WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday reiterated criticism of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blocking of hundreds of military nominations and called again for congressional Republicans to speak up.
“A cascading effect of delayed promotions threatens a brain drain from the military,” Jean-Pierre said. “And military families don’t know where they will live, where the spouses will work, where the children will go to school.”
Jean-Pierre also referred to earlier statements Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, made about supporting the military, saying: “Senator Tuberville 2021 and 2022 should chime in with Senator Tuberville 2023, because clearly there’s a problem here. “.
Tuberville has halted the normally routine process for military promotions in Congress as part of his objection to a Defense Department policy that supports service members and dependents seeking abortions.
He said last week that he would consider lifting his holds if the abortion policy came to a vote in Congress and if the White House and Pentagon agreed that the policy would be struck down if the vote failed.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that going without the Pentagon’s abortion policy would have an “extremely, extremely significant impact” on military recruitment and retention.
“What if you’re assigned to a state like Alabama, which has a pretty restrictive abortion law, and you’re concerned about your reproductive care? What do you do?” Kirby asked. “You say no and walk away? Well, some people may decide to do that, and what does that mean? That means we lose talent, important talent.”
Kirby said that military policies, including those that support women and transgender people, are a “fundamental and sacred obligation of military leaders.”
“It matters because it says we invest in you because you’re willing to invest in us,” Kirby said. “You are investing your life, your family’s livelihood with us. We owe it to you in return.”
In response to NBC News’ request for comment, a Tuberville spokesperson said what is really affecting recruiting is “the Biden administration’s politicization of the military.”
“The Biden administration seems much more concerned about 260 generals and admirals than it is about tens of thousands of missing recruits,” the spokesperson said.
In April, military eitherofficials toold the House Armed Services Committee that the Army, Navy and Air Force would not meet enlistment goals this year.
Several Senate Republicans have criticized Tuberville’s control over the nominations. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has expressed concern about suspending military promotions instead of political nominees, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said he does not support “suspending military nominations.”
NBC News reported Thursday that the White House is putting increased pressure on Republicans over the Tuberville blockade, according to a new memo.
“Right now, a Republican senator is choosing to erode military readiness and abuse military families in pursuit of an extreme and unrelated anti-liberty agenda, with hardly a sound from his fellow Republicans,” the communications adviser wrote in the memo. of the White House, Andrew Bates. .
sahil kapur, kristen welker and ryan nobles contributed.
