'Screw him': Armed Services Committee Dem insists defense bill will suffer under Tuberville proposal
As United States Senator Tommy Tuberville' 9-month military promotions blockade continues, one of the solutions he's proposing includes reversing the military's abortion travel policy through the National Defense Authorization Act.
A top Democratic senator rejected this idea Thursday, Politico reports, saying, "No, screw him. He lost, and he's trying to tear down this country because he disagrees with the policy. If the Republicans insist upon that, we will not have an NDAA. And I don't believe they will insist on that."
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) emphasized that the reverse would be "a significant red line for Democrats that could doom the bill."
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The news outlet notes the Alabama Republican "instituted the holds in protest of a policy that reimburses troops who must travel across state lines in order to obtain an abortion or other reproductive care."
Poilitico notes, "Democrats aren't willing to yield on the policy, which they argue is necessary to shore up access to abortion for military personnel stationed in states where it is no longer legal. And Tuesday's election wins will likely only bolster their position."
The Hill journalist AI Weaker wrote via X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday that Tuberville "says he has not looked at the election results re abortion last night," emphasizing, "I don't keep up with that."
Referring to the abortion issue, Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) told Politico, "I don't think it would come down to a compromise because it's very difficult to compromise on the issue."
Politico's report is available at this link.
