Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senator Tuberville Continuing To Hurt America’s Readiness By Blocking Military Promotions In An Attempt To Stop Women Serving In The Military From Accessing Reproductive Health Care

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville continuing to block promotions for dedicated military servicemembers. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

In a few minutes, my colleague from Massachusetts will take the floor to ask unanimous consent that some of our brave military leaders get the promotions they deserve.

It is absolutely outrageous that the Senator from Alabama is playing with the security of America, playing with the lives of these military leaders, whose lives are being disrupted by his harsh action.

He believes strongly that women in the military should not have the right to abortion. Almost all Americans disagree with him. But no matter how strongly he feels, to hold up the promotion of military leaders—many of whom, most of whom, have dedicated decades of their lives to protecting our country—and now leaving those positions vacant, risking our security, is one of the most abominable and outrageous things I have ever seen in this chamber, witnessed by the fact that no one has ever had the temerity, the gall to do this before.

So I salute the Senator from Massachusetts for bringing these names up. Everyone in this chamber should exalt them. Members of this chamber from the other side should go plead with the Senator from Alabama to stop this headstrong, nasty, and unneeded action. And I again thank our Senator from Massachusetts, who is chair of the subcommittee that is relevant for bringing this issue to the floor, and showing America what the Senator from Alabama is exactly doing.

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