‘No, screw him’: Top Democrat balks at Tuberville push to move abortion debate to defense bill

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“If the Republicans insist upon that, we will not have an NDAA,” Smith added. “And I don’t believe they will insist on that.” The dustup comes as frustration mounts among Republican senators over Tuberville’s nine-month fight, which has delayed more than 400 senior military promotions. He instituted the holds in protest of a policy that reimburses troops who must travel across state lines in order to obtain an abortion or other reproductive care. Reversing the policy via the defense bill is one of a handful of alternatives Tuberville floated at a closed-door GOP Senate meeting Tuesday that was aimed at...