‘Not going to let our military be politicised,’ says Republican delaying nominees over abortion

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin asks Tommy Tuberville of Alabama to lift ‘hold’, while Democrat Chuck Schumer issues firm rebuke

A Republican senator holding up more than 100 nominations over Pentagon policy on abortion claimed: “I’m not going to let our military be politicised.”

Tommy Tuberville, from Alabama, was speaking on Tuesday at a hearing staged by the armed services committee.