Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) supports Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on military officer promotions due to the Pentagon’s abortion policy. DeSantis stated that if he is elected, the policy will not continue.
“No, I don’t,” DeSantis responded when asked by radio host Hugh Hewitt if he thinks Tuberville should release his hold. “And the reason is, the military’s policy is not following U.S. law. They are using tax dollars. They’re funding abortion tourism, which is not an appropriate thing for the military to be doing.”
“Our group of Republicans in the Congress should just take a stand on this,” he continued. “The Department of Defense should stand down. We have all these other problems in our military. We need more ammunition, we need more recruiting, we need all these other things and yet they’re focusing on abortion tourism.”
DeSantis added that the policy “will go out the window” on day one if he wins the White House.
Tuberville’s holds have been in place for over five months, affecting nearly 300 military promotions. Lawmakers are struggling to reach a deal with Tuberville to release the hold.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has indicated support for a one-off vote on the Senate floor on the policy, but it is unclear if that would be successful as Tuberville is not interested in a deal that doesn’t involve changing the policy itself.
Tuberville has had discussions with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, but no progress has been made.
Pentagon officials briefed members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the policy, with Tuberville expressing dissatisfaction with the briefing.
DeSantis is recognized as a leading anti-abortion figure for signing a six-week abortion ban in Florida, although he has not yet supported a nationwide ban with the same timeline.