Tommy Tuberville Tells GOP Behind Closed Doors He Will End His Hold On Military Promotions
Micaela Burrow on November 28, 2023
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama told Senate Republicans Tuesday he would end his hold on military promotions, according to Punchbowl News.
Senate Democrats are working on a resolution that would change the confirmation rules and allow each military officer now in limbo to be confirmed in a single package with a simple majority vote, bypassing the process Tuberville has blockaded since March in opposition to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy. However, on Tuesday the Alabama senator promised to enact a solution to the hold before the resolution comes to a vote, which could put Republicans in a politically sensitive position, Punchbowl reported.
“Listen, everyone. I got y’all into this mess. I’m gonna get you out,” Tuberville told Senate GOP members during a closed-door lunch, Punchbowl reported.
Tuberville has said that the timing of the upcoming vote on a rules change would not affect his efforts to resolve the confirmation holds, according to Punchbowl.
“People are just getting exhausted,” one unnamed Senate Republican told the outlet.
The temporary rule change, spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and independent Sen. Krysten Sinema of Arizona, would allow the now roughly 450 admirals and generals awaiting confirmation to pass in a single package with just a majority vote. It passed out of committee on a 9-7 party line vote earlier in November, setting up Republicans to support it in the full Senate and tank Tuberville’s effort to oppose the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, according to Politico.
The measure needs 60 votes to pass the full Senate, so at least nine GOP members will have to support it.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised to bring the resolution to the floor unless Republicans can come up with a solution on their own, Politico reported.
Emerging from a Nov. 7 meeting with other Senate Republicans, Tuberville said he was considering five or six different options to resolve the hold. He has maintained that the Senate should vote on each nomination individually without the unanimous consent requirement.
Tuberville’s office declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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