Senate to vote on military promotions Tuberville previously blocked
- Sen. Tuberville lifted his hold on most military promotions
- The Senate has already approved 425 of the previously blocked promotions
- Sen. Jack Reed said it will vote on more before holiday break
FILE – Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., questions Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on her nomination for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, Sept. 14, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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(NewsNation) — Sen. Jack Reed, R-RI, told NewsNation’s Joe Khalil on Tuesday the Senate will vote to advance more military officers whose promotions were previously blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville before Christmas.
Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said this will likely be the last vote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, calls for before lawmakers break this week for the holiday.
Earlier this month, Tuberville lifted a hold he had on hundreds of nominees after almost a year. The Republican from Arkansas had put the blockade in place with the goal of forcing the Pentagon to repeal a policy that reimburses service members for travel expenses if they went out of state for abortion care.
Members of both parties had complained about the toll this took on service members and their families.
Following this, the Senate approved about 425 military promotions in a single stroke.
President Joe Biden called the move long overdue, saying in a statement the military confirmations should never have been held up.
“In the end, this was all pointless. Senator Tuberville, and the Republicans who stood with him, needlessly hurt hundreds of service members and military families and threatened our national security — all to push a partisan agenda. I hope no one forgets what he did,” Biden said.
NewsNation’s The Hill writes Tuberville said while he didn’t get the “win he wanted,” the senator still expressed no regrets about how he handled the situation. He still, however, retains a hold for about 11 of the highest-ranking military officers, who would have been promoted to the four-star level or above.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill last week giving back pay to senior military officers whose promotions had been delayed. The Hill reports this legislation still needs the House approval, although this likely won’t happen until next year as the chamber has already adjourned for its holiday break.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
