On Wednesday night, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered remarks on the Senate floor after several of his colleagues tried to circumvent his blanket hold on general officer, flag officer, and civilian nominations due to the Pentagon’s illegal abortion-related policy. Read excerpts from the speech below or watch here.
“I want to start by thanking my colleagues for their service in the Armed Forces of the greatest country ever. There is no institution in this world I honor more than the United States military. I am thankful to every veteran in this country. I also want to note that I respect my colleagues’ strong pro-life voting record. The Republican party has been the pro-life party for half a century. We ought to be proud that we stand for life. We stand for the most vulnerable of our society, the unborn. I know my colleagues here share that conviction. The disagreement we’re having today is about tactics.
So let me explain why I’m doing this – how we got here and where we go from here. Nine months ago, the Pentagon announced that they would start using our taxpayer dollars to facilitate abortion. Let me say that one more time. Nine months ago, the Pentagon announced by memo that they would start using our taxpayer dollars to facilitate abortion. The Pentagon is now paying for travel and extra time off for service members and their dependents to get abortions. Congress never voted for this. We also never appropriated the money for this. There is no law that allows them to do this. In fact, there is a law that says they can’t do this. One more time – there is a law that says they can’t do this – created in this room. It’s 10 USC section 1093. It says the only time the Pentagon can spend taxpayer dollars on abortion is in cases of rape, incest, and threat to the health of the mom.
So, this is a policy that is illegal and immoral. This is about life. And it’s also about the rule of law. It’s about our Constitution. It’s about whether we make laws at the Pentagon or whether we follow the Constitution. This is also about the integrity of our military. The only thing in this world I honor more than our military is the Constitution. We all swore to uphold the Constitution. I also feel very strongly about the obligation to uphold it every day in this room. I cannot simply sit idly by while the Biden Administration injects politics in our military, again, injects politics in our military from the White House, and spends taxpayers’ dollars on abortion.
The only power that a senator in the minority has is to put a hold on a nomination. The only thing. I’m not the first person to do this. Holds on nominations happen all the time. Holds on military nominations have happened many, many, many, many times before. Typically, they don’t last this long because the administration will work with a senator until the issue is resolved. But that has not happened this time. Zero negotiation. Abortion is the most important thing to the Democrats that they have and they won’t negotiate it. One more time, abortion is the most important thing that Democrats have and they will not negotiate. This has been going on for nine months. Every day this continues is a day that Democrats think abortion is more important than the nominations in our military.
I support many of these nominees and I agree that these are very, very important jobs. But we could have been voting on these nominees the entire nine months. The Senate has had more than ninety days off this year, not including weekends. Each nomination could take as little as two hours. In fact, tomorrow, we’ll be voting on three of the most important nominees that we’ve forced the leader of the Senate to bring to the floor. The nominees at the very top ought to be voted on anyway. These jobs are too important not to receive the advice and consent of the Senate.
I have to respectfully disagree with my colleagues about the effect of my hold on readiness. My hold is not affecting readiness. The Biden Administration had been saying this for months. But nobody has an explanation. Nobody. The fact is no jobs, no jobs are going unfilled. Every job. Every job is being done. In fact, General Mark Milley said recently that our readiness is the best it has been in years. Time and again, generals and service members have assured me that they’re ready to go. I believe it. So, I’m going to keep my holds in place. If senators want to vote on these nominees one by one, I’m all in. I’m happy to do that. But I will keep my hold in place until the Pentagon follows the law or the Democrats change the law.
This is about our Constitution. This is about the rule of law. That’s what we’re about in here. It’s about the integrity of our military. It’s about keeping politics out of the military. I did not put it in the military. Joe Biden and Secretary Austin put politics in the military, and it’s about the right to life. These are some of the most important things in the world to me. And so, Mister President, I object.”
