Democrats complain Tuberville’s hold on promotions for generals hurts national defense

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer ripped Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Republican, for holding up hundreds of military promotions over the Pentagon’s end-run around regulations that prohibit the Defense Department from providing abortions except in cases of rape, incest or saving the woman’s life.

Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, on Wednesday accused Mr. Tuberville of continuing a “dangerous and reckless” hold on what should be considered routine and nonpolitical appointments of senior military officers.

“The senator from Alabama’s blanket hold is creating unnecessary uncertainty that … diminishes our global standing as the strongest military in the world,” Mr. Schumer said on the floor of the Senate.

Mr. Schumer released a letter from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that details how the hold poses a risk to military readiness and hurts military families. 

“Since these are general officers, they’ve spent decades — they and their families — serving our country,” Mr. Schumer said.

Mr. Austin said more than 60 three- and four-star generals or admirals are due to rotate to new positions within the next 120 days. They include the top officers in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, along with other high-level positions such as commander of U.S. Northern Command and Cyber Command.

“Between now and the end of the year, the Department [of Defense] projects that approximately 650 general and flag officers will require Senate confirmation,” Mr. Austin wrote in a May 5 letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat. “The United States military relies on the deep experience and strategic expertise of our senior military leaders. The longer that this hold persists, the greater the risk the U.S. military runs in every theater, every domain and every service.”

The dispute is over a February 2023 Pentagon policy that provides for travel allowances and administrative leave for service members seeking an abortion if it is unavailable near their duty assignment. Mr. Tuberville said his concern isn’t only over the abortion issue itself. 

“This is about a tyrannical executive branch walking all over the United States Senate and doing our jobs,” he said. “This was Secretary Austin’s choice. [He] thought abortion is more important than his highest-level military nominations.”

Mr. Tuberville said Democrats in Congress have tried to break the hold several times but vowed that he would come to the Senate floor as many times as it takes until the matter is resolved.

“An unprecedented change to the military’s abortion policy ought to go before the people’s elected representatives in Congress. No matter what Democrats say, I’m going to keep my word,” he tweeted last week. “Secretary Austin could end this policy and I would drop my hold.”