Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., called the Defense Department's plans to expand abortion access in the military by year's end "illegal" and has threatened to delay any of the agency's Senate nominations until it rescinds is policy.
"Not only is this a severe misuse of taxpayer dollars, it's illegal," Tuberville, a member of the Senate Arms Services Committee, tweeted Friday. "I will hold [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] accountable."
According to a press release from Tuberville, his staff was briefed Wednesday by the Defense Department, and it revealed the Pentagon's intention to announce a new policy by year's end that would cover travel and leave for service members and their dependents seeking abortions.
U.S. law prohibits the Defense Department from subsidizing or using any of its facilities to perform abortions except in cases of rape or incest or if the mother's life is in danger.
"As six states and the District of Columbia have no abortion restrictions," Tuberville wrote Friday in a letter to Austin, "your policy would force taxpayers to finance access to abortions without protections other states have duly enacted such as waiting periods and prohibitions on late-term abortions. Like me, many Americans find such abortions morally repugnant.
"When questioned on these issues, the department could not provide analysis or estimates of how this policy change will impact its budget, readiness, and manpower. It is irresponsible to push forward with such a controversial change to departrnent policy without thorough due diligence on how this will impact the readiness of the force."
Tuberville wrote that the proposed policy changes circumvent Congress and exceed the Pentagon's authority.
"Should you implement these proposed changes to the department's abortion policies, I will place a hold on all future DoD civilian and general/flag officer nominations," Tuberville wrote.
Newsmax reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.
In October, Austin wrote a memo about the Defense Department's plans to expand on its policy regarding abortions in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. The Pentagon scheduled a briefing for Congress, but it was canceled.
On Monday, Tuberville wrote a letter to Austin saying he would block any of the department's Senate nominations until his staff was briefed on the matter, which led to the briefing Wednesday.
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