(RepublicanNews.org) – Forever is a long time, but that’s how long Tommy Tuberville says he is willing to continue his blockade of senior military promotions. Despite the apparent and ongoing blockade, the Alabama senator has long reminded his Democrat counterparts that they have the ability to bypass his hold by simply voting on around 300 officer promotions one by one.
The battle between Tuberville and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had lasted six months, with Schumer refusing to hold single votes for individual promotions and with Tuberville refusing to lift his blockade. On September 20th, Schumer appeared to finally cave in, with the New York senator agreeing to hold individual votes on three of the most pressing officer positions.
Following the Senate’s confirmation of the new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Army chief of staff, and Marine Corps Commandant, Tuberville quickly jumped on television to seemingly declare his short-term victory. “He blinked,” Tuberville said of Schumer. Our actions “forced his hand,” he said.
The senator went on to say that Schumer has now shown “the American people” that military confirmations can indeed take place in small batches. “Hopefully,” Tuberville said, Schumer is willing “to continue” moving forward in this manner. The lawmaker said it would be necessary for the NY senator to do so because he has no intention of lifting his blockade.
Critics of Tuberville say he is impeding military readiness. They also say the alternative process recently undertaken by Schumer is tedious and inefficient. The Senate would have to make time for around 300 separate floor votes, a small portion of which took place last week.
Tuberville’s procedural blockade was initially undertaken by the legislator in response to the Pentagon’s department-wide implementation of a new abortion policy. Conservative legislators were furious with the fact that troops would not only be able to take time off to undergo abortions but that they could be reimbursed for any travel expenses accrued during the procedure.
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