Committee Votes on Resolution to Overcome Tuberville’s Obstruction

Members of the Senate Rules Committee are planning to address a resolution on Tuesday to enable the consideration of 350 nonpolitical military promotions simultaneously, in order to work around the hold placed by Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville on the approval of nominees due to his longstanding protest over the Pentagon’s abortion policy.

The plan would allow senators to temporarily change procedures without needing to make a permanent rule change, according to a report from The Washington Examiner. This move would allow most of the promotions that have been on hold to be considered in large groups, but major promotions of top military leaders such as those with the Joint Chiefs of Staff would require individual confirmation votes.

Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., formulated the proposal. The resolution is expected to advance through the Rules Committee but could face challenges in the full Senate, as it will need 60 votes to pass and require some Republicans for full approval.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stated that he will bring the resolution up on the Senate floor as soon as the committee approves it.

“Patience on both sides of the aisle is wearing very, very thin,” he said on the Senate floor Monday. “[Tuberville] won’t even listen to members of his own side of the aisle, I will bring Sen. Reed’s resolution to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. That way, we can end Sen. Tuberville’s farce and quickly confirm the over 350 military promotions.”

Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also said the United States “can’t afford to play these games anymore.”

Earlier this month, a group of Senate Republicans attempted to overcome the Tuberville blockade, with Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Dan Sullivan, R-Arkansas, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Todd Young, R-Ind., calling up 61 nominees onto the Senate Floor but failed to do so.

However, Tuberville has maintained that he will not release his holds until the Pentagon ends its current abortion policy or the Senate holds a vote on it.