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Posts tagged as “Tommy Tuberville”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has announced that he is dropping his monthslong hold on hundreds of military nominations, except for four-star generals and flag officers. This hold had caused a backlog of over 450 officers, but Tuberville has now released all promotions three-star and below. He is continuing to protest a Pentagon policy that reimburses travel expenses for service members seeking reproductive health care, and is calling on the Biden administration to reverse the policy.
The third Republican presidential debate in Miami is set to take place on Wednesday, with the candidates debating the issue of Senator Tommy Tuberville's hold on hundreds of high-ranking military promotions. This is in response to the Defense Department's policy of funding leave and out-of-state travel for members of the military seeking abortions, with Senator Tim Scott and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley taking opposing stances on the issue. Meanwhile, Ohio and Kentucky have seen significant political changes, with Ohio becoming the first GOP-led state to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution and Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear winning reelection.
Republican senators expressed their frustration with Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) during an extraordinary debate on the Senate floor due to his months-long hold on over 300 military nominees. Tuberville has stated he will keep his hold in place until the Pentagon follows the law or the Democrats change the law, and despite the four-hour debate, the nominations remain stalled. This highlights the tension between Republican senators over the issue of abortion and the military nominations.
The Senate has confirmed Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the nation's top military officer, in a move that is necessary to confirm Biden's nominees and ensure the Pentagon is adequately funded. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Wednesday night that the House will vote again on the $826.2 billion defense bill, and the House plans to move forward with the Department of Defense bill and then a number of other appropriation bills. It remains to be seen whether the House will be able to pass the defense bill and avert a government shutdown in 10 days.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has moved forward with confirming three senior military nominees who were blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), including Gen. Eric Smith for Marine Corps commandant. Tuberville had been holding up more than 300 military nominations due to his objections to the Pentagon’s policy on travel for abortion care, but he implemented a combination of procedural and political gymnastics to force the Senate to confirm Gen. Eric Smith’s promotion to Marine Corps commandant. Despite this small break in the logjam, hundreds of other lower-ranking military officials are still waiting for Senate approval.
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas has condemned Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on hundreds of military promotions, calling it a "paralyzing" move and a "national security problem." GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley also weighed in, calling the policy "a national security problem" and promising to end it if elected. The hold on military promotions has been ongoing for months, creating a national security issue.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has criticized Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on hundreds of military promotions, calling it an "unprecedented" move that threatens the country's safety. This hold is the first time in the history of the Department of Defense that three of the military services are operating without Senate-confirmed leaders, and Austin has urged the Senate to do its job and confirm the president's nominees. Tuberville has yet to comment on Austin's remarks.