Americans on both sides of the aisle were outraged by reports that Hamas had slaughtered 40 babies in their initial attack against Israel last month — and rightfully so. It’s hard to imagine anything more abhorrent and manifestly evil than the intentional beheading of infants, who are not only innocent but also entirely defenseless.
The outrage at Hamas’s heinous murder was fully justified and fully backed by the political establishment. But when babies are killed a bit closer to home, and when they’re killed on the taxpayer dime, the establishment does a 180.
Tuberville vs. the Swamp
Alabama’s Sen. Tommy Tuberville has drawn fire from all sides for holding up hundreds of military nominations in protest against the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Federal law confines the Pentagon to using funds for abortion only in the cases of rape and incest. But Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has put ideology above law and order, promulgating a memo last October to establish “access to reproductive care” as one of his fundamental principles.
Currently, the military violates federal law by providing funds to service members so they can procure out-of-state abortions on demand — but that won’t continue if Tuberville has anything to do with it. Since February, he has held up hundreds of military promotions on the grounds that the Pentagon’s abortion policy is illegal.
Earlier this week, several Republican senators tried to work around Tuberville’s dissent, calling for unanimous consent to confirm 61 of the hundreds of nominations that have stalled since February, when Tuberville began objecting to the Pentagon’s abortion policy. In every case brought before him, Tuberville voted no. (RELATED: Tuberville is Still Taking a Stand for Babies)
Since the Alabama senator launched his one-man crusade to hold Austin accountable, President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have criticized Tuberville’s resistance. Now, a number of Tuberville’s own Republican colleagues have turned on him as well.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his displeasure with Tuberville’s actions months ago, telling reporters in May that he “do[esn’t] support putting a hold on military nominations.” McConnell’s lack of support is unsurprising given his habit of undermining conservative lawmakers, but this week Sens. Lindsay Graham, Mitt Romney, Dan Sullivan, and Joni Ernst joined with Democrats in denouncing Tuberville as the villain. On Wednesday, Sullivan accused him of leading a “national security suicide mission.”
Democrats Are the Real Obstacle
Tuberville sees two paths forward: the Pentagon can start following the law, or Congress can change the law to accommodate taxpayer-funded travel so that servicewomen can get out-of-state abortions. But giving tacit approval to an illegal — and extreme — abortion policy in the name of proceduralism isn’t on the table for him.
“I cannot simply sit idly by while the Biden administration injects politics in our military from the White House and spends taxpayers’ dollars on abortion,” Tuberville said.
Tuberville has positioned himself as a pro-life voice in the Senate, and his Republican opponents are quick to pay lip service to the GOP’s pro-life position. Earlier this week, Sullivan called himself “as pro-life as they come.”
“But,” Sullivan continued, “I also firmly believe that one of our most core, basic principles … is our serious focus on national security, readiness, a strong military, and taking care of our troops and their families.”
Sullivan sees an either-or divide between opposing abortion and prioritizing national security. But he fails to see that Tuberville isn’t the problem. Rather, the Democrats Sullivan is siding with are the real obstacle to moving beyond Tuberville’s opposition because they are equally unwilling to rein in the military’s abortion extremism or bring the issue to Congress and change the relevant federal laws. Republicans might not have a majority in the Senate, but Tuberville has shown the power that the smallest minority — one single voice — can wield.
What’s most telling is that, at the end of the day, our nation’s elites are only willing to call a spade a spade when it’s convenient. The slaughter of Israeli babies by Hamas is truly abhorrent, and too many leaders are unwilling to condemn the industrialized mass slaughter of American babies here in our own nation. Fortunately, Tuberville has shown that there is at least one righteous man in the Capitol. What remains to be seen is whether others will join with the Alabama senator in his call for Congress to actually take up the work of governing, or whether more establishment Republicans will slowly hemorrhage to the Democrat rank and file, showing their true colors in the process.
Mary Frances Myler is a writer living in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter/X at @mfmyler.
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