The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the last 11 four-star generals whose promotions Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville blocked over the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy.
Tuberville relented on the majority of his holds on Dec. 5, allowing more than 400 nominations to pass through the Senate, but his concession only affected three-star generals and admirals and below. However, the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy remains in place as the Alabama senator has in recent months been pressed from all sides to find a solution to the holds, and the Senate confirmed the remaining 11 into their positions late on Tuesday in one of the chamber’s last remaining acts before breaking for the holidays.
Nominations piled up since Tuberville’s tactic to force the Department of Defense (DOD) to overturn its policy to cover travel expenses for service members seeking out-of-state abortions became known in March. (RELATED: Senate Confirms Marine Corps Leader After Tuberville’s Holds Kept Position Empty For Months)
“I don’t know. It just depends on how they do it,” Tuberville told Politico earlier on Tuesday. “You know, sooner or later, we’re gonna let them go through, you know? I’ve given 99 percent of them. But you’d think they would say OK, what are we gonna do to get these last 11? I’ve heard from nobody.”
Military Promotions confirmed by Voice Vote: Cal. #188, 198, 202, 236, 262, 288, 292, 328, 335, 338, 416, 449-453, and all nominations on the Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force.
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 19, 2023
“The overwhelming chance is that these matters will be resolved tonight on voice votes,” Republican Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also told reporters earlier.
Top Pentagon officials said the holds deeply affected national security. Fellow Republicans mostly agreed, saying the unilateral blockade was crippling the military during global crises and hurting people who have no control over the civilian DOD’s policy schemes.
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