Senator Tommy Tuberville surrendered in his political war against the Pentagon today, announcing that he will lift his comprehensive hold on military promotions, bringing an end to a nearly 10-month standoff related to a Biden administration abortion policy.
The former football coach faced bipartisan criticism for the hold, which impacted senior military officers and drew attention to concerns about military readiness.
Tuberville, having initially placed the hold in February, succumbed to mounting pressure from fellow Republicans and has now narrowed it down to around 10 promotions at the four-star rank.
His decision to release the hold was driven by the desire to prevent a Senate vote proposed by Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to circumvent Tuberville’s maneuver.
Despite failing to win any of the concessions he sought, Tuberville said, “We got all we could get.”
The situation led to a public clash with GOP colleagues, including a late-night attempt by some senators to promote the officers he had blocked.
Republican Senators Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Todd C. Young (Ind.), and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) urged Tuberville to lift the hold for national security reasons. Behind closed doors, Republicans expressed concern that Tuberville’s blockade was politically damaging due to its impact on the military and focus on the contentious abortion issue, which has not fared well for the GOP in recent elections.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) publicly criticized Tuberville, emphasizing that military heroes should not be punished for a Biden administration policy.
Tuberville’s shifting demands, from initially seeking a vote on the military abortion policy to demanding its complete rescindment for promotions to proceed, drew criticism from colleagues. His preference for a full floor vote on each nominee to bypass the hold was dismissed by Schumer, who cited the impracticality of the time-consuming process.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, expressed encouragement at the news and stated that defense officials would stay in touch with Tuberville and the Senate.
As of Tuesday, 451 senior military officers had been nominated for 455 positions. If the hold persists for four-star military nominations, at least 11 officers will be affected. Ryder emphasized that the transition after the holds are lifted won’t be an immediate process, considering logistical factors involving families and long-distance relocations.
When asked about the accomplishments of Tuberville’s hold, Ryder deferred the question to the senator, emphasizing the Department of Defense’s mission to have senior leaders in key positions.
Discover more from NJTODAY.NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.