Key takeaways:
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., announced that he is dropping his monthslong hold on hundreds of military nominations, with the exception of four-star generals and flag officers.
- Tuberville had been blocking the promotions of over 400 officers since February in protest of a Pentagon policy.
- Tuberville has called on the Biden administration to reverse the policy, and the Pentagon has yet to respond.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., announced Tuesday that he is dropping his monthslong hold on hundreds of military nominations, with the exception of four-star generals and flag officers.
Tuberville had been blocking the promotions of over 400 officers since February in protest of a Pentagon policy that reimburses travel expenses for service members who have to travel to seek an abortion or other types of reproductive health care.
The backlog of nominations in the Senate had grown to affect over 450 officers due to Tuberville’s hold. Last week, Tuberville signaled that he might drop some of his holds, and on Tuesday he confirmed that he is dropping all holds on promotions three-star and below.
“I’m not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer,” Tuberville told reporters Tuesday. “I still got a hold on, I think, 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me.”
Tuberville has been vocal about his opposition to the Pentagon’s policy, and has said he will continue to hold the nominations of four-star generals and flag officers until the policy is changed. He has also called on the Biden administration to reverse the policy, which was implemented in 2019.
The Pentagon has yet to respond to Tuberville’s demands, and it remains to be seen if the policy will be changed. In the meantime, the hundreds of military nominations that had been held up by Tuberville’s protest are now free to move forward.
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