Ruben Gallego pushes resolution to revoke military honors for Ashli Babbitt

In August 2021, the U.S. Air Force reversed an earlier decision to deny military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and pro-Trump rioter who was killed during the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. While attempting to breach a sensitive area of the Capitol during the riots, she was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer. Following this incident, the Democratic senator from Arizona, Ruben Gallego, expressed his disdain for the honors awarded to Babbitt, arguing that she did not represent the values upheld by those who serve in the military. He stated that military honors are reserved for individuals who have genuinely sworn to support and defend the Constitution, implying that Babbitt's actions were treasonous rather than patriotic. Gallego introduced a resolution aimed at stripping Babbitt of her military funeral honors under Section 985 of Title 10 of the United States Code, which disqualifies those who commit capital crimes from military funerals. Gallego highlighted the seriousness of the matter, comparing Babbitt's actions to a betrayal of the oaths taken by military service members. On the Senate floor, he publicly referred to Babbitt as a traitor, underscoring his belief that she should not be honored similarly to veterans who served with integrity. However, Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville opposed Gallego's resolution, stating that Babbitt was never charged with a crime and that her family had already suffered enough loss. Tuberville criticized the resolution as an unnecessary punishment for Babbitt's family, indicating a political divide over how Babbitt's actions and subsequent death should be memorialized. Tuberville's objection was sufficient to block Gallego's attempt to pass the resolution through unanimous consent. The significant split between the two parties reflects broader societal tensions surrounding the Capitol riots and their aftermath, as differing perspectives on Babbitt's legacy and the appropriateness of military honors continue to provoke debate across the political spectrum.