1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Let's go straight to Alabama Center. Tommy Tubervale, Senator, thank 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us. The Senate is back 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: in session after summer recess, and you are continuing to 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: block US military promotions on the basis of a single policy. 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: You just don't agree with the dods travel and leave 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: policy for men's reproductive health. 7 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 2: More than three hundred. 8 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: Military promotions are on hold as of now, and as 9 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: many as six hundred and fifty nominations could be affected 10 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: by the end of the year if this impasse continues. 11 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: That the barcade has drawn warnings of damage to the 12 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: nation's military readiness. And you are a member of the 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: Armed Services Committee of course, as well as the Veterans' Affairs, 14 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: so you're intimately aware of the nation's national security concerns. 15 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: So how do you forge a compromise that will allow 16 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: the nominees to move forward. 17 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 3: Well, first of all, I want to say I'm probably 18 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 3: the biggest military fan up here. My dad was in 19 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 3: the military career, military, I've been a military brat, and 20 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 3: so I truly believe in our national offense. If we 21 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 3: don't have a great national offense, we don't have anything. 22 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 3: So that being said, on the Armed Services Committee. I 23 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 3: got a briefing about a year ago what they were 24 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 3: going to do with the new abortion policy. We didn't 25 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 3: need one. It worked perfect. They never had one complaint. 26 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 3: We've had one since nineteen eighty four. Joe Biden and 27 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 3: the Democrats voted a policy in that had the three 28 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 3: exceptions and it worked perfectly. 29 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: But they just decided to change it. Now. 30 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 3: They voted it through Congress in the eighty four, but 31 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty three they want to change it with 32 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 3: a memo from the White House. 33 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: We're not a communist country. 34 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 3: Everything that's made policy and law goes through Congress. And 35 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 3: I told them that if you change it, I'm gonna 36 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 3: block your admirals and generals. Well at that time there 37 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 3: was one or two. Now we're up to three hundred. 38 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 3: I think they're starting to believe me that I meant 39 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 3: what I said. And again, they could be clearing these 40 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 3: nominations one at a time, two hours each. 41 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 2: They don't want to do that. 42 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 3: Democrats have not been told no since they've been up 43 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 3: here for two and a half, almost three years, since 44 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 3: the President Biden was elected, and now they can't handle it. 45 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 3: But we're not going to have any movement on my 46 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 3: side unless they change this back and let's vote on it. 47 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: Let's just vote on it and if it passes. If 48 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: it passes, it doesn't, it doesn't. 49 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 4: So just to be clear, Senator, you want Chuck Schumer 50 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 4: to bring legislation ending the Pentagon's policy to the floor, 51 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 4: do you want to see the nominees brought to the floor. 52 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 4: How do you see across the valley on this. 53 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 3: Well, if you want to get them all done at 54 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 3: one time, all they have to do is put the 55 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 3: policy back the way it was, the way it was 56 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 3: was voted on here in the Senate, everybody by everybody's 57 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 3: represented it, sign in the White House, and then move 58 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 3: it back and then whatever they want to change it 59 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 3: to send it over and let us vote on it. 60 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 3: If it passes, pass it fine, If it doesn't, it fine. 61 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: But the deal is holes would be off. That's all 62 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 3: they have to do is do the policy the right way. 63 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 3: But they don't want to do that. They want to dictate, 64 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 3: you know, to us what they're going to do because 65 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 3: again they think they can do it, because they've they've 66 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 3: ram righted everything through for the last three years. And 67 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: I'm not going to stand for it. The American people 68 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 3: and the people in Alabama deserved representation vote on this. 69 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 2: That's what this country is about, sir. 70 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: Have you been okay with for the past years decades? 71 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: Eurogenital concerns are one of the top reasons why women 72 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: who are fighting overseas have to get evacuated back to 73 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: United States, which could cost up to ten thousand dollars. 74 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: A lot of that has to do with reproductive care. 75 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: That's US taxpayer dollars as well. Are you okay with 76 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: that policy? 77 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: Well, like I said, we've had a policy what since 78 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty four, there has not been one complaint from 79 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 3: anybody about how it's been done taken care of. 80 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: There have been abortions. 81 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 3: But now, unfortunately it just happened after Roe Wade and 82 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 3: President Biden and his group said well, we can't handle 83 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: what's going back to the States, but we can handle 84 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 3: federal employees. 85 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: Now we got a briefing on this. 86 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 3: They couldn't give us the stipulations on this, whether you know, 87 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 3: going to be late term abortion, where there's going to 88 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 3: be the three exceptions. They have no clue of what 89 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 3: this policy is. They just wanted to change it to 90 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 3: let the American people know, Hey, we can do what 91 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 3: we want to. 92 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: And I'm not going to allow him to do it now. 93 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 3: If they continue to do it, we're going to have 94 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 3: the same people in place as admirals and generals. Again, 95 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 3: there's no readiness problem. We got people in place that 96 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 3: are doing their jobs, and sooner or later, I think 97 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 3: they will start to come around, But right now we've 98 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 3: got a standoff. 99 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 4: I spoke Senator about the issue of readiness here on 100 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 4: Bloomberg with retired Marine Corps General Arnold Panaro, who said, 101 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 4: consider this is a quote. Consider Tommy Tuberville in Auburn 102 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 4: versus Alabama. He said, if his first string quarterback was 103 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 4: ready to play, he would not put his fourth string 104 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 4: quarterback in against Alabama. That's what we're doing now with China, 105 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 4: North Korea and Iran, he said. Senator, he wanted to 106 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 4: call you a coward for keeping military families and temporary housing. 107 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 4: As someone who has never served, how would you respond 108 00:04:59,520 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 4: to him. 109 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 3: Well, as a military bread as I said, I grew 110 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 3: up and my dad died on active duty. But I 111 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 3: will say this, We've got the same people in place. 112 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 3: So that means that this general is saying that the 113 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 3: ones that were in place, couldn't do their job in 114 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 3: the first place. 115 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 2: That's not true. 116 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 3: Nobody moves until somebody takes your place. I hate this 117 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 3: is happening, but everybody points the finger at me. How 118 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: about going by the law, how about going through Congress, 119 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 3: about voting on this. 120 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: Whether it goes one way or another, it makes me 121 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 2: no difference. Let's vote on it. 122 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 3: Let's don't turn into a communist country and a dictator 123 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 3: in the White House and say this is how we're 124 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 3: going to do it. That's not the way our democracy 125 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 3: was set up. 126 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,679 Speaker 1: Sir, I want to ask you another question about national 127 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: security and the readiness though we do have at the 128 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: moment a position that is affected by this. It has 129 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: to do with a new task force. When it comes 130 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: to intercontinental ballistic missiles. There is a name that is 131 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: being floated for a nomination, and even if it is 132 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: not that individual, this is too our general position, which 133 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 1: means the sin would have to vote on it. Isn't 134 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: that quite concerning, giving what we are seeing from the 135 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: position of what's happening in Russia and as well as 136 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: what's happening in Beijing. 137 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's quite concerning. Bring them to the floor and 138 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 3: it takes two hours to confirm it. I mean, that's 139 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 3: all I'm asking. Chuck Schumer needs. 140 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 2: To do his job. 141 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 3: You know, when everything doesn't go perfect for you. When 142 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 3: I was in coaching, it's not a perfect job. Things 143 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 3: are going to go wrong. You're going to make adjustments. 144 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 3: Make this adjustment. Let's bring them to the floor. We 145 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 3: can do them every two hours. We can have these 146 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 3: done in no time. They don't want to do it. 147 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 3: They do not want to do it. They call readiness. 148 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 3: How about the eight thousand military people and their families 149 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 3: that they rent out of the military because this vaccine 150 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 3: mandate they pushed on on them a year ago. That's 151 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 3: what I talk about readiness. That's what I call a travesty, 152 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 3: is when you run eight thousand people at it one 153 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 3: time because they won't go by mandate that they pushed 154 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 3: on the military. 155 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 4: Getting back to the issue of military families, you're still 156 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 4: with us here, Senator, of those who are living in 157 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 4: temporary housing and in some cases going without pay increases 158 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 4: that their families were counting on, because that, of course, 159 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 4: hinges on confirmation. 160 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 2: What is your message today. 161 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 4: To our viewers and specifically the more than thirteen thousand 162 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 4: active duty service members in your state, many of them 163 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 4: with families. Is this simply the cost of enlisting in 164 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 4: today's military. 165 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 3: Well, we need better house and I'll tell you that, 166 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 3: and we work every day to try to get better housing. 167 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 3: We pass some bills to build better housing on some. 168 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: Of these things. 169 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 4: They can't get into that housing without a confirmation. 170 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: Right, Well, it just depends. Now we're talking about three 171 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 3: hundred people. We're not talking about the other one point 172 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 3: five million of our military personnel that actually do the work. 173 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 3: Not the generals and admirals. They live in taj Mahal's. 174 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 3: They have these big fancy offices over to Pentagon, driving 175 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 3: around in black SUVs with an entourage. I'm not talking 176 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 3: about the corporals and lieutenants and the colonels and the majors, 177 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 3: the people that actually do the readiness. These people here 178 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 3: in the Pentagon, I mean there are a lot of 179 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 3: them running around here that they got real cushy jobs. 180 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 2: I'm ready to get maybe not get rid of some generals. 181 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 3: We have forty four four star generals. Won't you think 182 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 3: about that for one point five million troops. In World 183 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 3: War Two, we had twelve million troops and we had 184 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 3: seven four star generals. 185 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: It makes no sense. We are top heavy here. But 186 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 2: again that's not the problem. 187 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 3: And the problem here is Chuck Schumer refuses to do 188 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 3: what's right and bring these people to the floor and 189 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 3: confirm them. And again we could have had this already 190 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 3: done if they had to have been hard headed and 191 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 3: say we want our way or we're not going to 192 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 3: do it. And so it is what it is. And 193 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 3: again everybody's wanting finger at me. Chuck Schumer is at faultier. 194 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 3: He is a guy, the leader that's supposed to be 195 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 3: running the Senate, and he's doing a poor job of it. 196 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 4: Well, Senator, I want to thank you for coming to 197 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 4: talk to us today, Alabama Senator Tommy Tubberville, and I 198 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 4: hope that you'll come back and answer questions again on Bloomberg.