(RepublicanNews.org) – The man who forced a “Transgender Day of Visibility” on all Defense Department employees is blasting Republican Senators for holding up the confirmations of hundreds of high-ranking military promotions. Without naming names, the DoD’s Lloyd Austin targeted GOP Senators on August 14th and called their actions “unprecedented” and “unsafe.”
The Secretary of Defense was referring to Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville by default. The Republican is the lone holdout on the Armed Services Committee and Senate rules have allowed him to block hundreds of military promotions for several months. Tuberville has cited DoD policy on abortion as the reasoning behind his willingness to delay a vote.
Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Secretary of Defense Austin implemented a department-wide policy that would facilitate troops and their dependents to travel and take time off to undergo abortions. It would also allow for the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the procedure.
Since then, Tuberville has engaged in a procedural blockade of around 300 general officers and senior Pentagon leadership promotions. The Alabama Republican has demanded that the DoD either implement policies that are pro-life or that the Senate force those types of policies on the department. The Senator has said that legislators should be accountable for DoD policies.
During Austin’s August 14th remarks, the Secretary referred to Tuberville’s ongoing delay as a “blanket hold” and said that American “military readiness” is being undermined. Austin cited the fact that the Joint Chiefs of Staff now lack three confirmed leaders.
The Navy, Army, and Marine Corps are all currently without their respective Senate-confirmed commanders, though unconfirmed officers are serving in their place.
On the same day as Austin’s remarks, Admiral Lisa Franchetti took the reins of the United States Navy in an “acting capacity” at the behest of the Biden administration. If confirmed, Franchetti will be the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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