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Absurd Attacks Against Tuberville 'Strengthen His Resolve' in Fighting Pentagon's Abortion Policy

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 07, 2023 12:45 PM

The attacks against Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) keep coming as he continues to stand up for unborn life and the rule of law by holding up military nominees and promotions over the Pentagon's illegal abortion policy in violation of 10 U.S.C. 1093. Servicemembers and their dependents receive paid time off for abortions, and travel expenses are covered if the abortion takes place out-of-state. There is no gestational limit.

Tuberville has been trending on social media in recent days, as the hits keep coming. The Washington Post published multiple pieces on Monday that were critical of the holds, including a profile piece on Gen. Eric Smith, who currently serves as the acting commandant of the Marine Corps. 

The outlet also published an op-ed from Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, "Three service secretaries to Tuberville: Stop this dangerous hold on senior officers."

The three appeared on "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on Tuesday night to discuss the op-ed, during which Del Toro brought up how he was born in Cuba to rebuke the senator. "For someone who's born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communist and other autocratic regimes around the world," he claimed. "This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have a real negative impact on our combat readiness. And that's what the American people truly need to understand."

As Mediaite highlighted, many took to calling out Del Toro's strong charges as they came to Tuberville's defense over Twitter. This includes Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a strong supporter of Tuberville, who called Del Toro's remarks "rich."

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Kendall also noted that "people who are potential adversaries are paying attention to this," using an example of how a colonel from the People's Libertarian Army of China "taunted" an Air Force officer at an embassy event "about the way our democracy was working." 

"Our potential adversaries are paying attention to this and is affecting how they view the United States and our military capabilities and support for the military. This needs to stop," he added. Given how woke the military is, which our adversaries are almost certainly watching, it's curious that Secretary Kendall would focus on Tuberville's holds. Meanwhile, the woke military has focused on pronouns, Pride Month, drag shows, and promoting Critical Race Theory. Recruitment has long been an issue.

The op-ed they discussed was aso filled with loaded language throughout. Despite lamenting what they call "baseless political attacks against these men and women" from Tuberville, and speaking about what "the American people need to understand," the piece mentions talking points mentioned by Democrats who oppose the senator's hold. The claims are also refutable.

"The senator asserts that this blanket and unprecedented 'hold,' which he has maintained for more than six months, is about opposition to Defense Department policies that ensure service members and their families have access to reproductive health no matter where they are stationed," the secretaries mention. Scare quotes are used, as the op-ed instead claims Tuberville is "blocking the confirmation of our most senior military officers."

First of all, the hold is not "unprecedented," as Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) engaged in a hold in July 2020. 

Tuberville has long maintained that he is not "blocking" nominees, since they can still receive a floor vote in the Democratically-controlled Senate, if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would only go that route. 

The piece also refers to "the actions of a single senator," perhaps as a way to undermine the considerable support that Tuberville has from not just fellow members of Congress in both chambers, but also leaders of organizations, as well as veterans. 

Speaking with Tony Perkins on "Washington Watch," retired Lieutenant Gernald Gerry Boykin communicated his support for Tuberville as "a strong man" who "will go the distance," whie also calling the secretaries out for "the biggest hypocrisy that I have seen coming out of the Department of Defense," especially in the context of vaccine mandates in the military.

Regardless, that claim from the secretaries doesn't acknowledge how Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) also objected to confirming nominees and promotions through unanimous consent. 

Steven Stafford, the communications director for Tuberville, poked holes in the attacks, telling Townhall they're "shockingly weak and devoid of facts." Pointing to claims from the op-ed, Stafford also called it "wrong" to say that "the foundation of our military is the generals," since "[t]he foundation of our military is our enlisted servicemembers."

"If Senate Democrats were actually concerned about readiness then they would pick up the phone and call Chuck Schumer and ask him to start scheduling votes," he aso said.

In a video response shared over Twitter on Wednesday, Tuberville argued he's "not holding up nominations from being approved," since the Democrats in the Senate can "bring them one at a time to the floor" but "have chosen not to do that."

The nominees, Tuberville explained, "are already doing the job, it's just that they got 'interim' on their name." He stressed that "there's no threat to readiness."

The senator's office has consistently rebutted the readiness concerns by highlighting how servicemembers remain in their positions until their replacement is confirmed. They also receive backpay from when they were first promoted.

Reminding how the secretaries are "Joe Biden civilian appointees," Tuberville shared "it disappoints me some of the language that they use, because I am a United States Senator. I would never say anything like that about them in the newspaper," adding "this should not be played out in the newspaper."

While Tuberville offered for the secretaries to come call him or see him, he shared that "they have not that, I have not talked to any of them about this," which the senator argued "just goes to show you this is all propaganda that's been carried on by the Secretary of Defense [Lloyd Austin] and the President of the United States saying y'all gotta start putting pressure on this senator." As Tuberville also said however, "they don't know what pressure is."

The senator has consistently highlighted a lack of communication from the Department of Defense (DOD). It was only just a few months ago that Austin was speaking with Tuberville. President Joe Biden has signaled he will not do so.

The Biden administration have since pushed those attacks from the secretaries as well, as White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates did on Tuesday when tweeting out the op-ed. As Tuberville made clear to NBC News' Sahil Kapur, though, he remains committed.

In addition to wanting to hear more from the Pentagon, Tuberville is calling for votes. In sharing the piece profiling General Smith, Erick Erickson noted he spoke to the senator, who is willing to hold individual votes.

Even with all the attacks against Tuberville, he still has the support from the people who elected him. A WPA poll shared last week with the Washington Examiner shows that Alabama voters are more likely to support Tuberville's view on the holds than the Biden administration's by 45-33 percent.

It's not just the support that's helpful to Tuberville, though. Stafford also told Townhall that Left continuing to attack the senator "strengthens his resolve."

"After the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, this policy is critical and necessary to meet our obligations to the force. It is also fully within the law, as confirmed by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel," the op-ed claims.

However, Tuberville and others have pointed to 10 U.S.C. 1093, which dictates that abortion can only be funded by the Department of Defense in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the life of the mother. The Hyde Amendment also protects taxypayers from having to fund elective abortions. Polling shows that 60 percent of Americans oppose taxpayer dollars going towards elective abortions. 

Beyond protecting the unborn, taxpayers, and the rule of law, Tuberville's hold as allowed for oversight into "scrutiniz[ing]" the nominees, which Tuberville tweeted the Senate has "a responsibility" to do.