WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden accused Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Thursday of endangering national security by blocking the promotions of senior military jobs to protest a Pentagon abortion policy.
Biden, speaking at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, labeled Tuberville’s actions “ridiculous” and called on the Republican’s fellow senators to stand up to him.
“He’s jeopardizing U.S. security,” Biden said on the last leg of a five-day trip to Europe. “I expect the Republican Party to stand up− stand up and do something about it.”
Tuberville has held up more than 200 military promotions that require Senate confirmation as a protest over a Department of Defense policy that includes provisions for paid leave and covering expenses for service members traveling to have an abortion. Tuberville, a first-term senator and former head football coach at Auburn, claims the policy violates federal statutes. His office put out a press release last December that said: “By covering travel expenses and paid time off, Senator Tuberville believes the (Department of Defense) is blatantly flouting the law.”
Tuberville’s refusal to allow the promotions to move forward has left the United States Marine Corps without a confirmed leader for the first time in over a century.Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant of the Marine Corps on Monday. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the Marine Corp’s assistant commandant, is nominated as the next leader, but he is set to serve in an acting role because he hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate because of Tuberville’s actions.
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“The idea that we’re injecting into fundamental foreign policy decisions what, in fact, is a domestic social debate on social issues is bizarre,” Biden said. “And it’s just totally irresponsible, in my view.”
Biden said he’d be willing to talk to Tuberville “if there’s any possibility of changing this ridiculous position.”
Biden said he’s confident that “mainstream” Republicans don’t support what Tuberville is doing, “but they’ve got to stand up and be counted,” he said. “That’s how it ends.”
Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.
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