Members of the Senate Rules Committee plan to take up a resolution Tuesday to allow the consideration of 350 nonpolitical military promotions at the same time to get around Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on approval of nominees over his longstanding protest over the Pentagon's abortion policy.
The plan would allow senators to change procedures temporarily without needing to make a permanent rule change, reports The Washington Examiner. This move would allow most of the promotions that have been on hold to be considered in large batches, but major promotions of top military leaders such as those with the Joint Chiefs of Staff would require individual confirmation votes.
Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., formulated the proposal. The resolution is expected to go through the Rules Committee but could have more difficulty passing in the full Senate, as it will need 60 votes to pass and require some Republicans for full approval.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., commented that he'll bring the resolution up on the Senate floor as soon as the committee approves it.
"Patience on both sides of the aisle is wearing very, very thin," he said on the Senate floor Monday. "[Tuberville] won't even listen to members of his own side of the aisle, I will bring Sen. Reed's resolution to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. That way, we can end Sen. Tuberville's farce and quickly confirm the over 350 military promotions."
Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also said the United States "can't afford to play these games anymore."
A group of Senate Republicans earlier this month tried and failed to overcome the Tuberville blockade, with Sens. Joni Ernst, from Iowa; Dan Sullivan, from Alaska; Lindsey Graham, from South Carolina; and Todd Young, from Indiana, calling up 61 nominees onto the Senate Floor.
Tuberville, however, has maintained that he will not release his holds until the Pentagon ends its current abortion policy or the Senate holds a vote on it.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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