“Our enemies are watching,” says the voiceover as a photo of Russian leader Vladimir Putin flashes on the screen, “looking for any vulnerabilities to exploit. And MAGA Senator Tommy Tuberville is playing right into their hands.”
The video (seen below) is produced by VoteVets, a progressive veteran advocacy group with a mission, it asserts, to “elevate the voices of Veterans on matters of national security, Veterans’ care, and everyday issues that affect the lives of those who served, their families, and the country.”
But the charge leveled in the video — that Sen. Tuberville is putting national security at risk and enabling Putin and other U.S. enemies by holding up hundreds of military promotions and leaving crucial leadership roles unfilled — is shared by many who have little in common with other progressive initiatives.
[NOTE: Russian campaigns to sow discord in the U.S. and weaken resolve reportedly include stoking internal divisions on issues like race and reproductive rights, which is Tuberville’s fight.]
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the highest ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, has objected to Tuberville’s approach, saying “I think there’s a a vital reason to put these officers in place. Clearly, we’re trying to resolve it but I think it hasn’t come easy.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) also expressed the notion that this isn’t the time or place to fight the culture wars. “I understand the senator’s concern, but it’s a dangerous world right now, and we want to make sure that we’re not sacrificing readiness.”
Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, an Air Force veteran, says the situation has become “outrageous,” referencing the interview below.
This is outrageous.
— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) July 16, 2023
Senator, we’ve both served and we know better. The modern military depends on supporting service members AND their families.
And we can’t have an effective military if our troops and their families can’t find medical care where they are. https://t.co/uXwKlA6s17
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls the Tuberville holdups “unprecedented in its scale and scope,” saying that they pose “a clear risk to U.S. military readiness, especially at this critical time.”
The Hill‘s reporting notes that positions now open or soon to be vacated include: “Army chief of staff, chief of Naval Operations, the commandant and assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, director of the National Security Agency, head of U.S. Cyber Command and commander of U.S. Northern Command.”
Tuberville is holding up the promotions and confirmations because of his opposition to a Pentagon abortion policy, of which the Senator says: “Secretary Austin’s new abortion policy is immoral and arguably illegal. If he wants to change the law, he needs to go through Congress.“
[The policy, announced by DoD earlier this year, funds travel and gives paid time off for service members and their dependents seeking an abortion.]
