DeSantis backs Tuberville’s military holds

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) threw his weight behind Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on promotions for military officers over the Pentagon’s abortion policy, insisting that if he’s elected, the policy will not continue on. 

“No, I don’t,” DeSantis said 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 more than five months, and the count of military promotions affected has increased to nearly 300, with little end in sight for lawmakers as they struggle to cut a deal with him to release the hold. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated Thursday that he would support holding a one-off vote on the Senate floor on the policy, but it is unclear whether that would do the trick — Tuberville has not shown much interest in striking a deal that doesn’t include the policy itself changing.

Tuberville has held talks over the past week with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and has told reporters the talks are “cordial” but have not made any progress.

Pentagon officials Wednesday briefed members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the policy, and Tuberville said the briefing did not go well.

DeSantis has become one of the leading anti-abortion figures in the country, having signed a six-week abortion ban in Florida. He has not yet tossed his support behind a nationwide six-week ban.