Senate approves hundreds of military promotions as Tuberville drops hold

Hundreds of military promotions pushed through the Senate on Tuesday, Dec. 5, after Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., dropped his months-long blockade. The Senate wasted little time, approving 425 promotions by voice vote just hours after the blockade was lifted.

Sen. Tuberville had been blocking the votes in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy, which allows military members time and reimbursement for travel out of state to seek an abortion. The policy does not pay for abortions.

Senator Tuberville, and the Republicans who stood with him, needlessly hurt hundreds of servicemembers and military families and threatened our national security – all to push a partisan agenda.

President Biden

The block delayed promotions for hundreds of military personnel, creating a backlog.

Tuberville faced increased pressure to drop his hold from senators on both sides of the aisle, citing the threat to military readiness and national security as some officials were forced to take on multiple roles with promotions stalled.

Lindsey Graham was one of several Senate Republicans to confront Tommy Tuberville on the chamber floor last night for holding up military promotions to protest the Pentagon's abortion travel policy.

"You just denied this lady a promotion — you did that," Graham said. pic.twitter.com/56M1GlBHsZ

— POLITICO (@politico) November 2, 2023

“I’m releasing everybody,” Tuberville told reporters after dropping the hold. “I still got a hold on, I think 11, four-star generals, everybody else is completely released from me.”

President Biden was also critical of Tuberville’s hold calling it politically motivated and pointless.

“Senator Tuberville, and the Republicans who stood with him, needlessly hurt hundreds of servicemembers and military families and threatened our national security – all to push a partisan agenda,” Biden said. “I hope no one forgets what he did.”

While Tuberville said he still has holds on about a dozen four-star officers, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby expressed the importance of the Senate pushing those confirmations through so they can lead troops in “critical military missions.”