The White House on Wednesday called out Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s holds on military nominations “a threat to our national security” that risks military readiness and hurts military families, marking first time the Biden administration publicly commented on the Alabama senator’s strategy.

“What the senator is doing by holding these nominations, it’s a threat to our national security. Period. That’s what he’s doing,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during Wednesday’s press briefing.

“These are important nominations that we need, that the American people need to keep our country safe,” she said. “And not only that, they risk our military readiness by depriving our armed forces of leadership and hurt our military families. That’s what he’s doing by holding these DOD nominees.”

Alabama’s senior senator has held up the Defense Department nominations since mid-February over the agency’s expansion of abortion access.

The policies allow service members to request administrative absence for “non-covered reproductive health services,” which includes elective abortions and IVF, for themselves or to accompany their partners. They also provide transportation allowances to travel to states where reproductive care is more expansive.

A spokeswoman for the senator could not immediately be reached for a response to the White House’s comments, but he tweeted earlier Wednesday that his strategy is not stopping military officials from doing their jobs:

Tuberville has contended that the policies are unlawful and that current law only allows the agency to fund abortions in cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother is threatened.

“I warned [Defense] Secretary Austin that if he did this … I would put a hold on his highest-level nominees. Secretary Austin went through with the policy anyway in February of this year. So, I am keeping my word,” the senator said in April, when Democrats unsuccessfully tried to bypass the holds for the third time. “This was Secretary Austin’s choice, not mine. he knew the consequences for several months.”

Politico noted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could invoke procedural moves to circumvent the holds, but that strategy is impractical with nearly 200 promotions to vote on.

But if the Senate voted on the individual promotions, it would back up Tuberville’s claim that the holds are not creating an impasse.

If Schumer “is concerned about our [military] readiness,” Tuberville tweeted Wednesday, “then let’s vote on these nominees.”