U.S. Senate Democrats released a letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday saying a Republican's decision to hold military nominations harms national security, intensifying a dispute over the military's abortion policy. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has been blocking more than 150 military nominations from moving forward for months because he believes the Pentagon is improperly using funding to cover travel costs for abortions of service members. After the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a constitutional right to abortion, the Pentagon said it would cover travel costs for service members seeking abortions and up to 21 days off.