Senate confirms final military promotions after Tuberville's blockade
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) in Congress in November 2023. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Senate confirmed the final top military nominees on Tuesday night that were delayed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who blocked the promotions for months in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy.
Why it matters: The confirmations mark an end to Tuberville's boycott, which drew waves of bipartisan criticism for jeopardizing military readiness. Hundreds of positions, including senior roles, were filled by acting officials because of the Alabama Republican.
- Tuberville announced a partial lift to his boycott earlier this month. But until Tuesday night, he kept in place holds on all senior military positions that were four stars or higher.
- Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was able to get the remaining 11 four-star positions confirmed by voice vote as senators were rushing to wrap up their final votes of the year.
- These included the heads of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Cyber Command and the Missile Defense Agency.
What they're saying: "These 11 flag officers have now been approved, joining the rest of their colleagues who we approved a few weeks ago. That's good news," Schumer said on the Senate floor after the votes.
- Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) welcomed their confirmations, too, also calling it "good news" from the Senate floor.
The big picture: Tuberville has conceded that he gained no political concessions from the blockade, but said he did not regret initiating it.
- Tuberville opposed a Defense Department policy that reimburses service members for certain abortion-related expenses incurred by them or their family members.
- The policy was announced after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which Pentagon officials said negatively affected its readiness and its ability to recruit and retain service members.
- Tuberville's blockade created an unprecedented situation for the military, leaving the Marines, Army and Navy simultaneously without confirmed leaders for the first time ever.
- It was also the first time in decades that any branch of the military was led by an acting service chief.
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