Sen. Tommy Tuberville has been delaying promotions at the Pentagon for months in protest of a new abortion policy. Now, in an effort to put pressure on Democrats amid criticism from both them and members of his own party, he will try to compel the Senate to vote on a crucial candidate.
According to a Senate aide with knowledge of the strategy, Tuberville will make an attempt to convince the Senate to approve Gen. Eric Smith’s promotion to Marine Corps commandant on Wednesday afternoon. He will do this using a combination of procedural and political maneuvers, as Democrats and the White House portray Tuberville’s obstruction as endangering military readiness.
Let’s leave. It’s time to vote,” Tuberville wrote under a picture of his signing a cloture petition on X on Wednesday morning.
Due to Tuberville’s blockade, Smith is now serving in an acting capacity, causing the Pentagon to function without a Senate-confirmed commandant for the first time in more than 150 years.
Tuberville’s attempt to force the vote appears to ignore the fact that he has been the one blocking confirmations, a blockade he promised to release if the Pentagon changed a policy intended to make abortions more accessible to military personnel stationed in states that forbid them.
The Alabama Republican stated on Tuesday that he had no intention of releasing his holds unless the Pentagon policy is altered, which now covers servicemembers’ travel costs when they must go outside of their home state to obtain an abortion. He emphasized, “I’m not changing my mind.
The White House has used the delays as a talking point to portray congressional Republicans as being stubborn and unable or unwilling to govern, which has irked both Democrats and Republicans.
If Democrats are so concerned about the national security risk, according to Tuberville and some members of his party, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer should call each of the hundreds of nominees up for a vote individually (nominees are often approved in bundles).
In the midst of a debate over government financing and other important deadlines, the Senate would spend a lot of time approving each bill individually. Democrats have also refrained from voting on certain promotions out of principle, claiming that doing so would amount to caving in to Tuberville’s demands.
Republicans believe they can relieve the GOP of political pressure since Democrats won’t hold individual votes, and demanding a vote on Smith’s promotion will eventually reflect poorly on Democrats.
The source explained that Tuberville used a rarely used procedural procedure to get 16 signatures on the petition to demand a vote.
Republican Senators John Kennedy of Louisiana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida, and John Kennedy of Louisiana confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday that they signed the petition. The cloture petition was also signed by Republican Senators JD Vance of Ohio, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, and Ted Budd of North Carolina, according to each senator’s spokespeople. The individual with knowledge of the petition claims that no senator in the Senate leadership signed it.
Schumer characterized Tuberville’s initiatives as an attempt to sidestep the real issue.
At a recent news conference, Schumer declared that Republicans are responsible for creating this issue and must find a solution.
Tuberville’s holds have already come under fire from Mitch McConnell, who even referred to them as “a mistake.”