CNN’s Wolf Blitzer recently sat down for a pre-recorded interview with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Vilnius, Lithuania for Thursday's The Situation Room. Sandwiched between all of the developments at the NATO summit and the war in Ukraine, Blitzer lobbed some abortion-related softballs Austin’s way as Sen. Tommy Tuberville continues to place a hold on military promotions in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy.
Instead of asking Austin whether the Pentagon’s policy violates the letter, or even the spirit, of the Hyde Amendment that prohibits federal funding of abortions, Blitzer asked about, “Another sensitive issue that's come up and I want to get your thoughts, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking military promotions right now, confirmations in the Senate, because he wants to protest the Pentagon's policy of ensuring abortion access for women who serve in the U.S. military. Is Senator Tuberville now actively undermining U.S. national security?”
For his part, Austin ran through the work the military is doing to “provide support to Ukraine” and “keep the right balance in the Indo-Pacific” and tried to insist that Tuberville is undermining these missions “we need leaders to be able to do that. This is a national security issue. It's a readiness issue. And we shouldn't kid ourselves. I think any member of the Senate Armed Services Committee knows that.”
One downside of pre-recorded is that they can be old news by the time they air. Such was the case when Blitzer asked a more reasonable question of “Why not have a conversation with him and get this resolved?” After the segment, it was reported that the two men have since talked over the phone.
Back in the interview, Blitzer asked, “Other conservatives are using the annual Pentagon's defense bill to repeal the Pentagon policy of helping women who serve in the military or serve in the Defense Department get abortions. Is that something you're willing to deal with, to negotiate with them?”
Austin replied by giving a long-winded answer that seemed to suggest the answer is no:
Wolf, we have a policy that enables our troops to get access to non-covered reproductive health care. And I think that's an important policy. I think our troops don't get to choose where they're assigned, and, certainly, we want to make sure that our troops are not disadvantaged because they serve in the military. They have the ability to have access to non-covered reproductive health care. One in five of my troops, Wolf, is a woman. And our women are -- I mean, they provide tremendous value to this force. I'm proud of them, and I think we need to do everything we can to take care of them.
Wrapping up the abortion-related portion of the interview, Blitzer sought to clarify, “So, the bottom line is the Pentagon will continue to pay for travel, for example, for women to go to other states if necessary to get an abortion?”
For a man who likes to present himself as a straight-talking military man, Austin used some political weasel words to justify the policy, “I don't have an abortion policy. I have an access to non-government reproductive health care policy.”
Of course Austin has an abortion policy and it almost certainly is illegal. At the very least, Blitzer should’ve mentioned that part of Tuberville’s argument.
This segment was sponsored by CarShield.
Here is a transcript for the July 13 show:
CNN The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
7/13/2023
6:25 PM ET
WOLF BLITZER: Another sensitive issue that's come up and I want to get your thoughts, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking military promotions right now, confirmations in the Senate, because he wants to protest the Pentagon's policy of ensuring abortion access for women who serve in the U.S. military. Is Senator Tuberville now actively undermining U.S. national security?
LLOYD AUSTIN: Well, thanks, Wolf. This is a national security issue. We just talked about, when we sat down a couple of minutes ago, what a complex environment this is, you know, around the world quite frankly. We see the tough things that we're dealing with here in Europe as we continue to provide support to Ukraine and its efforts to defend its sovereign territory. We're working hard to make sure we keep the right balance in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen our alliances. And we need leaders to be able to do that.
This is a national security issue. It's a readiness issue. And we shouldn't kid ourselves. I think any member of the Senate Armed Services Committee knows that.
BLITZER: Senator Tuberville says he's only spoken to you about this once. That was back in February. Why not have a conversation with him and get this resolved?
AUSTIN: I will, Wolf. I certainly will continue to engage.
BLITZER: But you're not doing it right now. I mean, the last conversation was in February.
AUSTIN: It was in March, end of March, but, yes, I'll engage.
BLITZER: You'll talk to him. And your message to him will be?
AUSTIN: He needs to lift the holds, Wolf. This is a national security issue, it's a readiness issue.
BLITZER: Other conservatives are using the annual Pentagon's defense bill to repeal the Pentagon policy of helping women who serve in the military or serve in the Defense Department get abortions. Is that something you're willing to deal with, to negotiate with them?
AUSTIN: Wolf, we have a policy that enables our troops to get access to non-covered reproductive health care. And I think that's an important policy. I think our troops don't get to choose where they're assigned, and, certainly, we want to make sure that our troops are not disadvantaged because they serve in the military. They have the ability to have access to non-covered reproductive health care.
One in five of my troops, Wolf, is a woman. And our women are -- I mean, they provide tremendous value to this force. I'm proud of them, and I think we need to do everything we can to take care of them.
BLITZER: So, the bottom line is the Pentagon will continue to pay for travel, for example, for women to go to other states if necessary to get an abortion?
AUSTIN: That's our policy, Wolf.
BLITZER: And that will continue?
AUSTIN: To get non-covered reproductive health care. I don't have an abortion policy. I have an access to non-government reproductive health care policy.
