The U.S. Senate Rules Committee voted along party lines on Tuesday to advance legislation that would clear the way for hundreds of military promotions that one Republican has been delaying to protest Defense Department abortion policy.
In a 9-7 vote, the panel has sent the resolution for a vote in the full Senate. However, it’s uncertain whether the rule will go into effect, as Senate rules require 60 votes to move ahead, and Democrats only control 51 seats in the 100-member chamber.
The legislation was crafted by Senate Democrats in response to Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s refusal to expedite most promotions of high-level military officials since February. Tuberville’s protest is aimed at the Pentagon’s policy of covering abortion travel costs for service members and their dependents.
The resolution aims to temporarily bypass Tuberville’s holds by allowing the Senate to consider multiple promotions simultaneously if they have already been approved by the Armed Services Committee.
Under Senate rules, one lawmaker can hold up nominations despite overwhelming support from the other 99 members. Tuberville’s actions have drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, who argue that he should address policy issues by targeting nominees involved with policy, rather than punishing deserving military members.
Tuberville’s previous actions last summer left the Marine Corps without a commandant for the first time in over a century. In his most recent blockade, the senator objected to the promotions of 364 officers.
This story was reported by Patricia Zengerle and edited by Jonathan Oatis.
