he said:
I am not holding up nominations because they can do them one at a time. I’m holding up the opportunity for them to just say, “Listen, we want to do 300 at a time.” That’s not going to happen unless they change this policy back and then send it over to be voted on by the senators.
The senator made similar comments to FOX News this week. “I told [Defense] Secretary Austin if you change this, I’m going to put a hold on your admirals and generals, and I’m not going to change back until you move the policy back,” he said:
I don’t think they believed me.
If they want to do it, they can bring them to the floor one at a time and we can vote on them. And I would probably vote on most of them and would look forward to doing that. But they have not wanted to work with me at all.
All they’ve tried to do is bash me and call me names and do all those things. That’s what the Democrats do. That’s what this party has done since they’ve been in power going on three years. They’ve not been told “no” in three years until this point.
I’m not going to change my mind. They have not tried to meet me in the middle. They have not tried to compromise.
Tuberville during his interview with the Signal also took aim at the Biden administration on the topics of men competing in women’s sports and so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors:
But now, after 50 years, this administration wants to tear Title IX up. They don’t believe in genders. They don’t believe in moral values. They’re trying to transition little kids, let them transition without telling their parents.
Read or listen to the full interview here.
