GOP strategist: Republicans feel 'enormous pressure from their constituents' to break Tuberville’s hold
The ongoing hold Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has on almost 400 military leadership confirmations could culminate in a handful of Republicans joining with Democrats in a bipartisan push to break the blockade before Christmas.
The Hill reports that Senate Republicans may be considering a temporary rules change to take away a lone senator's ability to stall confirmation proceedings in order to fully staff senior-level military positions by the end of 2023. One Republican senator speaking anonymously said that should negotiations with Tuberville continue to remain unsuccessful, other members of the caucus would likely support a "standing order resolution" to move the confirmations through. Longtime Republican strategist John Ullyot told The Hill that Senate Republicans are starting to get worn down by pressure from voters.
"Republicans, especially Republicans on the Armed Services Committee, are feeling enormous pressure from their constituents on approving military promotions," Ullyot said. "This is something that they’re hearing about from their constituents and there is a sense of urgency … to break this logjam."
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Tuberville has held up military confirmations for roughly nine months. He has remained committed to the blockade until the Pentagon reverses its policy of paying for service members' out-of-state travel costs to obtain abortions if they live in states that criminalized abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Ullyot said that while Republicans are eager to break the hold, they're also sensitive about giving up leverage by changing a Senate rule while Democrats are in power.
"It’s an issue of whether you want to take away one of the only tools that the Senate has to exert influence or exert pressure over the executive branch," Ullyot continued. "Just like filibuster reform, you’re for [changing procedural rules] when you’re in the majority and against it when you’re in the minority."
Earlier this week, four of Tuberville's colleagues — Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Todd Young (R-Indiana) — waged a three-hour standoff with Tuberville and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to force through the confirmations. Ernst expressed frustration with Tuberville and Lee, telling The Hill they "don’t want these biographies read because we are putting the human element out there and showing the United States of America the valiant service of these men and women."
While he hasn't yet joined the push against Tuberville, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said the Alabama senator's obstructionism "is not the way to reach the desired outcome” of changing abortion policy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) called the open dissent within Republican ranks "sort of unprecedented."
