Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said on CNN Monday night that he has no plans to withdraw his blanket hold on hundreds of DOD nominations and promotions, saying it’s his right as a Senator to place such holds to draw attention to an issue, even as almost all of his Republican colleagues oppose his approach.
His concern is with a policy Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put in place after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The DOD policy says the military will pay for travel and leave time for service members who need to travel out of state for reproductive care. The policy does not allow federal taxpayer money to pay for any abortion procedures, which is already illegal under the Hyde Amendment.
“The Source” anchor Kaitlin Collins pressed him on the effectiveness of his move, saying holds on officer promotions affect military families who want to plan their next steps. Tuberville countered by saying abortions mean some unborn children will never have the opportunity to serve in the military.
Collins also gave Tuberville a chance to clarify remarks he made in May that white nationalists in the military should be called “Americans.” He doubled down, saying he thinks white nationalists are Americans who may have “a few different beliefs” but should be allowed to serve in the military unless they are racist.
“I’m for military, I’m for Christian conservatives, Democrats, whoever wants to be in the military to fight for this country,” Tuberville said.
Collins explained that white nationalism by definition refers to racist individuals who believe whites are superior to other races. Tuberville said that’s “some people’s opinion.” You can watch that exchange here.
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