President Joe Biden on Thursday criticized the Republican party, accusing it of “undermining the US military” by allowing Senator Tommy Tuberville to block more than 300 US military appointments over the Pentagon’s abortion policy.
“The Republican Party used to always support the military, but today they’re undermining the military,” Biden stated. “The senior senator from Alabama who claims to support our troops is now blocking more than 300 military operations with his extreme political agenda.”
Biden highlighted some of the nominees awaiting confirmation, including General CQ Brown, an F-16 pilot and wing commander, who would be the first African-American to lead any branch of the armed service as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the second woman in the Navy to achieve the rank of four-star admiral, has been nominated to make history again as the first woman chief of naval operations.
Biden also emphasized the importance of other outstanding leaders from diverse backgrounds who are awaiting confirmation.
Republican Senator Tuberville, known for his social conservatism, initiated the blocking of confirmations to senior Pentagon posts in March as a protest against a Defense Department policy enacted last year. This policy provides paid leave and reimburses costs for service members who travel to obtain an abortion.
