Republican Senators Express Frustration with Senator Tommy Tuberville’s Hold on Over 300 Military Nominations

In an extraordinary debate on the Senate floor, Republican senators expressed their frustration with Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) over his months-long hold on over 300 military nominees. The hold is due to Tuberville’s objection to the Pentagon’s policy on travel for abortion care that was put in place after the reversal of Roe v. Wade last year.

Senators Dan Sullivan, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney and Todd Young spoke on the floor to ask for unanimous consent to confirm military nominations by voice vote, one nomination at a time. Tuberville has been blocking the Senate from approving these nominations, and the senators upbraided him for it. They spoke at length about the people whose nominations he was blocking.

Tuberville has stated that he will keep his hold in place until the Pentagon follows the law or the Democrats change the law. As each nominee was put forward for a unanimous consent vote, the presiding officer asked, “Is there objection?” Republicans stood by Tuberville’s hold for the duration of the debate.

The debate lasted for more than four hours, and ultimately, the Republican senators were unable to break Tuberville’s hold. The nominations remain stalled, and it is unclear when or if they will be approved. This debate highlights the tension between Republican senators over the issue of abortion and the military nominations.