Yaffee: Biden’s military abortion policy is still in place. What’s the plan now?

I have one question for Republicans in the Senate who said they are against President Joe Biden’s military abortion policy:

What’s the plan now?

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that the U.S. Senate will confirm the last of the military promotions held up U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade earlier this year.

“Before we leave for the Christmas holiday, the Senate will also finish confirming the last of the military nominees held up by Senator Tuberville,” Schumer said.

Tuberville (R-Auburn) was placing holds on unanimous consent of military promotions over the Department of Defense’s policy of paying for travel expenses for members of the military seeking an abortion.

The senator decided to release his holds after it appeared several Republicans were going to join Democrats in voting for a temporary rule to get around them.

Many Republicans in the Senate said they agreed with Tuberville’s stance, agreed that Biden’s policy was illegal, but didn’t like his “tactics.” They argued that there must be a better way that didn’t negatively affect the military.

So, what’s the plan now? What’s the better way? I get it. You didn’t like Tuberville’s strategy. Fair enough. Any other ideas?

There was discussion of outlawing the abortion policy as a part of the NDAA bill that was just approved by Congress. Republicans in the House were able to pass that provision in their version, but once again the Senate caved to pressure from Democrats and it was removed from the final package. So now what?

The truth is there was no other strategy. The plan by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and others was to admit defeat to the Democrats, get rid of the holds, and move on hoping that the voters will eventually forget all about it. Well I haven’t forgotten.

Maybe they think there’s a decent chance Republicans gain the majority in the Senate or win the Presidency in 2024. While that’s a possibility, there’s also a possibility they don’t, and then what? We just ignore this basic undermining of the law for the next four years? That’s not a plan, that’s just wishful thinking.

This is why I supported Tuberville’s holds and wish he wouldn’t have released them. Tuberville’s actions brought much needed attention to an issue that the Biden administration hoped wouldn’t be scrutinized. It was also an abortion issue the GOP would have been able to unite behind. A message that could have resonated with voters and supported future victories: ‘No taxpayer-funded abortions. No using the military to push a leftist agenda.

Instead, they caved, and gave in to the premise that Republicans were hurting national security — when it was Biden’s illegal policy that was fully to blame to begin with.

So, I’ll ask Republicans again. What’s the plan now? Hopefully they’ll have one soon, but I’m not optimistic.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee