[WASHINGTON, DC] – On May 16, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) asked for unanimous consent requests on the Senate floor to confirm military nominations that are being blocked by Senate Republicans, led by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). Tuberville has blocked over 230 military nominations in an effort to prevent the Department of Defense from adopting a policy that would allow service members to take leave in order to access reproductive healthcare. Blumenthal, Duckworth, Hirono and Bennet released the statement below:
“Senator Tuberville is placing his personal beliefs over our nation’s security. Instead of supporting service members and their families, he is harming our military readiness and blocking the well-deserved promotions of hundreds of senior military leaders. Not content with stripping rights away from women seeking access to reproductive care, he is attacking the men and women in uniform who defend his rights every day. He is undermining our national defense by placing a hold on senior positions that are responsible for keeping our nation safe. Upset that the Department of Defense enacted a policy to protect and care for military families, Senator Tuberville, with little opposition from members of his own party, is treating service members as a bargaining chip against DoD. Our service members deserve better and they’ve earned better. Senator Tuberville and Senate Republicans must put their extreme personal agendas aside. Until that happens, we won’t stop protecting the rights of those who protect us.”
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