Pro-life groups warn Senate Republicans will pay a price for breaking Tuberville’s Pentagon blockade

Pro-life organizations are turning up the heat on Republican senators, warning them against joining forces with Democrats to override Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy.

Advocacy groups tell The Washington Times they will brand every GOP senator as a supporter of taxpayer-funded abortions if they vote to circumvent the Alabama Republican’s blockade of nearly 400 promotions for military officers.

“They shouldn’t capitulate or surrender to the Biden administration,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who has privately urged Mr. Tuberville to stay the course. “Anything short of [not supporting Tuberville] is aligning with the Biden administration to promote taxpayer-funded access to abortion.”

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life America, declared the issue a litmus test for next year’s elections.

“Voters are watching this very closely, especially with Democratic control of the Senate, to see how Republicans are working together,” Ms. Hawkins said. “If Republicans want to earn the votes of Americans in 2024, they need to see Republicans standing together and standing strong.”

Pro-life groups’ increasing involvement in the bitter Senate stalemate that’s dragged on for nearly 10 months intensifies the political ramifications for pro-life Republicans frustrated with Mr. Tuberville’s blanket hold.

Mr. Tuberville and pro-life organizations say the Pentagon policy of funding travel and expenses for service members who go to other states for abortions is illegal. The Department of Defense says it’s to ensure battle readiness of service members.

The Democratic-led Senate will vote next week on a de facto temporary rule change to circumvent Mr. Tuberville and allow the confirmation of nominees en bloc. The measure will require 60 votes, meaning at least nine Republicans must break rank. The pro-life groups say they will score the vote to highlight to their supporters which side of the debate lawmakers land.

It’s unclear whether enough Republicans will defect.  

Pro-life senators “should all be unified in using every ounce of energy to stop the Biden administration’s violation of federal law to placate radical pro-abortion activists,” said Concerned Women for America President Penny Nance.

However, a handful of Senate Republicans are leading the charge against Mr. Tuberville.

An extraordinary escalation in their fury toward him played out on the Senate floor Wednesday night in a more than four-hour debate to force votes to confirm 61 military promotions.  

Mr. Tuberville objected to all 61. He refuses to budge.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican who serves as a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, said Mr. Tuberville was giving China and Russia a gift by “flushing down [the] river” U.S. military talent.

Mr. Tuberville, a former Auburn University football coach, said his GOP colleagues were engaged in “character assassination” and playing hardball politics with him.

“But remember what I did for a living for a long time,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “It’s the only way I can get [the Biden administration’s attention]. I hate to have to do this, but somebody has got to listen to us.”

The stakes are high for pro-life senators.

“I’m pretty sure Sen. Sullivan won’t be too happy when there are pro-life students outside his office and calling voters in his state to pay attention,” said Ms. Hawkins.

Senate Republicans are torn.

“I think [Tuberville] is correct on the merits,” said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican. “But I think we also need to confirm these leaders in the military, given the dangerous world we’re living in.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, threw shade at Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

“Why do we even elect leaders if they’re not going to actually resolve differences in the conference?” Mr. Hawley said. “What are they good for? What’s Mitch McConnell doing?”

Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and combat veteran, put the onus on pro-life groups. She said if they truly “believe in life, they should be stepping up and challenging this darn policy.”

She said the pro-life movement needs to find someone with legal standing to bring a lawsuit challenging the Pentagon policy.

Ms. Hawkins took issue with that suggestion.