Chris Christie Calls for Tommy Tuberville/Defense Department Détente

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie criticized Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., for slowing appointments to the Department of Defense for its impact on “military readiness” during an interview Thursday.

“I empathize with what he’s trying to accomplish, and I support it,” Christie told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “But I don’t believe doing it by impacting our military at all is the right way to go about it.

In protest of a Defense Department policy allowing leave for abortions and paying for travel to procure abortions out-of-state, Tuberville has been blocking unanimous consent votes–through which the Senate typically confirms hundreds of nominations simultaneously–since March, forcing the Senate to go through each nomination one by one, a time-consuming process that can take months to complete.

Tuberville has been criticized by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who called Tuberville’s blockade a “national security” issue. The Pentagon has said Tuberville has already prevented 260 nominations and promotions, and the number could be as high as 650 by the end of 2023.

“I just don’t believe it’s the right tactic,” said Christie.