Pentagon: Tuberville’s Officer Hold Hurting Security, We Won’t Push Schumer to Have Vote on Abortion Policy to End Hold

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) holding nominations of military officers over Pentagon abortion policy is “incredibly damaging” but they won’t push Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to have the vote in the Senate on the DOD abortion policy that Tuberville wants in an attempt to end the hold.

Singh stated that it is “incredibly damaging” for military readiness if the officers aren’t confirmed.

Co-host Dana Perino then asked, “[W]hat he’s asking for is a vote. And Sen. Schumer is the Majority Leader in the Senate, he’s asking Sen. Schumer to give him a vote on abortion policy and then he will drop the holds. Has DOD pressured or even asked Sen. Schumer to just go ahead and have that vote and then everybody can move on?”

Singh responded, “That’s really a question for the Senate. What the Department is really focused on is making sure that our general and flag officers are confirmed. So, again, that’s really a question for Sen. Schumer’s office. We’re not pressuring the Senate in terms of what they — what legislation they bring to the floor. What we are doing is making sure that Democrats, Republicans, Independents know that these holds have an incredibly damaging and harmful impact on our military readiness.”

Later, Perino asked, “I understand there’s pressure on Tuberville to drop the holds, but he’s saying, I’ll drop the holds if Schumer gives me a vote on the policy. Is that a compromise that DOD could support?”

Singh answered, “Well, again, that’s really a decision for Senate leadership. That’s a decision for Sen. Schumer.”

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