{"id":2260131,"date":"2024-06-05T05:26:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T09:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-crafts-defense-bill-without-tuberville-abortion-drama\/"},"modified":"2024-06-05T05:28:59","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T09:28:59","slug":"senate-crafts-defense-bill-without-tuberville-abortion-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-crafts-defense-bill-without-tuberville-abortion-drama\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate creates defense bill excluding Tuberville abortion controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-crafts-defense-bill-without-tuberville-abortion-drama%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2260131&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Senate Republicans have decided against reigniting the debate \u2064on the Pentagon&#8217;s abortion policy while negotiating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-overwhelmingly-passes-annual-defense-bill-sending-measure-to-house\/\" title=\"Senate passes defense bill, sends to House\">annual defense\u200c bill<\/a>. Senate members are set to\u200d approve the National \u200cDefense Authorization Act, focusing on military priorities without the controversies \u200dof the past legislation. The discussions with Sen. Tommy Tuberville have shown progress, with a shift in focus toward \u2062other legislative matters.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Senate Republicans won\u2019t be reviving a fight over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Pentagon\u2019s<\/a> abortion policy as the chamber negotiates this year\u2019s annual defense bill.<\/p>\n<p>Next week, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/armed-services-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Armed Services Committee<\/a> will approve the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ndaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>National Defense Authorization Act<\/a>, which sets the priorities of the U.S. military, without the drama that accompanied last year\u2019s legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tommy-tuberville\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tommy Tuberville<\/a> (R-AL), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-washington-blm-alliance-begins-lobbying-state-legislature-demands-gov-inslee-declare-racism-a-public-health-crisis\/\" title=\"New \u2018Washington BLM Alliance\u2019 Begins Lobbying State Legislature, Demands Gov. Inslee Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis\">committee member<\/a>, spent 10 months delaying the promotions of hundreds of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-africa-president-country-returning-to-calm\/\" title=\"South Africa President: Country returning to calm\">senior military officers<\/a> in protest of the Pentagon policy, which pays for the travel expenses of service women seeking abortions, and the bill was seen as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/2576138\/senior-republicans-give-tuberville-off-ramp-to-stalemate-over-pentagon-nominees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>one possible off-ramp<\/a> to the crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans, in a bid to get Tuberville to drop his blockade, attempted to repeal the policy, but it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1600076\/senate-armed-services-panel-doesnt-advance-bill-to-revoke-pentagon-abortion-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>failed<\/a> in last year\u2019s committee markup.<\/p>\n<p>This year will be much less contentious. Republicans still consider the policy an unconstitutional attempt to get around the Hyde Amendment, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/archbishop-says-nancy-pelosi-isnt-devout-catholic-because-she-supports-taxpayer-funded-abortion\/\" title=\"Archbishop says Nancy Pelosi isn\u2019t \u2018devout\u2019 Catholic because she supports taxpayer-funded abortion\">prohibits federal dollars<\/a> for abortions, but it was not on the radar of any senator the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> spoke to on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who put forward the amendment to repeal the policy, said she had no plans to do so this time around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably not this year. I mean, we tried it. Nothing has changed on that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>As for Tuberville, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2628705\/senate-approves-back-pay-for-officers-caught-in-tuberville-military-blockade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>dropped his hold<\/a> on military promotions in December under immense pressure from members of his own party. He has not decided whether to put forward Ernst\u2019s amendment but indicated he would not force the issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not gonna do anything unless I got a chance,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason just to jump in front of the bus without having an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The aversion is, in part, because Republicans only control the House, meaning they have no legislative path to forcing the Pentagon\u2019s hand. The department has defended the policy as protecting the abortion rights of servicewomen stationed in states with restrictive laws.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to wait until we take over the Senate and get Trump in the White House,\u201d Tuberville said.<\/p>\n<p>The other factor is political. The optics of another push at repeal, picking a fight with the military in pursuit of an issue that has become a political liability for Republicans, are only worse in an election year.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to hold a series of votes on reproductive rights, the first on contraception access on Wednesday. He told reporters he will bring up a bill on in vitro fertilization \u201cvery soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democrats warn both could be curtailed after the Supreme Court overturned <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em> last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, there are some fights that are worth having and winning. There are some fights that are worth having and losing, but there are damn few fights really worth losing this big, probably,\u201d Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), another Armed Services Committee Republican, said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it doesn\u2019t serve a purpose. It doesn\u2019t serve an electoral purpose or a policy outcome right now,\u201d he added. \u201cIf Tommy\u2019s not talking, I don\u2019t know anybody that is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The issue has not gone away completely. The House Appropriations Committee unveiled a defense spending bill on Tuesday that would bar the Pentagon from using any dollars for the policy.<\/p>\n<p>But in all likelihood, the measure will get removed in negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate if it gets through the House.<\/p>\n<p>For Senate Republicans, the chief focus is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-christmas-gift-to-voters-is-helping-democrats-pass-a-major-omnibus-spending-bill\/\" title=\"Republicans\u2019 Christmas Gift To Voters Is Helping Democrats Pass A Major Omnibus Spending Bill\">raising defense spending<\/a>. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, unveiled a plan last week that would increase the military\u2019s budget by $55 billion in fiscal 2025.<\/p>\n<p>That does not mean culture war amendments won\u2019t make their way into the bill, however. In last year\u2019s NDAA, Republicans won <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2739071\/final-ndaa-includes-anti-dei-amendments-while-house-transgender-priorities-get-tossed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>amendments<\/a> on gender and race, including a cap on the salaries of diversity officers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe most certainly are going to watch and see what they\u2019re doing, and we\u2019re going to try to limit their ability to impose their social agenda,\u201d Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), the top Republican on the Armed Services Cyber subcommittee, said of the Biden administration, \u201cbut there\u2019s a lot more focus, I think right now, on trying to bring up the top end numbers and getting the tools that we need for these young men and women in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the NDAA around the same time last year, with final passage in December. It has passed Congress every year for the last six decades.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Republicans opt out of reigniting Pentagon abortion policy debate while negotiating annual defense bill. The Armed Services Committee to finalize the National Defense Authorization Act next week, prioritizing the U.S. military without the controversies of the past. Sen. Tommy Tuberville&#8217;s (R-AL) proposal &#8211; omitted from the discussions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2260132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP23339667951846-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2260131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP23339667951846-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2260131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2260132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2260131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2260131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2260131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}