U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer took a victory lap Wednesday after the Senate confirmed the rest of the top nominees for military without any objection from U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
“Military families who have has their lives put on hold for months can finally breathe a sigh of relief because the wait is over,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Tuberville (R-Auburn) had been placing holds on unanimous consent of military promotions over the Department of Defense’s policy of paying for travel expenses for members of the military seeking an abortion.
Tuberville released most of his holds earlier this month only keep it in place for those at the 4-star and 5-star level.
Schumer was able to strike a deal to confirm the rest of the nominees Tuesday, officially ending Tuberville’s month long blockade.
“It was a very good outcome,” Schumer said, “one that should not have been necessary. But now that the holds have been lifted, and these nominees confirmed, I hope this never happens again.”
The Majority Leader said Tuberville was putting the military at risk.
“Let the experience for the last 10 months be a warning,” he said. “No senator should use our military officers and their families as political pawns to push a political agenda, no matter how strongly they believe in that agenda.”
Schumer also said he was glad Tuberville didn’t get anything in return from his “painful” holds.
“This was a long and painful ordeal for our armed forces, but it ended on a positive not for them and for our country because Senator Tuberville didn’t get one bit of what he asked for, only a lot of pain to military families,” he said. “Let’s make sure this never happens again, no matter how strongly any one of the hundred senators feels on any one issue.
“Don’t hold the military families hostage.”
While Tuberville has released his holds on military nominees, he continues to keep his blockade on civilian Pentagon nominees.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
