Colorado’s Michael Bennet vows to continue debate in U.S. Senate regarding delay in promoting military officers
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, renewed his opposition this week to the postponement of all military promotions at the request of Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"This is the fifth time," Bennet said during a session on the Senate floor Tuesday night during an hourlong debate with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a Tuberville supporter.
The hold on military promotions and DOD nominees began in February after Tuberville expressed concern about Pentagon policies that support abortion in states that have less restrictive policies than in other states, such as Alabama.
"We obviously have a profound and fundamental disagreement here," Bennet said. "His position is that we shouldn't pay a travel allowance for members of the armed services who are going from a state that has banned abortion, to a state where they can have reproductive health care. He's against that. Military personnel have no say in which states they're assigned to. They deserve the best reproductive health care we can give them."
Lee responded.
"Sen. Tuberville is standing up for what the law says," he said. "He's not trying to impose his morality on women in the military. Far from it. He's just trying to impose the law and make sure the law is followed."
According to Bennet's office, more than 230 military nominations are delayed because of Tuberville’s stance, the first time in history that such a hold has been implemented.
Bennet began challenging the holds in March and said that he will continue to challenge Tuberville "as many times as it takes," adding that some former defense secretaries believe the situation threatens national security because of the partisan politics involved.
The controversy is believed to also be a possible factor in the decision over whether to move U.S. Space Command from its temporary home in Colorado Springs, to a permanent home Huntsville, Ala.
However, other members of Colorado's Congressional delegation -- including Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn -- said Tuesday that the Space Command decision should be based on what's best for national security and not on politics.
"There are a lot of generals whose promotions are being held up," Hickenlooper explained. "They can’t move, sell a house, buy a house or do anything. Or, if they do leave, all of a sudden we’ve got a vacuum in the chain of command. I don’t know what Senator Tuberville… I like the guy, but I don’t understand what he's thinking."
